- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the rail line between Kincardine and Dunfermline that has been used for freight to Longannet Power Station currently meets safety and other specifications for passenger travel.
Answer
The existing route between Kincardine and Dunfermline via Charleston Junction does not meet current standards to operate a regular passenger rail service.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether private homes providing bed and breakfast accommodation to the public qualify as domestic premises under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and not relevant premises under the provisions of the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 which include houses of multiple occupancy and care homes but not homes offering bed and breakfast accommodation.
Answer
The answer requires interpretation of legislation which ultimately is a matter for the courts. However, the drafting intention was for the commercial or public areas of premises which are used for both domestic and non-domestic purposes to fall within the scope of “relevant premises” under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Private areas are regarded as domestic premises and are therefore largely exempt.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to designate the remainder of the A977 as a trunk road.
Answer
We have no current plans to designate the A977 as a trunk road.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the findings of its examination of replacement Forth crossing options have provided any useful data about the potential effects on traffic across the Forth of new direct rail services to Edinburgh from west Fife and Clackmannanshire.
Answer
No relevant data was gathered during the examination of replacement crossing options.
However, the Forth Replacement Crossing Study recognised that investments in the rail network can contribute to reducing road congestion and harmful emissions.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the concerns about potential traffic through the west Fife villages, as outlined in the members’ business debate on 15 May 2008 on the Upper Forth Crossing (Official Report c. 8750), could be reduced by the alternative of a passenger rail service running through western Fife.
Answer
Rail services in this area will be examined as part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) which is expected to report to ministers in the summer.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how safety and other specifications for railways vary between passenger and freight use.
Answer
Railway safety is a matter which is reserved to the UK Government.
There is no significant difference in the safety of either a passenger or freight railway as both come under the same safety approvals process and both modes run on a shared infrastructure throughout the vast majority of the network.
There are a few lines which are designated freight only and whilst the level of safety will be similar to the rest of the network, there may be some variance on technical specification. This variance reflects the different operational requirements required on a freight only line. For example passenger routes are designed to accommodate a higher density of traffic and higher speeds than a freight only line where there is usually a lesser requirement for either traffic density or speed.
Similarly passenger trains and freight trains have similar standards of safety but are built to the most appropriate technical standards that reflect their operational requirements. For example the weight, braking and suspension characteristics of a passenger train permit it to travel at higher speeds than a heavy freight train on a given piece of track.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Strategic Transport Projects Review being conducted by Transport Scotland is considering the utility of additional stations on existing railway lines in addition to railway extensions.
Answer
Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review is considering a range of land-based transport interventions for the period 2012 to 2022, primarily road and rail based. This includes looking at the scope for further enhancements to the rail network to improve rail routes.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 18 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether giving the residents of western Fife direct access by rail to Stirling and its university could increase educational opportunities and contribute to the objective of making Scotland smarter.
Answer
It is not possible to determine what impact a direct rail link between western Fife and Stirling would have on educational opportunities.
Our rail policy document, Scotland’s Railways, sets out Scottish ministers aspirations for the rail network in Scotland. This focuses on achieving three key strategic outcomes of improving journey times and connections, reducing emissions and improving quality, accessibility and affordability.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 11 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that a direct rail link to Rosyth from Clackmannanshire and Stirling could increase the commercial viability of any sea route from Rosyth to continental Europe.
Answer
Rail services in this area will be examined as part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) which is expected to report to ministers in the summer.
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 June 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13079 by Stewart Stevenson on 27 May 2008, whether Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review will specifically consider the potential benefits of extending passenger rail links from Alloa to Dunfermline as part of the examination of transport links for Dunfermline and Rosyth.
Answer
In examining the longer term needs of Scotland’s national strategic transport network, Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review is considering extending passenger access to Rosyth and possible links to Dunfermline.
Transport Scotland will also continue to review and consider options for improving the rail network across Scotland.
