A SECOND railway platform and a bridge linking could be in place at Dunbar Railway Station by the middle of 2019.

Network Rail is already looking at the possibility of creating the second platform for the station, which would be to the south of the railway line.

Preliminary works were carried out at the site last October, with a spokesman for Network Rail then stressing works were in “the early stages”.

However, the idea looks set to move forward over the coming months.

Ward councillor Norman Hampshire, chairman of the local authority’s planning applications committee, confirmed there were discussions between Network Rail and East Lothian Council ahead of plans being drawn up.

He said: “There are no detailed drawings or anything yet, but it is in the investment programme for Network Rail, which runs unto 2019.

“That means it has got to be designed, built and constructed before that – so it is not a lot of time.”

The town’s station is a listed building and Mr Hampshire, who lives on nearby Salisbury Walk, said that the design for any bridge and platform would need to take that into account.

Similarly, it would need to be built in a manner that was sympathetic to neighbouring properties.

A spokesman for Network Rail confirmed that work was ongoing, with a view to the idea moving forward in the second half of the year.

A new platform would also increase the capacity at the town’s railway station, with a view to running more trains and improving journey times.