It's a very flawed financial argument to compare region with region regarding 'investment' vs 'income'. We are a United Kingdom, and consequently there will always be regions which contribute more in one particular area of the economy.
Take for example Lincolnshire. It produces grossly more Electricity and Vegetables than the resident population of the county need. Does the argument that Electricity and Vegetables should be cheaper in Lincolnshire because the rest of the country is 'stealing' that resource? No of course not.
Should the county get more of it's fair share of investment as a result? No.
In a country the resources are pooled and the investment in infrastructure is given to the areas which need it most.
Scotland has devolved power over Transport and therefore the Scottish Assembly has carte-blanche power to spend as much or as little as it so chooses on Railways.
The reality is that investment in transport is generally higher in Scotland than the rest of the UK. There have been numerous rail improvements and re-openings with more planned.
Take for example Borders Rail. There would not be a hope in hell of this scheme getting any further than debate in a county council committee in England. I am a big supporter of Borders Rail. My only criticism of it is it doesn't go all the way to Carlisle. But to look clinically at it, the amount it is costing to re-open you could probably for the same cost re-open the Woodhead route and provide a high speed rail link between two of England's biggest cities, and release much needed capacity. Will that ever happen? Not in my lifetime.
My in-laws are all Scottish - they live in Largs. When I go to visit, I ride on the brand new trains which have been introduced in Ayrshire and I pay significantly less per mile for the ticket than I would for a comparable journey in England, and the journey is faster.
I will make a direct comparison:
Largs - Glasgow. Recent Investment. 1 train per hour with 10 stops. 42 miles, average journey time 59 minutes, OP Day Return £9.30 = 11 pence per mile for an average speed of 42.71 miles per hour.
Lowestoft - Ipswich. Recent Investment. 1 train per hour with 10 stops. 48 miles, average journey time 90 minutes, OP Day Return £16.60 = 17.3 pence per mile for an average speed of 30 miles per hour.
I wish Scotland luck with its referendum next year, and I hope that they make the right decision for them, for the right reasons. But my in-laws and all of their friends who I have spoken to have not as yet been convinced of the merit of independence and they recognise that Scotland is getting a very good deal from being as they are.
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[1] How popular is the wish to split with the public?
[2] How much of a chance will it happen?
[3] What would happen for people who travel between England and Scotland, will they need a passport to be checked at the border?
[1] Current opinion polls suggest 30-35% In favour of Independence, 55-60% against, and 15% undecided. Polls show that the 'yes' camp seem to be loosing support
Recent Poll Result
[2] The Yes campaign has an uphill struggle to get to 50.01%. It is hoping for a surge in nationalism.
Casual observers may take the cynical view that the poll has been timed (in autumn 2014) to take advantage of the national pride Scots will naturally feel in supporting their sportsmen and women in the Commonwealth Games which is being staged in Glasgow next summer, Scotland hosting the Ryder Cup, the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn on 24 June 1314, when Robert the Bruce vanquished an English army led by Edward II, and 2014 being the Second Scottish 'homecoming'...
[3] That is a matter for a future Scottish Government and UK Government to negotiate. It is likely that if Scotland do gain independence then there will be a similar arrangement as we have with the Irish Republic which is a common travel area with no frontier controls.
If however Scotland voted for independence in 2014, and the rest of the UK voted to leave the EU in 2017, and Scotland decided to join the Schengen common travel area, then Scotland's Border with England would be an EU external border, and there would be no alternative for the two nations other than to implement full border controls, including some kind of physical barrier to stop illegal migration. So it's unlikely, but conceivable in certain circumstances.
