Mr McConnell is determined to make the £500 million link to Edinburgh Airport and the £l4O million Glasgow Airport scheme a reality within the next decade.

He has pinpointed the building of an improved transport infrastructure as one of the biggest challenges facing the Executive to help grow the country's economy.

After devolution in 1999, the Scottish Parliament took over funding the First ScotRail train services, but responsibility for the whole of the train network remained with the UK Government. The First Minister yesterday hailed the biggest devolution of power since 1999 as 'a good day for Scotland s rail passengers and a good day for Scotland.'

He told Metro: 'Last year, the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling,agreed to hand over the running of the network and we have now finalised the funding package. We can speed up the renewal of our rail network that has, for too many years, suffered from a lack of investment and poor co-ordination.

There are more than 62 million passenger journeys a year in Scotland. We now have the powers and resources to improve services,including links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.

We will be able to re-open the Stirling-Alloa to Kincardine rail link, invest in a new link from Airdrie to Bathgate and increase passenger capacity on the most heavily used commuter network outside London.'

Mr McConnell said the £lOO million redevelopment of Edinburgh Waverley Station, which will include new escalators to Princes Street, would also go ahead. He added: 'By the end of this year, Scotland's new national transport agency will be up and running. It will oversee the biggest transport investment in a generation.'

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