THE winners of the ScotRail franchise have been urged to think about the possibility of re-opening East Linton train station.

Abellio was named the winning bidder of the contract last week and will take over from First Group in April.

One of those calling for Abellio to work with the interested parties was Jim Hume, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for South of Scotland.

He said: “It was hugely significant that the Scottish Government told bidders for the ScotRail franchise at the beginning of the tendering process that they should give consideration to services at East Linton in their submissions.

“It’s taken many years of campaigning by the Rail Action Group for the East of Scotland (RAGES) to get to this point and it’s clear that there’s widespread support and commitment from the various agencies for rail services at East Linton, a move that would undoubtedly be a boon for nearby communities.

“It’s vitally important that the winning bidder, Abellio, now works with the Scottish Government, East Lothian Council and RAGES in making services at East Linton a reality.” RAGES was similarly looking forward to engaging with Abellio.

A spokesman said: “Most important of all is the local service between Edinburgh and Berwick, with re-opened stations at East Linton and Reston. “It is hoped that Abellio put forward a good case in the priced option part of the bid for this local service and that, along with the council’s excellent bid for funding from the Scottish Government’s Station Investment Fund and the several studies done over the past few years, the Minister for Transport will be persuaded to approve this project.”