East Lothian Courier | News | Good rail links vital to county

Thursday, 20th November, 2008

Published: Thursday, 10th April, 2008 07:00

Good rail links vital to county

A LEADING councillor has warned that further delays to improving rail services in East Lothian could damage future economic development in the county.

Planning convenor, Councillor Barry Turner, expressed his frustration at Tuesday’s meeting of the East Lothian cabinet.

The member for Musselburgh West fumed: “Why on earth are the authorities responsible for delivering these (rail service) improvements dilly dallying?

“There is a clear message to be sent out here. If these services are not delivered, then we are jeopardising future economic planning and development in East Lothian.”

Mr Turner was speaking as members noted the findings of a key report into train services by Network Rail. The company, which owns and manages Britain’s railway infrastructure, has arrived at the following conclusions in its East Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy – Final Document:

• There is insufficient demand to justify provision of additional local services between Edinburgh and Newcastle;

• A new two-hourly semi-fast service between the cities, including a stop at Dunbar, could not be progressed in isolation at this stage due to poor value for money;

• There is an insufficient business case for a new local service between Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed;

• A new half-hourly off-peak weekday North Berwick to Edinburgh service would produce a low benefit to cost ratio;

• There was a better business case for an hourly Edinburgh to Dunbar service stopping at Musselburgh, Prestonpans and Longniddry (and Drem and Wallyford at peak times).

• The study proposes diverting one of the half-hourly North Berwick to Edinburgh peak and Saturday services to Dunbar and opening a new station at East Linton – but only if inter-city train timetabling does not require a revised layout at Dunbar;

• Additional inter-city services could be timetabled to stop at Dunbar should there be a market-driven case to do so;

• A new northbound platform at Dunbar would produce a significant benefit to cost ratio and should be progressed.

Publication of the Network rail document comes ahead of a fact-finding visit to the area by Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP, later this month.

Mr Stevenson, who recently met East Lothian MSP Iain Gray and local rail campaign group RAGES, has also agreed to visit mothballed East Linton Station to personally assess demand for its proposed re-opening and to look at alternative station sites in the vicinity.

Depute council leader, Councillor Stuart Currie, said the report was flawed in that it appeared to overlook “equal access” to stations.

He said: “Prestonpans Station for example has disabled access on the North Berwick side but not on the Edinburgh side.

“Longniddry Station is the same.

“It is not just disabled people who can have trouble crossing over, but young mums and pensioners.

“It’s an appalling state of affairs,” he added.

Dunbar and East Linton member, Councillor Norman Hampshire,

commented: “We are fortunate to have inter-city trains stop at Dunbar, but we need to get more track laid in East Lothian that is off the main East Coast line itself to allow more local services to be introduced.”

Council leader, Councillor David Berry, agreed: “That’s a valid long-term point, but it will not happen in our lifetimes.”

Comments