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Campaign The Levenmouth Rail Campaign Update 37 Newsletter January “ More Than Just a Railway ! ” 2018 Happy New Year, Everyone - Enjoy 2018! “More Than Just a Railway!” ———————————–—————————————————————— New Slogan … and Plenty of New Campaign Strategies “A F I R S T - C L A S S P r e se n t a t i o n f r o m @Playfair15 tonight - lots of well—evidenced analysis and useful recommendations! ….. .... … .. ” — That was how the Above: The Playfair Consulting LMRC ‘re-tweeted’ the St. Group brief LMRC members at their meeting on Tuesday, 28th. November. Andrews-based Playfair Consulting Group for their impressive display at the TheDundee-Levenmouthfinal meeting of 2017 at Fife College, on Methil- Dundee, and its famous haven Road, Buckhaven. Tay railway bridge. The LMRC, and the Connection IImage:: Wiikiidata.. ‘News’ editor Alistair Ayn- scough, thank all of them LAST MONTH The LevenMouth Rail for all that sterling work! Campaign met up with their new He has already adopted the new LMRC campaign ‘mentors’, Playfair Consulting Group, and also Dundee Council ’s transport slogan ‘More Than Just a officials, for an important get together, to Railway’ for these news- discuss just how the Levenmouth rail link letters’ main title-banners. might benefit Dundee in future, and not connection could reduce Dundee’s likely The meeting, on Tues- day, 28th. November, was just Levenmouth. Gregor Hamilton, Head benefits but, by calling at a ‘minor’ plat- to set out new campaign of the Council ’s Planning and Economic form at one or other of the stations along strategies - including how Development division, chaired the meet- the way, a Levenmouth-Edinburgh train best to liaise with Councils ing, as his officials highlighted the Coun- could then be passed by a faster (or and the media, and how to cil’s top two strategic transport priorities non-stop) Dundee-Edinburgh one, with embrace social media and — to Reduce Journey Times between a similar arrangement suggested for enhance website or news- Dundee and other major Scottish cities, trains travelling in the opposite direction and also Improve Access to the City of — something that seems to be favoured. letter content; strengthen our case; attract new peo- Dundee for workers and visitors. The Council officials confirmed “the LMRC ple to our cause — and officials also said about half of Dundee’s has the potential to help Dundee Council learn from previous Scot- citizens do not have access to a car, and in their strategic transport priorities”. tish success stories like are wholly reliant on public transport. The importance of Fife Council’s the now-reinstated Airdrie- involvement with LMRC was highlighted Bathgate line and Borders LMRC State Their Case again. They play a significant part in the Railway. LMRC are cer- The Levenmouth Rail Campaign campaign to re-instate the Levenmouth Rail Link, and LMRC will remind them of tainly all-set for what they then stated their case to the Council - trust will be a very posi- who soon realised that this project would this at future meetings with their officials. tive, and productive, 2018. have significant benefits to Levenmouth, Talks with local Councils will be cru- and also have a definite potential to bring cial to find out just how the Levenmouth LMRC News Says: The benefits to wider areas of Scotland ... Rail Link would fit in with the future including Dundee. The Transport Com- National Transport Strategy, and also CREDIBLE mittee’s main concern was that services the Strategic Transport Review. might just run between Levenmouth and Further talks between Campaigners Journey Edinburgh, rather than between Leven- and at least one of the region’s Councils mouth and Dundee: the lack of a direct is due for later this month. Continues ! nm ‘REINSTATE THE LEVEN-EDINBURGH RAIL-LINK NOW!’ A n s LMRC Meetings w e Our MAIN, PUBLIC [“Action Group”] r s MEETINGS are Held Monthly at … … FA Q Frequently-Asked Questions: This Feature Fife College, Methilhaven Road, Buckhaven, has been ‘Sidelined’, for now at least - but Leven, KY8 1EA., (Just West of Levenmouth Academy). Please Remember that there is still an Next: Tuesday, 30th. January, at 6.30 p.m.. F.A.Q. Page on the LMRC Website … www.lmrc-action.org.uk ! For Further Information Please see LMRC Contacts Below... Image by: ‘Railway Revival’ Proposals Ken Haig. Right: Old Kilpatrick Station, near Dumbar- ton, Glasgow, on 17 October 1970, is busy with rail enthusiasts. Above them, Erskine Bridge takes shape, nine months before its “I Like to M opening. This station, Move It …”* and much of the rail- way, closed in 1964. ♫♫ ♫♫ … tto Fife College Rooms ! [ Details: Wikipedia Website * ‘‘Song--Tiittlle Arrrrowss’’:: Reell tto Reall Ftt.. Mad Sttunttman,, [[1994]].. — Image: Lt. Col. D. M. Anderson Collection. ] Later LMRC Meetings … SOME OF THE Railways closed by Richard Beech- ing’s infamous 1963 “axe” and, later, by British Rail, may LMRC Action Group Meeting — yet be reinstated. Some 4,000 miles of track were closed Tuesday, 27th. February, 6.30 p.m.; by the ‘not-so-good doctor’ [but not the line to Leven- mouth] and lifted, mainly in rural areas — but now, U.K. LMRC Action Group Meeting Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has admitted “former — Tuesday, 27th. March, 6.30 p.m.; railways would be re-opened if they ‘unlock jobs, LMRC Action Group Meeting encourage house-building, ease congestion and offer value for money’ ”… - exac tly the kind of — Tuesday, 24th. April, 6.30 p.m.. criteria that make a re-opened Levenmouth Rail Other Dates and Contact Details Below … … Link such a beneficial and wise option to join this group. Work on a revived link between historic university cit- ies Oxford and Cambridge route starts this year, and Campaign Call - “Lobby Your MSP!’ Say LMRC there are also plans to re-open old lines around Bristol, THE LMRC Appeals for everyone who wants the Leven- Birmingham, Exeter and North-East England. … We would mouth Rail Link back to write to their MSP or MP (or Council- love to see a certain one in Scotland re-opened, too ! lor) right away. — The more you do, the more chance there will be for your long-lost rail-link to be reinstated in future… ! Chris Gray ling s aid: A new list, similar to one until lately published in LMRC News, “A new development pro- may be added to the LMRC website, www.lmrc-action.org.uk, but readers may wish to contact the official Parliamentary gramme will identify which sites — www.parliament.scot and / or www.parliament.uk . li nes w ould enc our age house-building, ease over- crowding on trains, and of- LMRC Contacts … … ℡ fer good value for money”. CLEAR Buckhaven, 36 College St., Buckhaven, This is Queensbury [Junction] Station; Great Northern Railway between KY8 1JY. - [Opposite Library and Council Offices] Bradford, Keighley and Halifax, West [Riding of] Yorkshire, on 6th. Sep- E-Mail: [email protected] ’Phone: 01592-713078 tember, 1964, two days after the Queen opened the Forth Road Bridge. Main Website : www.lmrc-action.or g.uk It closed to passengers in 1955, totally in 1963. The 2,501-yard (2,287m.) Facebook - www.facebook.com/ Queensbury Tunnel, just around the curve in the distance, has been the subject of a cycle-route bid in the last few years - but may yet be filled-in. levenmouth.railcampaign [ Details: Wikipedia — Image: Lt. Col. D. M. Anderson Collection. ] Produced by ALISTAIR AYNSCOUGH, Colinsburgh, From The Creator of ‘Brougham Hall News’. Fife, for the LevenMouth Rail Campaign. LMRC News - January 2018 - www.lmrc-action.org.uk Campaign The Levenmouth Rail Campaign Update 38 Newsletter February “Much More Than a Transport Project!” 2018 “A ‘Scandalous’ Number of Levenmouth and Glenrothes Areas’ Children Now in Poverty” ... PLEASE : Re-Open this Rail Link Soon -- for Next Generation! d n a ” e m o H . - y i r k a i r b W i L e ‘Doing It For r ’ t b r o A S - i p i k l i C ‘ W t / f . o F s . o R r “ c i : e M g e a The Kids’…! h t m I Story: East Fife Mail and Kingdom FM Radio.: It’s safe to say, however, that whoever ‘rules the roost’ ONE OF The area’s MSPs has described the num- at Holyrood, when such a decision is made, will surely ber of Levenmouth children living in poverty as reap the benefits of Levenmouth being reconnected “scandalous” - and is likely to use their plight as one of once again with Edinburgh, and the rest of Britain, in the many reasons why the Levenmouth Rail Link really terms of votes and kudos here in Levenmouth! ought to be reinstated … and why the LevenMouth Rail 1,448 youngsters in the Buckhaven, Methil and Leven Campaign readily accept they are keeping up the “ward” alone are in poverty, the report by the End Child pressure knowing that they are “doing it for the kids”, the Poverty Coalition states. Fife Gingerbread, the Leven- next generation, who would appreciate the line’s revival. based childrens’ and lone-parents’ charity, are among Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid-Fife and Glenrothes those who know just how important it would be for (including Levenmouth), is already a prominent supporter the Levenmouth Rail Link to live again. Some of their of the LMRC; it was Jenny who called for that memora- representatives regularly attend meetings of the LMRC. ble Holyrood debate on the Rail Link in September. Rhona Cunningham, the charity C.E.O., told East Fife She was responding to a report in the East Fife Mail, Mail: “The figures are not a surprise.