The former viaduct at Guardbridge. Dismantled.

The St Andrews Rail Link (StARLink) Campaign was established in 1989 with the aim of reconnecting Scottish town of St Andrews to the railway. The historical St Andrews Railway, which had connected St Andrews to the mainline via Leuchars Junction was closed on 6 January 1969.

Unlike the earlier closure of the Anstruther & St Andrews Railway in 1965,[1][2] the St Andrews Railway was not recommended for closure in the (1963) Beeching Report.[3][4][5][6] The closure, ordered four years after Beeching's departure in 1965, was ordered by Richard Marsh, Minister for Transport in the 1964-1970 (Labour) government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and whilst some Beeching closures did take place after the departure of Beeching in 1965, the St Andrews closure was not an instance of such.

The original reinstatement plan espoused by StARLink was simply a reestablishment of the historical Leuchars - St Andrews line but since the publication in 2012 of a report by Tata Steel Rail Consultancy StARLink now advocates an entirely new 21st-century layout with a twin-cord high-speed rail link travelling west and southwards via Cupar and northwards via Leuchars.[7] StARLink has estimated that the railway could be reinstated for £76 million.[8] A 2008 survey by StARLink of St Andrews residents and commuters found that 78% of those respondents who did not use buses would use the railway instead;[9] the group had sent out 20,000 questionnaires in December 2007.[10]

This line has been identified by the Campaign for Better Transport as a priority 1 candidate for reopening.[11]

References

  1. ^ Hajducki, A., Jodeluk, M., Simpson, A. (2009). The Anstruther & St Andrews Railway. Usk, Monmouthshire: Oakwood Press. ISBN 978 0 85361 673 3.
  2. ^ Holland, J (2013). Dr Beeching's Axe: 50 Years on : Illustrated Memories of Britain's Lost Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 169. ISBN 978 1 4 4630 267 5.
  3. ^ British Transport Commission (1963). The Reshaping of British Railways. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
  4. ^ Hajducki, A., Jodeluk, M., Simpson, A. (2008).) The St Andrews Railway. Usk, Monmouthshire: Oakwood Press. ISBN 978 0 85361 687 0.
  5. ^ Alexander, M. (2013). British Rail, not Dr Beeching, closed St Andrews branch line. Available: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/british-rail-not-dr-beeching-closed-st-andrews-branch-line-1.79294. Last accessed 24 September 2015
  6. ^ Holland, J (2013). Dr Beeching's Axe: 50 Years on : Illustrated Memories of Britain's Lost Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 186. ISBN 978 1 4 4630 267 5.
  7. ^ Rangelov, Vladimir (May 2012). "StaRLink St Andrews Rail Link High Level Report" (PDF). Tata Steel. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Optimism at St Andrews rail link feasibility study". BBC News. 11 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Support for St Andrews rail link". BBC News. 29 February 2008. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Group wants support for rail link". BBC News. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  11. ^ "The case for expanding the rail network" (PDF). Campaign for Better Transport. January 2019. p. 38. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.

External links

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