Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar appears to offer broad support to Edinburgh tram expansion plans
Labour leader quizzed on position at manifesto launch
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar appeared to signal broad support for Edinburgh's plans to expand the city's tram network as he launched his party's manifesto for the Holyrood elections.
In answer to a question on the proposed North-South tramline from Granton to the Royal Infirmary, Mr Sarwar said he would "work with the local authority to deliver on its proposed metro line".
A source suggested the reference to a "metro line" was because he was used to that terminology in the context of plans for a Clyde metro, described by Strathclyde Passenger Transport as "a fully integrated mass transit public transport system which could include a variety of modes".
Although the core of the Edinburgh plans which went to public consultation last year was the new tramline, work has been done on adding tram trains, running on a reopened South Suburban rail line, and there would be the potential for the tramline to link into East Lothian and Midlothian, which could mean "mass transit" buses.
There is no mention in the Labour manifesto of Edinburgh's proposed tramline or any "metro line" involving the Capital. The document does, however, pledge a new 45-minute express train service between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Shotts.
In March, Mr Sarwar, said he would be a "First Minister for Glasgow" and committed Labour to delivering the long-promised Glasgow Airport Rail Link. At the manifesto launch, Mr Sarwar was asked what Edinburgh voters should make of him saying he would be a "First Minister for Glasgow" and whether, as well as promising to build a Glasgow Airport Rail Link, he would fund Edinburgh's proposed North-South tramline.
He said: "I've never hidden the fact that I'm a Weegie and I'm from Glasgow. And I think the fact I'm launching the manifesto in Edinburgh as a Weegie tells you everything that you need to know.
"The point I was making about Glasgow is no-one can pretend that the city of Glasgow has not been neglected.
“And the point that I was making about the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, in particular, is we have a situation right now, even though the SNP promised almost 20 years ago to deliver a Glasgow Airport Rail Link, that you can get a direct train from Glasgow Central station to Manchester Airport, but you can't get one from Glasgow Central station to Glasgow Airport. That's why it will be a national priority and we will finally deliver that Glasgow Airport Rail Link.
"And specifically on Edinburgh, we will deliver an additional express service between Glasgow and Edinburgh. And we will, of course, work with Edinburgh and the wider Lothians region to make sure we are developing regional transport.
"Lothian Buses, for example, is a fantastic exemplar of what you can do with integrated publicly controlled transport. I want that for every part of the country. So Edinburgh has some great models that the rest of the country can replicate.
"But I also want that investment in that express service to Glasgow and working with the local authority to deliver on its proposed metro line."
Later, Labour's Daniel Johnson, seeking re-election in Edinburgh Southern, told the Evening News: "At the heart of this is a real commitment to investment in infrastructure. We want to ensure the projects that have the ability to unlock city regions are taken forward and we would look at the Edinburgh tram project in that light."