PUBLISHED BY RAILFUTURE – THE INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN FOR RAIL No 157 £2 October 2018 Picture: ANN VERNER TRANSPORT FUND YES FOR ST ANDREWS: PAGE 2 PAGE ONE PICTURE: Hope for St Andrews and a series of other rail projects Tribute to Helen Our Page One picture shows St of Law and Symington stations, Andrews rail campaigners Dita also supporting Beattock re- A plaque was unveiled at East Stanis-Traken and Jane Ann opening) Kilbride station in September to celebrate the 150th anniversary Liston at the site of the old St n Tactran – Bridge of Earn/ Andrews rail station. of the opening of the Busby to Picture: SCOTRAIL Oudenarde Park & Ride East Kilbride line. They are pictured after meeting n Tactran – Stirling Strategic Scottish Government minister John Yellowlees, honorary rail Picture: RAILWATCH Picture: RAILWATCH Park & Ride Michael Matheson. ambassador at the ScotRail It will be noted that seven of the Mr Matheson, the Cabinet Secre- Alliance, said: “It is great to be successful applicants were local tary for Transport, Infrastructure able to celebrate East Kilbride authorities or regional transport & Connectivity, announced the station’s place at the heart of its partnerships. 10 successful applicants for fund- community. The line has been a ing from the Scottish Govern- East Lothian Council’s grant phenomenal success.” ment’s Local Rail Development will be used to take a fresh look The East Kilbride line almost Fund. at options for improving rail closed in 1963, following the Rail champion Helen The announcement was made in connections in the county, par- Beeching Report. Broadbent who died in August, not in the Scottish Gov- ticularly for Haddington and However a vigorous campaign 1990, several years after her ernment’s home in Edinburgh, Tranent. led by Railfuture members Jack husband Jack. nor in the offices of Transport In the past 20 years East Lothian and Helen Broadbent resulted She was still serving Scotland in Glasgow, but on the Council has twice investigated in it becoming one of only seven enthusiastically on the site of the former railway station the reopening of the Hadding- routes in Scotland to be granted national executive of in St Andrews, Fife. ACHNASHEEN: This tiny village in Ross-shire still retains its ton branch line, but concluded a ministerial reprieve. Railfuture’s forerunner when rail station, thank goodness, and fantastic views. It also serves As StARLink (St Andrews Rail that the costs outweighed the When ScotRail introduced she died. a very wide, thinly populated area, stretching far into north- benefits. Link) campaign was one of the west Scotland. By contrast, St Andrews, which has a settled Class 156 trains in 1989, the line At a service at East Kilbride lucky recipients of money, the population of 17,000, plus a highly mobile student population of However, the changing land- went from strength to strength. South Lanarkshire Council Deputy Provost Collette Stevenson, station, the then ScotRail fact that the Minister chose to around 8,000, does not scape of significant increases in Sunday services came in 1996, left, East Kilbride station team member Louise Costello, director Cyril Bleasdale come to the Fife town was con- population resulting in growing followed by longer platforms in Doris Donnelly and Arlette Robinson from the Kiwi Preschool praised the vision of both sidered very significant. the Scottish budget, because the n Fife Council – Cross Forth congestion on both road and rail 2004. Playgroup and pupils who have adopted the station Helen and Jack. Mr Matheson said: “Provid- Holyrood government does not Travel (access to railway stations networks, the proposed four- ing funding for these transport enjoy an absolute majority. near the Forth Bridge) tracking of the line near Pres- minister, while not committing himself to a specific appraisals will allow the suc- The decision followed the set- n Hitrans – HMNB Clyde Trans- tonpans, and the environmental Scottish Scotland date, instructed Transport Scotland that this cessful applicants to consider the ting up by Mark Ruskell MSP of port Opportunities need to reduce emissions from should happen at the same time as the upgrade of transport issues and opportuni- the Fife Rail Forum, an umbrella n Linlithgow and Linlithgow transport, mean that it is timely to [email protected] Portobello Junction. It should be remembered that organisation looking at how re-evaluate how the future popu- Reston and East Linton were supposed to be open by ties affecting their local commu- Bridge Community Council – transport nnSt Andrews success nities. It has been great to hear, the Fife rail network could be Access to Linlithgow Station lation of East Lothian will access the end of 2016. The lack of services to Dunbar, which first-hand, the enthusiasm and enhanced and including repre- employment and amenities. The main news has been the announcement of the is planning to have 1,500 new homes, was also drawn n Nestrans – Accessibility at drive behind them. sentatives from the Dunfermline- successful applicants to the Local Rail Development to the minister’s attention, as the current capacity will Insch Station Fife Council’s application took Alloa, Levenmouth, Newburgh as a premise the high demand fund fund (details on page 2 and left) receiving a total of not be enough to accommodate all those wanting to “Helping communities bring for- n £681,000 out of a possible £2 million for appraisal and St Andrews rail campaigns. Newburgh Train Station Group for railway station parking, commute to Edinburgh and elsewhere. ward proposals to tackle these work. Most of the funds were granted to corporate The 10 successful applicants out – Newburgh Transport Appraisal which needs to be addressed as ◄ From Page 2 specific, local rail connectivity applicants, mainly councils or regional transport nnLevenMouth Rail Campaign of 35 were awarded a total of (further STAG work) it is constraining access to the rail issues, will allow us to consider n partnerships, though in some cases on behalf of The LevenMouth Rail Campaign continues to sign nearly £700,000. They and their StARLink – St Andrews (pre- network for longer distance trips, to commuters, and causing potential projects as part of our community groups. Some community or action up supporters to its charter while the further STAG plans for future investment in areas of interest were: STAG and STAG 1 appraisal) reducing travel choices available parking overflow issues for n n many towns. In particular, groups, for example StARLink, were successful on evaluation is carried out. That makes three STAGs our railways.” The £2 million East Lothian Council – rail South Lanarkshire Council – their own account. It was unfortunate that Railfuture Inverkeithing railway station for this campaign, almost a herd! STAG: Scottish fund was a result of negotia- connections particularly Had- connectivity in Clydesdale (con- Continued: Page 3 ► could not pursue these funds to advance various Transport Appraisal Guide. tions with the Green Party over dington and Tranent centrating on possible reopening continues to have high pas- highly desirable schemes, apparently on account of Contacts: senger and parking demand director liability and lack of project management because of lower fares and expertise. Rail Action Group, East of Scotland (RAGES): President’s column: Root and branch crisis on the Lakes Line higher service frequency. www.rages.org.uk/ nnBreich station It seems like there is nothing in no doubt about the root of all-too-remote Department for With work habits and travel Beattock Station Action Group: patterns changing, the open- The Scottish Government has provided www.beattockstationactiongroup.org.uk/ but bad news on the railways. their particular problems – train Transport that led to the decline £2.4 million to completely rebuild Breich station on cancellations. in their local service. It is the ing of the Queensferry Cross- St Andrews Rail Link campaign (StARLink): The Thameslink and Northern ing, the expansion of East the Shotts line. The station has very low usage and fact that the railways are run www.starlink-campaign.org.uk/ timetable crises were quickly They can date the deterioration Dunfermline and the west of was reduced to one train a day each way. Because by too many different people facebook.com/StARLinkCampaign followed by announcements in service to the point two years Edinburgh and proposals for of the expense of bringing it up to standard during with no one in overall charge twitter@StARLinkRail of fare rises and then the ago when their service was a significant review to the rail electrification of the line, Network Rail applied that is at the root of many of its LevenMouth Rail Campaign: announcement that Crossrail transferred from TransPennine timetable, a review of strate- for closure. There were many objections, though problems. Having civil servants www.lmrc-action.org.uk/ will be nine months late and to Northern. gic, multi-modal, Cross Forth most from people who will never use the station running the railway is never a facebook.com/LevenmouthRail/ £600 million over budget. A reliable service run by staff travel is required. and were objecting “on principle”. The location, good idea and oddly they have There is no doubt that this has who took great care in dealing though, is most unsuitable, with no community Capital Rail Action Group (CRAG): far more control today than The appraisal work is to within normal walking distance. Through mischief or www.capitalrail.org.uk/ been a challenging year for the with passengers turned quickly consider how to optimise they did in the days of British malice, Scottish Government ministers simply told Newburgh Train Station campaign: railway, especially as passenger into one with large numbers passenger access to the rail numbers have started declining Rail. Network Rail to rebuild it, to the extent that even http://newburghtrainstation.org.uk/ of cancellations and an network and to develop solu- for the first time since Railfuture president There is, apparently, set to be the platforms were demolished to ground level.