The Scottish Government has been slammed for shelving plans to develop a new high-speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Scottish Liberal Democrat (SLP) transport spokesman Tavish Scott has hit out at the SNP Government for showing a 'lack of respect' to residents in the two cities.

Plans to develop the rail link were announced by Nicola Sturgeon in 2012.

She claimed the SNP 'would not wait' for Westminster to deliver HS2 in Scotland and would be 'firing ahead' with its own plans to deliver the scheme by 2024.

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However, Transport Minister Derek Mackey has now revealed it will not be possible to progress with plans until a 'cross-border high-speed route is identified' with England.

SLP MSP Scott said: "Three years ago the First Minister said there would be full steam ahead on this project. There was a grand ceremony in Glasgow addressed by two Cabinet ministers.

"What's happened since is that the SNP have shelved the project but hoped nobody would notice.

"The SNP's about-turn on their plans for this route shows a lack of respect for people in the two cities.

"They conned everyone into thinking that they would build this bullet railway from a blank page. They could never tell us where the terminus was in either city or the route it would take. These plans have been kept secret. And now they have tried to keep their cancellation secret."

(LM/JP)