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38 trains run through our town each day...

Not one stops here ...yet

A rail service for Newburgh will not only mean shorter journeys and better connectivity, it will be the catalyst for revitalising our town, letting us engage with and contribute to the economy of North East Fife and the rest of Scotland.

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An artist's depiction of eco orientated activities in Newburgh

Newburgh

Newburgh sits on the banks of the River Tay in beautiful North Fife, Scotland. It is a town with history. Its famous orchards once stretched along the hill of what is now modern Newburgh. It was the known as the fruit town of Scotland. Later, the town became an industrial hive of factories, workshops, inns and a small but active harbour.

Businesses, workers and inhabitants relied on a busy Newburgh rail station to get to and from work. The line was used to shift a variety of goods. But the station shut in 1955 and freight services ended not long after. The town's fortunes began to ebb.

Today, the Perth to Edinburgh train line cuts through the centre of the town. The view from the train, as it passes through Newburgh, is memorable, with Dundee and Angus visible across the broad river Tay.

A reopened station offers so much opportunity to revive the town. It is a place well worth visiting.

Photography of the workshop in progress

Head of Fife Council, David Ross - one of the workshop participants

Considering the business potential of Newburgh with a station

September 2024

Lindores Distillery played host to a lively and successful workshop run by Fife Council, SEStran and the Newburgh rail campaign to consider what the business potential of Newburgh with a train station could be.

A big thanks to the participants from local government, wildlife management, tourism and business who took part.

Fife Coast & Countryside Trust logo
Scottish Wildlife Trust logo
Fife Council logo
Visit Scotland logo
Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust logo
SEStran logo

Local MP to speak to Transport Minister about Newburgh station

January 2024

Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife, briefs campaign supporters at Lindores Abbey Distillery about her meeting with the (then) Rail Minister Huw Merriman, MP to discuss what financial support may be available for a new Newburgh Station.

Wendy Chamberlein addressing the campaign group
A montage of drawings down by local pupils about our railway station

A station really is a good thing...

A reopened Newburgh station will be the start of a new journey in every sense.

It will provide us with the means to connect to work and education opportunities further afield and to make these journeys in faster time. Health visits and just getting around Fife will be very much quicker and easier.

A station will be the catalyst for revitalising our town and surrounding areas, bringing in new businesses and visitors. Being connected means that we can make a greater contribution to the Scottish economy. 

Having a station means drivers can choose to leave their car at home and journey by rail - a strong contribution to a better environment.

Being connected by rail just has very sound benefits, not just for Newburgh and North East Fife but for all of Scotland.

Is there a good case for a station?

We believe there are strong social and commercial reasons for reconnecting Newburgh to the railway

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Tourism

Newburgh is at the end of the increasingly popular Fife Coastal path. But it can be difficult for walkers finishing at Newburgh to get back home. There are limited bus services throughout the week and restricted bus services on Sundays.

The Lindores Abbey and Visitors' Centre Is a very popular local venue. Over 30,000 visitors came from all over the world to see the distillery this year.  None came by rail.  Many said they would if they could. Tourism is certainly an area of opportunity and growth, alongside wider economic development in the area.  A rail connection is vital to achieve this.

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Job opportunities

Without a car, the job horizon shrinks. How far away from Newburgh can you look for work, be able to get there and return, all in reasonable time? Poor public transport limits ambitions to find better work further afield.

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Health visits

Getting to and from health centres can be arduous for some. Local buses are not always kind to passengers with mobility issues. Access to hospitals in Kirkcaldy, Perth and Dundee would benefit from a rail connection, especially for evening visits.

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Inward investment

Newburgh is a good place to live and could be a great place to work. But without decent public transport will businesses be attracted to the town? Will new housing be built? Newburgh needs to be fully connected to the rest of Scotland to make it an attractive place to do business.

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Education opportunities

Without a car, it can be difficult taking advantage of educational opportunities in Fife and beyond. For younger people getting home at night is difficult. Attending night courses is pretty well impossible. Full education and training opportunities is a right for all people of all ages.

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The environment

The Scottish Government is committed to making rail transport carbon-free by 2035 ​and to achieve a significant modal shift away from car to public transport journeys. But this is rather offset by communities like ours often having to rely on cars for travel - cars being one of the biggest contributors to global warming!

New stations do not have to cost the earth

The UK rail industry is increasingly adopting cost-effective, easy-to-assemble modular design techniques for new infrastructure projects across the network. This modern, adaptable construction method is very suited to building inexpensive, smaller stations.  

The benefits of modular design

Modular stations are not built, but assembled. Pre-built, factory components are shipped mostly by road and put together in situ without needing teams of specialists.  The transport requirements needed to ship assembled components to site are far fewer than delivering a constant feed of building material. Less road transport means less disruption and less impact to the environment. Some newer modular designs now include recycled material.

Modular platforms are far cheaper than traditional designs. They can be assembled and deployed quickly and can be shortened or lengthened depending on passenger footfall.

 

We believe modular solutions are the right option for building a new Newburgh station.

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Castle Bar Park rail station

Castle Bar Park Station, London - a single short modular platform. It was assembled at the bottom of a steep incline without rail disruption.

Where things stand

The Newburgh Train Station Group has strong community support in Newburgh, Abernethy and surrounding areas. It has cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament. 

SEStran* in partnership with Fife Council are strongly backing our campaign - providing welcomed administration of funds and overall governance.  The campaign has also generated keen interest from a number of other professional organisations.

A professionally conducted assessment of Newburgh's public transport needs concluded last year.  The £82,000 STAG* report stated that a new rail station, set against improved bus services and car sharing, was the most cost-effective way of improving transport connectivity.

We await the Government response.

*The Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance  or STAG provides a framework for assessing evidence-based transport problems and opportunities. It emphasises objective-led, evidence-based analysis.

Our campaign is powered by the people of Newburgh

From past surveys and turnout for campaign meetings, it is clear that there is a keen appetite for reopening a rail station. Residents continue to talk about poor bus services and how difficult it is to get to work, attend medical appointments and access education opportunities.

 

In June 2023, over 80 people from Newburgh nearby Abernethy and surrounding areas attended a campaign meeting at Lindores Distillery. The campaign has been gathering pace ever since.

In the Scottish Parliament, at the end of 2023, the Transport Minister, Fiona Hyslop acknowledged strong community support for a reopened Newburgh station.

Group members outside Lindores distillery in June 2023

The voices of Newburgh

 Robust opinions on the state of public transport serving Newburgh and what a train station means to people

Contact us

Newburgh

07788447509

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