RECENT years have seen the growth in demand for rail services on the North Berwick to Edinburgh line create a massive headache for train bosses as capacity is stretched to breaking point.

In the Courier we have run countless stories about the sardine express at peak hours, which leaves frustrated commuters stranded on platforms by the time it reaches Musselburgh in the morning.

New trains and additional services are on their way and some improvements are already in place but as the population continues to rise it is a matter of concern for all who use the train in East Lothian.

Extraordinary, then, to think that 50 years ago this month the same North Berwick to Edinburgh service was fighting to save itself from the axe as British Rail looked to close all its stations east of Edinburgh.

The 1960s had seen the infamous ‘Beeching Axe’ strike at stations across the United Kingdom as two reports written by a Dr Richard Beeching, who had been appointed chairman of the first British Railways Board, outlined cost-cutting measures.

The first report identified 2,363 stations and 5,000 miles of railway line for closure, while the second identified a small number of major routes for significant investment.

Protests resulted in the saving of some stations and lines but the majority were closed as planned and Beeching’s name remains associated with the mass closure of railways and the loss of many local services in the period that followed.

In 1967, four years after Beeching’s initial report, North Berwick was in line for closure, despite not even being mentioned in Beeching’s report.

It seemed that British Rail were determined to make savings on the east coast line and their plans brought a backlash from local residents, politicians and The Haddingtonshire Courier, which entered the battle.

It reported in August 1967 that John P. Mackintosh, East Lothian’s MP at the time, had revealed that British Rail was planning to close the station without revealing any details about the financial losses it claimed it was suffering on the line.

He asked North Berwick Town Council if they would consider offering to subsisides the line, paying British Rail to keep it open, saying he was willing to make their case to then Minister of Transport Barbara Castle.

Mr Mackintosh told the council members he was unable to find out the costs of the current service from British Rail.

He said: “The argument you get back from British Rail is that they are set up as a commercial body and costing is expensive.

“As for the bit about not submitting detailed costs to the council or any other body they say that they do not want to be in continual argument with railway amateurs.”

British Rail at the time would only say that “the economics of this line are suspect”.

The feelings of people in the county were summed up in The Haddingtonshire Courier that month in an editorial which accused the rail bosses of arrogance.

It said: “For sheer high-handedness this latest illustration of the democratic management of nationalised industry will take a lot of beating.

“If the line is really in trouble, where is the harm in telling people the truth? Why not publish the facts and let the people who pay the piper know what is involved?

“As it is, British Rail cannot complain if the public draw the conclusion that their case would not stand up in the light of day.

“The way in which British Rail have handled it so far, and seemingly intend to go on handling it, is utterly disgusting.”

Strong words indeed!

A strong reason for the moves against North Berwick may have been the closure of the goods yard which was just around the corner after the gas works ceased to receive coal deliveries.

In the end the Minister of Transport refused permission for the closures but a drastic cut in service was introduced, with the new weekday service consisted of just two morning and two evening peak hour trains.

Slowly the station came back to life and survived another closure threat in the 1980s, but in 1985 the grand but decaying station buildings were demolished and the remaining platform there shortened.

A ‘new’ station which was unstaffed, and ‘pay trains’ were introduced between Edinburgh and North Berwick on May 27, 1985.

The platform at North Berwick was extended last year to allow it to accommodate longer trains.