Winchburgh Train Station

The proposed station at Winchburgh has been raised in the chamber on many occasions over the course of recent weeks and months. As members will be fully aware, West Lothian Council’s funding application remains very much under consideration. Once advice is put to me, I will be able to make a definitive decision.

The funding of all capital infrastructure projects requires the Government to put capital resource in place. If Winchburgh station is approved, we will of course ensure that there is capital there to deliver the project.

I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, as a sitting councillor in West Lothian.

The Scottish National Party may have been the only party to make an explicit manifesto commitment to support the delivery of a station for Winchburgh, but I welcome the interest of members across the chamber at this advanced stage. [Interruption.]

Following the Scottish Government’s welcome removal of peak rail fares to reduce costs for passengers and encourage more people to choose rail travel, can the cabinet secretary advise what impact that has had on the cost benefit ratio and the business case to support the delivery of a train station in Winchburgh?

There was a lot of chatter there, as Pauline Stafford was rightly highlighting that only the SNP committed to deliver a new station at Winchburgh during the election campaign—despite the belated interest from members across the Parliament at various transport discussions. That indeed applies to many other topics, too.

On the overall business case, a number of different factors are taken into account, and we will ensure that, prior to making a definitive decision in the period ahead, all of them are considered in full.