Dr Callum George: SNP turning “World’s Best” West Highland Line into a “Polar Express” for Argyll
ARGYLL AND BUTE – Dr Callum George, Scottish Labour candidate for Argyll and Bute, has hit out at the SNP government for the “managed decline” of the West Highland Line, once voted the greatest rail journey on Earth.
The line, which connects Glasgow to Oban and Mallaig, was famously voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of the independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009—beating out world-renowned routes like the Trans-Siberian line in Russia and the line from Cusco to Machu Picchu in Peru. While ScotRail’s website continues to boast that the route has been voted the most scenic in the world for the second year running, the reality for local passengers is increasingly grim.
Under the SNP’s watch, the “Iron Road to the Isles” is now frequently nicknamed the “Polar Express” by regular travellers, who report 1980s-era trains with no functioning heating, deteriorating track infrastructure, and a lack of investment that is driving visitors and locals away.
Dr Callum George, Scottish Labour candidate and local doctor, said:
“The West Highland Line should be a crown jewel of our tourism economy and is a vital lifeline for our communities. Instead, after almost 20 years of the SNP, it has become a symbol of neglect. It is a national embarrassment that a route that beat the Trans-Siberian for global prestige is now being run into the ground with ancient trains and freezing carriages.
“As a doctor, I find it unacceptable that my patients are expected to endure journeys in sub-zero temperatures with no functioning heating. This isn’t just a comfort issue; for the elderly and vulnerable, it’s a health and safety risk. The SNP is happy to use photos of our scenery to market Scotland to the world, but they have treated the actual infrastructure that serves Argyll and Bute as an inconvenient afterthought for two decades.
“If the SNP can’t even heat our trains, what makes anyone think they can fix our economy? This isn’t as good as it gets. Scottish Labour is offering a government that will fix the mess, get the basics right, and build a better future for our rail network. The choice on May 7th is a third decade of SNP failure, or change with Scottish Labour. Every vote for Reform or other fringe parties only helps the SNP cling to power—only Scottish Labour can beat the SNP here and deliver the investment our Highland lines deserve.”
