Rail services and railway stations are an important part of the public transport infrastructure in the Cowdenbeath constituency with railway stations attached to the Fife Circle located at Cardenden, Lochgelly, Cowdenbeath, Rosyth, Inverkiething and Dalgety Bay.
I believe that this transport link can be supported better with more un to date stock but generally this access to rail is a major boost for our local economy and can support residents get a much wider reach to the city region labour market.
It must be the case however that these services are affordable to people on average wages and I am therefore delighted to welcome the announcement by the Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy that achieving better services and cheaper trains for our constituency and for Scotland is a priority for him and the Scottish Labour Party.
Mr Murphy has set out three clear actions he will take as First Minster of Scotland. These are;
“We will use the powers in the Smith Agreement to map out a better future for public transport in Scotland.
“We will set up a non-profit People’s ScotRail.
And; “We will make sure any profits from our railways are reinvested in better services and cheaper fares”.
I believe this is good news and will work hard to make these pledges a reality under a Scottish Labour government. We must be ambitious for all in our communities and ensure people get the support, training and skills and access to jobs. This is how we will tackle poverty and reduce inequality.
