2012
StARLink News | 2011

'St Andrews Rail link of national significance'

12/12/21
Details of the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council’s submission to the Scottish Government, proposing a railway to the town as a candidate for inclusion in the National Planning Framework, have been published in the St Andrews Citizen. Read More...

'Campaigning for a rail link to St Andrews'

12/12/17
The endorsement of the principle of a St Andrews Railway by the Community and Fife Councils was covered in the Dundee Evening Telegraph. Read More...

Fife Council and St Andrews CC back railway

12/12/14
As reported in the ‘Courier’ the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council and also Fife Council (via SESTRAN) have proposed the St Andrews railway as a project for incorporation in the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework.

Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston said, 'The interest taken by Fife Council is an illustration of the grwoing realisation that a rail connection to St Andrews is a project of strategic as well as local importance, because the town is a national contributer to the Scottish economy, and is recognised as such by Visitscotland and Scottish Enterprise. It could be argued that enhancing the connectivity of St Andrews with Edinburgh, Dundee and the rest of Fife, will better enable it to play its part in the economic recovery.'

Kyffin Roberts, Chair of the Community Council, added, ‘There is no doubt that those who have campaigned over many years for the St Andrews rail link will be encouraged by Fife Council’s actions.’

However, St Andrews councillor Cllr Brian Thomson struck a negative note, saying, ‘I support the principle of encouraging more sustainable forms of transport; however the feasibility report published earlier this year raises a number of major issues, which should be addressed before the proposed project proceeds any further. Some of the proposals contained in the report appear to be clearly unviable and, until solutions are identified, I would have significant concerns if it was proposed to spend any public money on further feasibility work.’ Read More...

Strathkinness CC discusses rail campaign

12/11/30
The report of the proceedings of Strathkinness Community Council in the ‘St Andrews Citizen’ includes a mention of the Starlink campaign, when the Starlink convenor met the CC chair to provide clarification of the updated proposals from Tata Steel. Read More...

World-wide coverage for Starlink campaign

12/11/29
Arguably the world’s oldest magazine with an international readership has published an article about the Starlink campaign in its December issue. The Scots Magazine features an interview with Starlink convenor, Jane Ann Liston, under the title ‘One Track Mind’. Read More...

St Andrews railway 'like trip to Mars', says resident

12/11/23
Another letter to the ‘St Andrews Citizen’ from a sceptical resident expresses his ‘dismay’ that Starlink ‘continues their campaign to waste public funds’ and compares it to ‘a trip to Mars’. Read More...

Case for St Andrews railway made in Dundee

12/11/20
At a meeting of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Howard Pack and Rita O’Neill described the process of identifying a new route for a rail connection to St Andrews and calculating the likely demand for such a service. The larger than normal audience included transport and tourism experts from local authorities and the rail industry, as well as residents of St Andrews.

The report of the proceedings can be found at:

http://www.ciltscotland.com/arcmr201112.php Read More...

National organisation of transport experts to hear case for St Andrews

12/11/17
A leading organisation of transport experts will hear Howard Pack of Tata Steel Rail Division speak about his report into the feasibility of a new St Andrews railway in Dundee on Tuesday. Read More...

Fife Council on board

12/11/16
The St Andrews Citizen today reported that Fife Council has agreed to investigate progressing the proposal for a new St Andrews railway. Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston met officers from the council’s transportation service earlier this month and they agreed to talk to SESTRAN, with a view to putting the project through the STAG procedure, as well as TACTRAN and TayPlan, to ensure that the railway is included in the new city region plan and the route safeguarded from future development. Read More...

'Whoever closed St Andrews should have had head examined,' says SoS reader

12/11/04
In response to an article about the cost of reinstating railways, a correspondent to today’s’ Scotland on Sunday’ has claimed that ‘whoever thought of closing that line [St Andrews] should have had their head examined.’

Starlink agrees. Read More...

Opposition from Links Trust

12/09/29
The Courier reported the St Andrews Links Trusts’s opposition to the St Andrews rail link campaign, which will be reported to the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council on Monday. However, Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston pointed out that the Links Trust would not have the power to veto the project. Read More...

Links rail at rail link

12/09/28
The St Andrews Links Trust has claimed it can see ‘no benefit at all’ in the restoration of rail services to St Andrews, as proposed by the Tata Steel feasibility study; this despite the large number of golfers who visit the town to play on its famous courses. As reported in the St Andrews Citizen, the Trust is concerned about the impact that the indicative route would have on its land, necessitating the relocation of some holes on the Strathtyrum and Balgove courses, as well as the new equipment store currently under construction and the access road to the Eden clubhouse. However, if another alignment were to be found which did not impinge at all upon the Links, the Trust would not make any comment at all upon the proposals.

A report detailing the progress of the Starlink consultation will be tabled at the meeting of the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council on Monday. Read More...

Expert says railways good for town centres

12/09/17
The man charged with chairing the Scottish Government’s National Review of Town Centres has claimed that railway stations are good for town centres and cites Alloa as an example of a town thriving because of its restored rail services. Read More...

Community Council hears progress report

12/09/03
A progress report from its rail sub-cttee was tabled at the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council’s monthly meeting, which listed the organisations which had been consulted so far and their reactions to the Tata Steel report. Consultation had taken place with: the St Andrews Partnership, StayinStAndrews, the University of St Andrews, the St Andrews Merchants Association, the Old Course Hotel and Guardbridge Community Council. Although some were cautious, others were more positive and none was hostile to the proposals, which is very encouraging. Arrangements are being made to meet several more organisations who are likely to be particularly affected over the next few weeks. The sub-cttee’s report was accepted without demur. Read More...

Positive responses to consultation

12/08/31
The St Andrews Citizen reported the generally positive nature of responses to the consultation currently underway, though it was unfortunate that they chose to illustrate the article with a picture of a Class 31 locomotive! Read More...

Amended alignment published

12/08/10
In response to matters raised during the current consultation, an amended alignment, commissioned by Starlink from Tata Steel, has been produced and is now available to view on the ‘St Andrews Railway Report’ page of this website:

http://www.starlink-campaign.org.uk/page8/page8.html

Read More...

Former East Neuker urges 'take the long-term view'

12/08/04
In a letter published in today’s Courier, a former resident of the East Neuk disagrees with the view that buses are the answer to the transport requirements of St Andrews, noting that buses are unattractive to most travellers, no matter how good the vehicles nor how low is the cost and urges readers to consider the long-term value of rail, remarking that they will be glad of it once it happens. Read More...

Buses '21st century answer'

12/08/03
The recent letter from the sceptic in the Courier last week was reproduced in the St Andrews Citizen today, with the addition of support for the suggested improvements to Leuchars Station advanced by another correspondent in last week’s Citizen. These, readers may recall, involved moving the East Coast Main Line and building access bridges which can carry buses to the platform. Read More...

'Buses better' says sceptic

12/07/26
A St Andrean claimed in the Courier today that new green buses would be much better than a ‘costly and impractical rail link into St Andrews.’ Allan Chalmers goes on to say that ‘some improvement to the platform access and car-parking facilities at Leuchars Station would be desirable’, though, which suggests he does not envisage a significant transfer from cars into these green buses. Read More...

Boost for rail link campaign

12/07/23
The Courier reported on the encouraging responses from Scotrail and Transport Scotland, as well as from members of the public. Read More...

Positive response from Scotrail

12/07/20
First Scotrail and Transport Scotland have responded very positively to the Tata Steel report, and in the meantime local bodies are being urged to reply to the consultation being carried out by Starlink and the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council, according to the St Andrews Citizen. The replies will form part of the input to the STAG (Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance) process which will be the next significant step in the long-running campaign. Read More...

A Sceptic Writes

12/06/29
A letter in today’s St Andrews Citizen casts doubt upon the whole idea of a new railway to St Andrews, suggesting that the Tata report is biased because they have a vested interest in building it, and asking why the Starlink campaign did not begin until 20 years after the closure of the line. Mr Les Beech of St Andrews has clearly read the report, which is good, but is nonplussed by the ‘excitement’ generated by the publication of the proposals. Read More...

Magazine coverage

12/06/23
The results of the Tata feasibility study are continuing to appear in publications, the latest being the July edition of ‘Railwatch’, Railfuture’s quarterly magazine. This follows a paragraph under ‘Transport News’ in the June issue of cycling publication ‘A to B’, a paragraph in June’s ‘Modern Railways’ and a whole page in issue 697 of ‘Rail’. This last has resulted in a letter of support in the current edition; thank you, John McNab of Falkirk. Read More...

Support from St Andrews Partnership Forum

12/06/18
An update on the progress of the Starlink campaign was greeted with approval at the annual meeting of the St Andrews Partnership Forum in the St Andrews Golf Hotel tonight. The partnership, who had invited Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston to report on developments, heard how the Community Council were helping to carry out the consultation and also of the positive responses from the rail industry. Read More...

Further correspondence

12/06/15
Two more letters have been published in the St Andrews Citizen, both objecting to the railway because the report does not specify the provision of any extra parking. Apparently the idea that a railway might actually reduce the need for car-parking has not occurred to the two gentlemen concerned. Read More...

Councillor concerned but Community Council on board

12/06/09
The St Andrews Citizen covered the decision of the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council to set up a rail sub-committee, as well as Cllr Brian Thomson’s concerns.

http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/local-headlines/signal-concern-over-proposed-st-andrews-rail-link-report-1-2343479 Read More...

Community Council strengthens support

12/05/28
The Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council agreed to form a sub-committee, including Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston as a co-opted member, to oversee the initial consultation on the Starlink-commissioned feasibility study by Tata Steel. Read More...

The Good, The Bad and …

12/05/25
Three letters appeared in the St Andrews Citizen today, ranging from the mildly sceptical to the downright hostile, with the main objection being the loss of car-parking spaces from the station site. However this was offset by the coverage in the Courier, where Rail Future Scotland and the manager of the St Andrews Partnership expressed support. According to Rail Future Scotland, the economy of St Andrews would benefit, through greater accessibility leading to socioeconomic and employment opportunities, because ‘a rail link enhances the portfolio of what a place has to offer’ and would bring visitors who would otherwise not come to the town. The St Andrews Partnership manager said that businesses would love to see the return of a rail service and the resultant boost to the town’s economy would reverberate throughout the rest of Fife. Making it easier to reach St Andrews, especially from the airport, he said, would be of ‘invaluable benefit’. And while pointing out that there would be difficulties, the Chair of the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council welcomed the progress, despite it being very slow. Read More...

Study shows St Andrews railway would be profitable

12/05/18
An article in the St Andrews Citizen reported that the Tata report showed that it was not only possible to build and run a new rail service to the town but that it would make up to £1.63M more than the operating costs. Details were provided of the suggested route and services, including to Cupar (10 minutes), Dunfermline (49 minutes) and Dundee (20 minutes), including the possibility of a new Wormit station.

Cllr Keith McCartney, one of the St Andrews members of Fife Council, who was present at the launch of the findings, urged everybody to study the detail and come to a considered view, while Kyffin Roberts, the chair of the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council. observed sadly that, though they had supported the campaign since it began, it had taken over 20 years just to reach a concept report and though the report was very professional and carried out by a reputable organisation, there was a long way to go Read More...

'Delighted' from St Monans

12/05/18
The lead letter in today’s Courier was headed ‘Hope plans for reconnecting St Andrews rail link really do come to fruition’. Rich Gordon, an East Neuk businessman and university member of staff, expressed his delight that the reconnection was financially viable and described the prospect of a direct rail service to the town and to the airport interchange as ‘progress’, particularly beneficial to university students and staff, and something that is needed quickly.

Mr Gordon also wrote to the St Andrews Citizen in the same vein; again it was the leading letter in the paper. Read More...

St Andrews rail plans 'great news'

12/05/14
A letter of support for the St Andrews Rail Link campaign, describing the proposals as ‘great news’ appeared in today’s Scotsman. Read More...

Press coverage of feasibility study

12/05/12
The findings of the study were reported in the Press:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/71m-rail-link-plan-for-st-andrews-is-proposed.17570334

http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/transport/after-40-years-st-andrews-is-a-step-closer-to-rail-travel-1-2289220

and there was also coverage in the Courier, under the heading ‘Political will is key to St Andrews rail link future’. Read More...

St Andrews Railway - yes, it can be done!

12/05/11
Supporters of the Starlink campaign were delighted to hear today that a rail service to St Andrews was indeed feasible, with the possibility of an hourly service to Edinburgh and a half-hourly one to Dundee. Furthermore, by using a new alignment without the tight curves of the Victorian line, much faster speeds could be realised, bringing the centre of Scotland’s capital within 1hr 20 mins of the Home of Golf.

The publication of the report by Tata Steel UK Rail Consultancy was previewed in the Courier and on the front page of the St Andrews Citizen, and was later reported on BBC Radio Scotland and on STV.

Online coverage:

http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/local-headlines/full-steam-ahead-for-new-st-andrews-rail-link-1-2286562

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/st-andrews-rail-link-would-cover-its-costs-study-shows-1-2289220

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-18038394 Read More...

Feasibility Study launch on Friday

12/05/09
The long-awaited results of the feasibility study by Tata Steel will be presented at the end of this week in St Andrews, before an audience of transport experts, planners and supporters. Read More...

'Study expected to back case for new rail link'

12/04/09
An article in The Courier reported that the results of the feasibility study are expected later this summer and that they will be positive, with benefits for other communities as well as St Andrews. In addition the manager of the St Andrews Partnership said he was looking forward to seeing the conclusions. The editorial column also mentioned the forthcoming report by Tata Steel, but warned that it could be years before any rail service came into being. Read More...

More Press coverage

12/03/06
Further coverage of the proposed St Andrews rail services appeared in The Herald and the Daily Record. Both emphasised the benefits of a line to tourism. Read More...

'StARLink could be profitable'

12/03/05
The Courier reported that a new St Andrews rail service could run at an operating profit, as publication of the findings of the feasibility study comes closer. The article noted that there could be regular services between St Andrews and Dundee and St Andrews and Edinburgh services, the latter including stops at Cupar and Edinburgh Airport, and with faster journey times than the original ones. Read More...

Coffee-morning success

12/03/04
The Starlink coffee-morning raised £120 and attracted the attention of the local press. Read More...

Coming soon - best coffee in St Andrews

12/02/18
The Starlink coffee-morning will be taking place on Saturday 3rd March in the Supper Room at St Andrews Town Hall between 10.00 and 11.30. As well as books, bric-a-brac and cake & candy, the drawing of the optimal route will be available to view. Read More...

Response to Transport Scotland rail consultation

12/02/17
The response from Starlink to the national rail consultation was featured in this week’s St Andrews Citizen. In the article, the proposal to terminate cross-border rail services at Edinburgh was vigorously condemned and the point made that these trains were well-used at Leuchars, principally by passengers going to and from St Andrews. The case for a station at St Andrews was also made, on the grounds of catchment area population, the tourist industry and the university. Read More...

Starlink participates in national rail consultation

12/02/09
The Starlink campaign has responded to the Transport Scotland 2014 rail consultation on the future of rail services in Scotland. The submission laid particular emphasis on issues affecting Leuchars, as the existing stop for St Andrews, but also proposed St Andrews as an ideal candidate for re-opening. The response also emphasised the importance of retaining through-running cross-Border services. Read More...

Starlink back at the Byre

12/02/05
The Starlink campaign was back at the Byre Theatre this week, but not just in the foyer. The long-running fight for a St Andrews Railway received an extremely positive portrayal in the comedy ‘Murder at Morrisons’, performed in aid of the Friends of the Byre, including a surprise appearance by the convenor! Read More...