Business leaders have urged the Scottish Government to rethink its plans to scrap the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL), stating the scheme was both affordable and desirable.

The heads of six leading organisations have written to Finance Secretary John Swinney to express their "deep disappointment" at his decision not to proceed with the GARL.

The project was expected to create jobs for 1,300 people. The SNP, however, have said axing it will save the Scottish Government £175.7 million.

Iain McMillan of CBI Scotland, Andy Willox of the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland, David Watt of the Institute of Directors Scotland, Liz Cameron of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Lesley Sawyers of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and Owen Kelly of Scottish Financial Enterprise, have all signed the letter to Mr Swinney.

In it they offer to meet the Finance Secretary to discuss possible ways forward, adding: "In our view, the GARL project is not only desirable but affordable."

Mr McMillan, the director of CBI Scotland, said: "The Scottish business community was extremely supportive of the GARL project. It would provide a fast, direct public transport link between Glasgow Airport and the centre of the city, ease congestion and improve Glasgow's and Scotland's international connectivity.

"It would also provide a much needed boost to the construction sector and create jobs during these tough economic times. We are very disappointed with the Scottish Government's decision to axe GARL."

Ms Cameron, the chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, insisted: "In our view, the GARL project could be affordable."

She added: "Whilst we appreciate that the Scottish Government cannot invest funds it doesn't have, we believe we must raise our vision and look more closely at other funding options."

The letter from the six stated they did "not accept that there are insurmountable financial reasons for its cancellation". They urged: "We do hope that you will take our concerns seriously and seek to reintroduce GARL into the Government's spending plans in the draft budget for 2010-11."

A Scottish Government spokesman said budget cuts imposed by Westminster meant GARL was "simply unaffordable".

He said: "The reality is that for the first time since devolution the Scottish Government is facing a real terms cut in the fixed budget available to us from the UK Government.

"It is now simply unaffordable to commit to GARL in the face of these Westminster-imposed cuts, when vital capital projects across Scotland, such as the M74 completion, M80 upgrade, Forth replacement crossing, Aberdeen western peripheral route, improvements to the A9, schools programme, Glasgow's National Indoor Sports Arena and the new Southern General Hospital, must be allocated the capital they need to go ahead."