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Stations at Oudenarde and Newburgh

Proposals to reopen the train station in Newburgh have been on the table for some time now, driven largely by the efforts of the very enthusiastic Newburgh Train Station Group. Full details of the group’s campaign and activities along with photographs depicting the station past and present can be found in their website http://newburghtrainstation.org.uk .

 Abernethy residents enthusiastic about this development are welcome to attend the group’s meetings and help with the project. The proposal to build a new station at Oudenarde is driven by Perth and Kinross Council as one of the many features associated with existing plans for significant new housing and small industrial developments in the Bridge of Earn locality.

Abernethy Community Councillors attended the group’s December meeting where a long awaited report commissioned by SESTRAN, TACTRAN, Fife Council and Perth and Kinross Council was reviewed. One of the key statistics in the report predicts that Oudenarde would see 286,000 station entries and exits annually by 2030, compared with 93,000 at Newburgh.

The extensive 32 page report containing full details of the business case for both stations can be found at http://newburghtrainstation.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2014/01/20151118_Oudenarde_and_Newburgh_Study_Final_Report_Combined_v5.pdf In the light of this report the Newburgh Train Station Group will urge the statutory authorities, Fife Council, SESTRAN and Transport Scotland to undertake a full STAG appraisal (Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance) for Newburgh as soon as possible. If this report is favourable then passenger trains may once again stop at Newburgh in 2020 after a gap of over 60 years.

Progress at Oudenarde is however likely to be slower as most of the proposed developments there are significantly delayed due to the current financial climate.

Peter Glennie, Ballo House, Abernethy