A new Station coming soon?
Decision time on our long overdue station
The Scottish Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) is expected this September and a new station in Newburgh might be considered.
Government officials have had the business case since December 2024 - a long time for what is (or should be) a modest rail project.
New stations are the catalyst for reviving a town's fortunate. It generates opportunity in once neglected communities. So come on Stephen, Newburgh wants to ignite it's potential and contribute to the Scottish economy.
Time for a station!
Stephen Flynn, the new Transport Secretary
The dire state of Newburgh transport
Public transport here is pretty dreadful. As has happened elsewhere in Fife, Stagecoach have pulled services from the town because they were not, 'economically viable'. There is no obligation to consider social value.
...The latest Newburgh travel report...
SUNK
The proposed river taxi
STALLED
An Active Travel Path from Abernethy to Newburgh
AXED
Evening buses to and from Perth
A NO, NO
No city bus connections to major Scottish cities
To our Constituency MSP Willie Rennie recently appointed the new Convenor of the Governments Transport Committee.
Congratulations!
Better transport to come
So what does a rail station bring?
A healthier environment
A new Active Travel Route will one day connect Newburgh to the National Cycle Network providing a safer, healthier way to travel. It can form part of a local sustainable travel network that includes cleaner buses and a new rail station This is surely the future as envisioned by the Scottish Government.
Attracting Business
Newburgh can be prosperous again. Tourism certainly has potential here. But poor public transport deters business investment. Buses simply do not provide a reliable transport connection. To make the town a viable place to invest Newburgh needs a station.
Easier Health Visits
For with no car, getting to health centres across Fife and beyond can be very demanding. Journeys times can be long, often with the need for one or two changes to reach a destination. An inconvenience for most, a barrier to health for some. Easy access to health services is a right.
Job opportunities
Without a car, the job horizon shrinks. Poor public transport limits ambitions to find better work further afield. Travel times and lack of connection rules out taking work in many Scottish job hot-spots. People leave Newburgh to find work elsewhere. A train service is a gamechanger. Faster journeys opens up a world of work.
Full access to Education
Don't rely on the bus to get to Fife colleges! Travel to education beyond Fife is harder still. Attending night courses in nearby towns can be a no-no! Access to education is a right. A train service will put in reach more apprenticeships, universities, and colleges across Scotland.
Being better connected
Travelling by train gives easy access to culture and connections to family and friends. Newburgh can feel like a 100 miles from anywhere sometimes. A station will allow the people of Newburgh to fully connect to the life of Scotland - and for the people of Scotland to more readily visit the town!
Life with and without a station
Like most people in rural areas it is the car that gets people to work, to friends, to the shops, many drive to the nearest station to catch a train!
And for those without a car, getting around is hard. so what would having a train station mean to Newburgh?
Newburgh views
Bringing business into Newburgh, Abernethy and the surrounding area
A recent report highlights the continuing disadvantages experienced by rural communities such as Newburgh, blighted by the decline and closure of industry. Young people are forced to look elsewhere for work. But Newburgh can thrive again. A start would be reopening the station reconnecting to Scoland and it economy,
The annual Oddfellows festival night
Tourism
Newburgh has history, Tradition, wildlife, beautiful scenery - all just an hour away from Edinburgh.
But Newburgh cannot develop any significant tourism when there is insufficent parking space and public transport remains dire.
A train station is the gamechanger that could unleash eco and cultural tourism in Newburgh and Abernethy.
Newburgh has abundant wildlife
The yearly local fruit market
Don't Build a Station
Keep it cheap and assemble it instead!
The UK rail industry has adopted cost-effective, easy-to-assemble modular design techniques for upgrading or building new stations. It offers many benefits over traditional construction methods. It is very suited for assembling smaller stations.
The benefits of modular design
Cheap - a single short-length platform between 10 and 15 metres in length can cost as little as £300K.
Easy to build - modular design assembles pre-built components (or modules) in situ rather than constructing a station from scratch. No specialist skills are needed.
Reduced carbon emission - delivery of pre-built, light-weight components by road requires far less transport than transporting heavy material like bricks and concrete. Less lorries, less concrete, less pollution.
Sustainable - The latest modular platform designs use recycled material - some from recycled wind turbines! Future designs invisage small stations being powered by their own solar panels.
Flexible - a modular station can be put in place cheaply and easily. It can be lengthened to meet increased passenger demand; it can be removed if there is none.
Small Stations With Big Impact
Newburgh only needs a simple, short modular halt, one that is PROPORTIONATE to our needs. There are many other short form stations providing outsized benefits to the communities they serve. Here are examples of stations that did not cost the earth.
Beauly Station
A small halt with big commuter appeal
Beauly Station on the Far North Line
Beauly station reopened in 2002. This short, single platform station with a shelter and small car park was built for just £460,000*. The station saw 75% of local commuters switching from road to rail. Beauly station is proof that low-cost stations can provide benefits far exceeding their size.
Conon Bridge
Became a big hit with travellers
Conon Bridge station, west of Inverness
In 2013, a new station costing just £600,000* was opened at Conon Bridge near Inverness. In the months that followed, more than 2,000 journeys were made to and from it. The then Transport Minister Keith Brown said the numbers showed that the station was an extremely worthwhile investment'.
* Bank of England Inflation calculator
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