§ 31. Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further improvements are planned for communications between Stranraer and Carlisle.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe recent network review of trunk roads in Scotland confirmed that the upgrading of the A75 has substantially eliminated the main operating difficulties on the route. However, the Government have plans for further improvements which emphasise safety and overtaking opportunities. I 177W understand that ScotRail is investigating the possibility of restoring a short section of track at Ayr to allow the Stranraer-Carlisle service to run via Mauchline. This could reduce the present journey time between Stranraer and Carlisle by around 25 minutes.