£2.8m for Dalmarnock Station!

More good news for Glasgow today - and excellent news for my constituents.

A bid for European Regional Development Funding for the refurbishment of Dalmarnock Station has been successful, and will bring nearly £3m in investment.

As you can see from the photos, there's a lot of improvement to be done, and works will need to get underway soon to ensure the station is ready for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

This station has been neglected for many years, and I'm glad to see that it's being brought up to scratch by an SNP Government. This will benefit my constituents, people travelling to the area for the Games and the football, and local businesses.

Scottish Government press release:

Dalmarnock Station in Glasgow's East End to be redeveloped European funding of 2.8 million pounds is being invested in a project which will help support the redevelopment of Dalmarnock Rail Station in Glasgow's East End.

John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, announced the funding package for the station, which will be a key transport hub for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The work at Dalmarnock will offer commuters more travel choices through the heart of the Games village and help meet travel demands beyond the Games.

Mr Swinney said:

"The Scottish Government is working tirelessly to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to support sustainable economic growth. That's why I'm delighted to announce this 2.8 million pounds investment from the European Regional Development Fund which will help support the redevelopment and refurbishment of Dalmarnock Station.

"When delivered, the station will not only provide additional transport services for the Commonwealth Games, but also help support the regeneration of the wider Dalmarnock area.

"As we look forward to the Games in 2014, this investment will help deliver an efficient transport network for visitors to the city, as well as a lasting legacy of improved transport links in Glasgow's East End."

Background Project Partners delivering Dalmarnock Station refurbishment are Transport Scotland, Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Clyde Gateway and Network Rail. Project partners are currently working up preferred options for the station redevelopment. This work is progressing well for delivery in 2013. The ERDF contribution towards the funding for the scheme has been confirmed as 2,859,500 pounds.

Labour Chair of SPT forced to quit

News emerges today that Labour Councillor Alistair Watson, Chair of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, is to quit the role following several weeks of expenses stories in the Sunday Times. These allegations have resulted in my colleague Cllr Hendry referring SPT to Audit Scotland.

The Times quotes a Labour source:

“What’s been coming out in recent weeks about SPT’s expenses has been damaging and it’s beginning to damage the council. There’s a pattern of SPT spending money, not illegally or immorally, but in a way that its usefulness is not entirely clear. As chairman he should have had a better grip on it.”

I have to admit, I find Cllr Watson very helpful on transport issues on a personal level. He has a great deal of knowledge and experience in these matters, and even very recently arranged for officials to talk me through works on Dalmarnock Station. It will be difficult for any incumbent (Labour, natch, given the composition of the board) to live up to that.

Watson's attitude to expenses and 'fact finding' trips on the public pound, however, is not acceptable - the culmination of this being a highly co-incidental and spurious trip to Manchester to meet with officials to fit in with Rangers playing in the UEFA cup final. I'm not quite sure of the morality of that - but it's certainly not appropriate.

This attitude seems to permeate what SPT does, with trips justifying wild plans and unrealistic ideas which are regularly sooked up by a supine and impressionable local media. SPT needs to stick to fixing the basics - keeping the subway running and protecting vital local services.

TV on the bus?

Slightly confused by the bus I got into town today - because it had a tv on it. Who decided that buses need tvs? What is the point when buses have those great big glass windows to see the world as you go by. Don't like the view? Windows too dirty or steamed up? Read a book or a paper.

More, clean, buses; ones that are disabled and buggy-friendly would be good. Replacing the scuzzy buses on routes like the 240 and 262, which run from Lanarkshire into the city, would be a positive move.

I'm sure those in the ivory towers of First HQ think this makes buses all super-exciting and modern, but to me yet another propaganda screen (strangely showing pictures of people running) is not really making much of a contribution to improving public transport.