Edinburgh Airport rail link set to be mothballed

Plans that would have seen a new rail link to Edinburgh Airport look set to be mothballed, as questions about its long term future have also been raised.

According to The Scotsman newspaper staff working on the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (EARL) are likely to be laid off, with more emphasis placed on a tram system for the Scottish capital.

The EARL project, costing around £600 million, would have linked up with the main Scottish rail network, connecting the airport to many towns and cities including Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness.

But it had already faced a tortuous route through the Scottish Parliament with question marks over the final cost and now it would seem a review by the SNP government will also be put in place to see if the project has any future.

The Scotsman quotes a local councillor as saying "most energy will be going into the trams, which will make a huge difference to the city" who goes on to say the EARL scheme will need to be rethought, although it was still felt there was a need for a rail link.

The ambitious plans, which include the construction of an underground station at Edinburgh Airport, promised to ease congestion on the roads around the airport as well as offer a direct link into the city.

© Cheapflights Ltd Craig McGinty

Comments

[Fox1]

Let's hope the majority of MSP's manage to over-rule
the minority SNP members and allow this important
rail infrastructure to go ahead. It's vital to Scotland's economic future.