AMBITIOUS plans remain alive to see a railway station return to Haddington.

The town has been without a station since 1968 but RAGES (Rail Action Group East of Scotland) remains committed to seeing trains return to Haddington.

Russell Darling, from RAGES, stressed it was a “long-term” aim, with thoughts firmly focused on re-opening East Linton’s station first.

The Haddington line opened in June 1846 and carried passengers for more than a century until it shut in December 1949.

From then, it was used by freight until March 1968.

The line, which linked Haddington to Longniddry, is now used as a path by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Mr Darling said: “Our next aim is to get some sort of feasibility study and to gauge the requirement of the town.”

One of the major stumbling blocks would be the current A1, which was not in place when the railway station shut.

An alternative solution could see the station based at Alderston, to the north of the A1, but that would have the complication of being based outside the town.

The issue was raised at the town’s community council meeting last Tuesday night.

Fiona Frances-Adam, one of the community councillors, told members there was a need for a station in the town and the push to see it created was ongoing.

However, John Hamilton, a fellow community councillor, was unconvinced and said: “It will never happen.”

Currently, anyone from Haddington taking the train into Edinburgh or to North Berwick, has to travel to Drem for their nearest railway station.

Speaking after the meeting, Jan Wilson, chairwoman of the community council, felt a railway station was a good idea but added she “could not see it in her lifetime”.

She said: “It is going to take years if it were to happen.

“They would have to realign the track because there is no way it could go where it used to be.”