Background
Although Edinburgh Airport has no railway station, it lies in close proximity to two major railway lines, the Fife Circle and the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway lines. The EARL project aimed to construct connecting links from these lines, intersecting at a new underground railway station underneath Edinburgh Airport, in order to provide direct rail links to the airport from Edinburgh, Glasgow and other Scottish cities.
The project was proposed by the Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition of the Scottish Government and it was also supported by the Scottish Conservatives. The Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Scottish Green Party both opposed the project on grounds of cost and because it duplicated existing bus services. The cost of the station alone was initially estimated at £100 million because it had to conform to strict fire standards for underground stations. The total cost of the project was thought to be £500 million - even so the benefit cost ratio was very high because of the considerable interconnectivity provided.
The Edinburgh Airport Rail Link Bill was passed in March 2007 by a vote in the Scottish Parliament of 86 votes to 29. It received Royal Assent on 19 April 2007.
Read more about this topic: Edinburgh Airport Rail Link
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