A "CELTIC bridge" linking Scotland and Ireland would transform the economy of both and provide a major boost to their major cities, according to a new report.
The study by the Glasgow Urban Laboratory based at the School of Art, said a high-speed rail link connecting Edinburgh to Dublin via Glasgow and Belfast would be “transformative”.
“Other countries, notably France, have done a great deal to shrink distance and time by investing in advanced infrastructures to speed up communications and enhance mobility in their urban systems,” it said. “For example, a fast rail link from Edinburgh, via Glasgow and Belfast, to Dublin, built in partnership with the Irish government and Northern Irish administration with a Celtic version of the Oresund Bridge in the North Channel, with fast links to Aberdeen via Dundee and to Inverness, would be ambitious, visionary and transformative for all concerned.”
READ MORE: Bridge from Scotland to Ireland could create 'Celtic powerhouse'
Asked if this was more advantageous than high-speed links to London, Brian Evans, one of the report authors, told the Evening Times: “Cities need to be inter-connected. There are missing links in the rail map, like from Scotland to the north of England. It is not entirely pie in the sky. There are bridges like this all over the place. This is another missing link. It is about high-speed inter-connectivity.”
The report “Scotland’s Urban AGE on the future of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh” proposed several recommendations for future success. It said rail links, both within Scotland and to other countries, and an updated road system, are priorities.
READ MORE: First images of potential Scotland-N Ireland bridge as architect promotes project
The bridge idea – first reported by The National in January – is based on the Oresund Bridge which crosses five miles of ocean between Denmark and Sweden. The Celtic rail link would be almost 300 miles long with a bridge of around 20 miles from Scotland to County Antrim. It has been backed by politicians including Brexit Secretary Mike Russell, Irish Foreign Secretary Simon Coveney and DUP leader Arlene Foster.
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