2008
'Doesn't St Andrews deserve world-class transportation?' asks American
Friday, 12 September 2008
In a
letter to the St
Andrews Citizen Mr K.
Rosenberg calls for Fife Council and the Government
to see that a railway to St Andrews supported and
funded. Read
More...
American calls for railway to 'Jewel of Scotland'
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
In a
letter to The
Scotsman an
American from Oregon, planning to retire to Scotland,
has called attention to the inadequate public
transport connections to St Andrews.
Read
More...
Economist's verdict on St Andrews line and Starlink's reaction to 'virtual railway'
Friday, 18 July 2008
In
the St
Andrews Citizen economist
Colin McAlister says that a new St Andrews railway
line should not be built because it is unlikely to
recover its variable costs. However the old branch
line probably did cover its costs and therefore
should not have been closed.
Meanwhile, Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston has claimed that St Andrews is being 'fobbed off' by the Scottish Government's promise of a 'virtual railway', which amounts to an electronic noticeboard, putting the bus times into the train timetable and enabling passengers to buy a joint bus-rail ticket from St Andrews, the ability to buy one to St Andrews having existed for a few years. Read More...
Meanwhile, Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston has claimed that St Andrews is being 'fobbed off' by the Scottish Government's promise of a 'virtual railway', which amounts to an electronic noticeboard, putting the bus times into the train timetable and enabling passengers to buy a joint bus-rail ticket from St Andrews, the ability to buy one to St Andrews having existed for a few years. Read More...
Yet another taxi-driver's outburst
Friday, 11 July 2008
Another St Andrews taxi-driver slams the Starlink
campaign, claiming it would be 'a glorified bus
service' used by few and far too expensive.
Read
More...
Taxi Association says 'no room for car-parking'
Friday, 04 July 2008
The chair of the East Fife Taxi Association again
insisted that there would be no room for car-parking
at a St Andrews station, and accused the Starlink
convenor of being 'blinkered' and pursuing
self-interest. Read
More...
Former taxi/bus driver again naysaying but support from Dunino lady, as well as a rebuttal of East Fife Taxi Association
Friday, 27 June 2008
In the St Andrews Citizen former taxi/bus
driver Les Beech restates his views at length,
concluding that there is no great need for a railway
to St Andrews and no great support for it. But Sarah
Heald supports the campaign on environmental grounds,
noting that the cost to the environment of not
providing an alternative to the car is the most
important consideration. And Starlink denied that
they advocated a St Andrews station with no car-park,
pointed out that not only St Andrews but also other
settlements along the A91 suffer from excess traffic
heading for the town and that there would still be
plenty of work for taxi-drivers with a St Andrews
station. Read
More...
Another blast from the taxi industry
Friday, 20 June 2008
A letter in the St Andrews Citizen from the
chair of the East Fife taxi association slams the St
Andrews Rail Link campaign for being too St
Andrews-centred and that people don't use public
transport on bank holidays. Read
More...
Case for railway line restated
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston has responded to
taxi driver Stuart Winton in the Courier,
saying there would still be plenty of work for taxi
drivers with a railway station in St Andrews, and
warned that without it, visitors could eschew St
Andrews for more accessible golf resorts.
Read
More...
Taxi driver blasts Starlink campaign
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
In The Courier a taxi driver who operates
between Leuchars station and St Andrews has 'blasted'
the campaign to restore the railway. Well he would,
wouldn't he? Read
More...
Support for St Andrews and rail renaissance
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
An Ayrshire man has written to The Scotsman
applauding Lawrence Marshall's support of a railway
to St Andrews and calls for the reconnection for many
more towns who lost their lines thanks to Beeching.
Of course the demise of the St Andrews line was not
part of the Beeching cuts but fell victim of British
Rail's indiscriminate cull of branch lines (of which
the only Scottish survivor was North Berwick).
However, thank you Richard G. Lyon of Maybole for
your support. Read
More...
Pitlochry man says buses are enough
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Kevin Lawrie in The Scotsman says the
better-off wanting a sustainable transport option can
take buses to St Andrews from Edinburgh, Dundee and
Glasgow. Read
More...
Money for railway cannot be justified, claims St Andrean
Friday, 13 June 2008
In the St Andrews Citizen a St Andrean
claims that the amount of money required to build a
railway to his home town, which he says would only
'duplicate' what the bus service does, cannot be
justified while the town's roads are in poor
condition. Read
More...
Sound case for a rail link to St Andrews
Thursday, 12 June 2008
In a letter to The Scotsman Lawrence
Marshall pointed out that a St Andrews station could
link with several services rather than just a shuttle
to Cupar. Read
More...
Pitlochry man claims St Andrews does not need a railway
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Letter in The Scotsman claiming that Alloa
did not justify reconnecting St Andrews, that the
services at Leuchars Station were enough for St
Andrews and anyway a shuttle rail service would not
be much used because people would find a bus or taxi
more convenient and commuters would drive.
Read
More...
Lack of St Andrews railway 'an anomaly'
Friday, 06 June 2008
In the St Andrews Citizen Starlink convenor
Jane Ann Liston responded to the letter from a former
taxi-driver, remarking that the fact St Andrews
didn't have a railway was anomalous which should be
rectified. Read
More...
St Andrews needs rail link
Tuesday, 03 June 2008
Jewel's missing link
Monday, 02 June 2008
Letter in The Scotsman describing St
Andrews' disconnection from rail network as 'all the
more incomprehensible' because of the re-opening of
Alloa. Read
More...
National newspaper calls for better connection to St Andrews
Sunday, 01 June 2008
Scotland on Sunday's editorial has called
for a better public transport system for towns
outwith the Central Belt, including St Andrews.
Read
More...
Former taxi-driver/bus driver states his views and Starlink reiterates case
Friday, 23 May 2008
In the letter-column of the St Andrews
Citizen Les Beech, former spokesperson for local
taxi-drivers and also bus-driver, expressed doubts
that a St Andrews railway would alleviate the town's
problems. In contrast the Starlink campaign stated
that a railway line was only 'common sense' and would
be good for the town. Read
More...
Views of Architectural Heritage Society on Starlink campaign
Thursday, 15 May 2008
The East Fife representative of the AHSS, Glen Pride,
says the cost of a railway would be disproportionate
and only a minority of people would use it. However
as he made no comments about architecture one assumes
he was speaking in a personal capacity. Read
More...
MSP gets wrong end of stick - but council's deputy leader supports study
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Tricia Marwick MSP claimed that linking the Leven and
St Andrews campaigns could jeopardise the former,
because the East Neuk line had been destroyed and
built upon and would cost millions to reinstate. In
fact Starlink was calling for no such thing but
simply to link the campaigns for their mutual
benefit. Not so much a case of getting hold of the
wrong end of the stick but holding the wrong
implement altogether! Read
More...
More radio coverage
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Radio Tay
interviewed Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston on its
news programme.
Starlink on TV and radio
Monday, 12 May 2008
BBC
Scotland featured the St Andrews rail campaign
on Reporting
Scotland and also
on Radio Scotland's Morning
Extra.
Opinions of retired statistician on Starlink campaign
Saturday, 10 May 2008
A retired statistics lecturer who claims to be a
railway enthusiast, John Newton, has claimed that the
Starlink campaign is flawed and that a railway to St
Andrews is 'a very bad idea'. Read
More...
New Web Site
Thursday, 08 May 2008
Hello!
Here we are with a brand new web site; the space and initial setup is donated by the Event: St Andrews web site – on the assumption that people who want to know what's on in St Andrews might also want to travel to or from the town...
Here we are with a brand new web site; the space and initial setup is donated by the Event: St Andrews web site – on the assumption that people who want to know what's on in St Andrews might also want to travel to or from the town...
Burning Issue - Courier
Tuesday, 06 May 2008
The Courier made the St Andrews rail
campaign a 'Burning Issue', along with Leven, thus
beginning several days of press articles. Support was
expressed by Sir Menzies Campbell MP and Iain Smith
MSP among others. Gridlock in St Andrews on the 5th
May public holiday the previous day brought the
campaign into sharp relief. Read
More...
Starlink Questionnaire – preliminary results
Sunday, 09 March 2008
80% of
residents who do take the bus to Leuchars for the
train would use rail more if there were rail services
to St Andrews.
78% of residents who do not take the bus to Leuchars for the train would use a St Andrews railway (as most of these are driving a car, this suggests a good opportunity for modal shift).
Those 2 figures comprise 79% of the residents’ responses; another 15% are users of the bus to Leuchars who would make the same amount of rail journeys if a St Andrews railway were built.
Therefore support for the railway from the respondees is overwhelming.
Read More...
78% of residents who do not take the bus to Leuchars for the train would use a St Andrews railway (as most of these are driving a car, this suggests a good opportunity for modal shift).
Those 2 figures comprise 79% of the residents’ responses; another 15% are users of the bus to Leuchars who would make the same amount of rail journeys if a St Andrews railway were built.
Therefore support for the railway from the respondees is overwhelming.
Read More...