RHODA GRANT: No quick fix for delays on Far North Line
Holyrood Notebook by Rhoda Grant
I can’t quite believe it is October already. Last week we had the Labour Party Conference; it was the first in 14 years where Labour was in government and our leader’s speech was given by the Prime Minister.
A key point for me personally was his comments that a care worker should command the same respect as the Prime Minister. That is completely true. Care work is a vital, key role in this country yet locally, NHS Highland and other care home providers cannot staff care homes which has resulted in several closures. This is a desperate situation for those involved.
To tackle these closures – and others nationally – our governments need to change societal views on social care. I believe a key first step would be to begin paying care staff appropriately for their hard and dedicated work. Without them, social care collapses. Then it is important to improve working conditions and career progression.
Of course social care is devolved, so the SNP government could have led the way in this but instead we have a National Care Service plan that needs to be rewritten to be worthy of the name.
I recommend watching Keir’s speech in full.
This month I looked at rail travel again and submitted questions on the Delmore passing loop, but sadly have received disappointing responses. Currently, trains on the Far North Line can experience delays and cancelations because other delayed trains have impacted their journey times. This would be eliminated if more passing loops were in place.
This would make the route more reliable and more attractive to locals, tourists and those working in the area. It would also allow people to step away from their cars and do their bit for climate change.
Following my Parliamentary Written Questions, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport admitted that the Delmore passing loop is not on their infrastructure programme.
This is incredibly disappointing and it adds to the list of investments that the Scottish Government are dumping in the north.
There is some good news though, – Network Rail have announced that they will be carrying out improvements on the route as part of a wider £1.6 million investment. This includes replacing rails and sleepers at Merkinch Ferry, Alness and Dingwall.
Although this will cause some disruption in the short-term, in the long-term it will prolong the lifespan of the track for many years to come.
• Rhoda Grant is a Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands.
