Connecting Newburgh
What would a station means to Newburgh
Train approaching Newburgh from Ladbank
A new Newburgh station
The people of Newburgh want their station reopened. Public transport here is not reliable. People use their cars to reach work, to visit friends and to shop – and to get to the nearest station to catch a train! 20% of residents do not have a car.
We don't do Sustainable travel in Newburgh.
For those without a car, travelling is often a slog. Wait times can be long – made longer by too many cancelled buses. It can take considerable time to get to a limited number of destinations. Access to health and education beyond the town, particularly for those with limited mobility, can be difficult.
Opportunities to develop business are limited without a station. Why set up in Newburgh when there are other nearby towns connected to rail?
With a station, we believe the potential of Newburgh can be released. It could be a great town in which to develop new businesses, particularly tourism. It could become a more prosperous place, actively contributing to the Scottish economy.
The Newburgh Train Station Campaign, together with South East of Scotland Transport Partnership (SEStrans) and Fife Council, at the end of 2024 submitted a transport option appraisal document to Transport Scotland and Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop. We expect to hear the outcome is at the end of the May.
It is time to get Newburgh back on track.
News
Transport Minister
visits Newburgh to
'see for herself' the case for a new rail station
Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop
21st May 2025
The Transport Minister, Fiona Hyslop was urged to green light a new rail station for Newburgh on her visit to the town last month.
The Minister accepted an invite from local MSPs to come to Newburgh and 'see for herself' why the town would greatly benefit from being back on the rails. She was met by the Newburgh Train Station Campaign (NTSC) and shown the site of the proposed station and the old harbour before being taken to Lindores Distillery.
There, the NTSC presented reasons why the town deserves a station and how transformative it would be.
A reopened train station invariably brings strong economic growth
The Campaign stressed that a reopened station would be the catalyst for the Newburgh's economic revival. There was particular focus on ecotourism. The town is surrounded by a abundant wildlife, nature trails, cycle paths and beautiful countryside overlooking the River Tay.
The NTSC emphasised that the town did not need a large station. It. proposed adopting a short modular halt* - a cheaper option than standard station design - and one that is easier to build, maintain and upgrade. The campaign highlighted the sustainability of modular design - the latest designs using lightweight components and the increasing use of recycled materials.
*A halt denotes a station with a short 10 to 15m platform and minimal infrastructure.
Poor transport limits education opportunities
The campaign focused on the limiting effect poor transport, has on the ambitions of those using public transport, particular the young people of Newburgh.
Karl Barrs, campaign member and local teacher, highlighted cases of young people struggling to get to training and education because of inadequate public transport. He cited the story of one boy who, having won a coveted apprenticeship place in Dundee, struggles to get there from Newburgh.
The invite to the town came from long-time supporters of the Newburgh station campaign, MSPs Mark Ruskell, Willie Rennie, Claire Baker and Murdo Fraser. Representatives of South East of Scotland Regional Transport Partnership and Fife Council were there.
Transport minister Fiona Hyslop, centre, with MSPs, representatives of SESTrans and members of the Newburgh Train Station Campaign.
A decision on the next steps for a new Newburgh station will come by the end of the month.
Is there a good case for a station?
We believe there are strong social and commercial reasons for reconnecting Newburgh to the railway
Healthier Environment
A new Active Travel Route will soon connect Newburgh with the National Cycle Network. It will provide a safe, green, healthy way to travel. But without adequate public transport, the number of vehicles on the town’s main road will continue to increase. A new train station will encourage more car drivers to leave their vehicles at home. Fewer cars, less pollution – a state of play the Government will surely be looking to encourage.
More Job Opportunities
Without a car, the job horizon shrinks. Poor public transport limits ambitions to find better work further afield. Travel times and lack of connection rules out taking work in many Scottish job hot-spots. This lack of opportunity drives many to leave Newburgh to find work elsewhere. A regular train service would be a game-changer. Faster journeys to points further away would open up a world of opportunity for the town.
Better Access to Education
Relying on the bus to take advantage of educational opportunities in Fife can be difficult. Daily travel to colleges any distance away proves harder still. And even attending night courses in some nearby towns can be a problem. Full education and training opportunities is a right. A train service will put in reach training opportunities, universities, and colleges across much of central Scotland.
Easier Health Visits
For many people who do not have access to a car, getting to health centres across Fife and beyond can be very demanding. Journeys times can be long, often with the need for one or two changes to reach a destination. A mild inconvenience for most, a barrier to health for some. Access to health services is a right. A train trip from Newburgh to Kirkcaldy for a hospital visit would be no more than 35 minutes by train.
Attracting Investment
Newburgh has all the potential to become prosperous again – a net contributor to Scotland’s economy. It is a vibrant place to live and could be an attractive place to work. But without reliable public transport, businesses will not be drawn to the town. Buses do not cut it, it seems. To get businesses to come, Newburgh needs to be fully connected to the rest of Scotland and for this, it needs a rail station.
Newburgh can prosper
Developing Tourism
With better transport, tourism could take off here. It is a town with history, quirky traditions and set in beautiful surrounds. However, tourism, especially ecotourism, is compromised when realistically the only way to get here is by by car.
Newburgh's origins date back to the 12th century and the founding of Lindores Abbey. At one time, Newburgh's extensive orchards made it the fruit town of Scotland. It once had thriving industries and a busy harbour.
Newburgh community orchard continuing ancient traditions
Lindores Abbey distillery
The annual parade of Newburgh Caledonian Lodge of Oddfellows
The community-owned Loch Mill
The annual burning of the Bear
Newburgh with its 'wonky' Christmas lights
The town is the start or end point on the increasingly popular Fife Coastal Path. However, it doesn't serve walkers well at weekends when there are few buses and taxis and the one public convenience the town had was demolished by the council!
Unless there is significant uplift in bus services, visitors will continue to use the car. Realistically, the town can only realise the potential of a green tourist industry by having a train station. To be in line with the the Government's strategy for carbon free transport by 2045, this surely should be a no-brainer.
Newburgh wants to contribute to the Scottish economy. Developing tourism is one sure way of achieving this.
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Birdlife is abundant, with ospreys nesting near the River Earn
Don't build a station - Assemble it instead!
The UK rail industry is increasingly adopting cost-effective, easy-to-assemble modular design techniques to upgrade or build new stations. This cheap, adaptable, sustainable construction method is very suited for building smaller stations.
The benefits of modular design
Modular stations are -
Cheap - a single short-length platform between 10 and 15 metres in length can cost less than £300K.
Easy to build - modular design assembles pre-built components (or modules) in situ rather than constructing a station from scratch. It does not need an expensive team of specialist staff to assemble it.
Sustainable - transporting pre-built modular components, delivered to site by road, requires less transport than shipping traditional construction materials. It is a greener and far more sustainable way of building a station.
Flexible - a modular station can be put in place cheaply and easily, to 'test' the viability of a station. If it works, it can be made permanent and lengthened to meet passenger demand. If the station does not attract people it can be easily disassembled, taken away and used elsewhere!
We believe modular solutions are the right option for building a new Newburgh station.
Beauly Station-small station success
Beauly Station - how a simple Newburgh station could look
Beauly station reopened in 2002. This short, single platform station - with a single shelter and small car park - was built for just £250,000 (approx £460,000 today*). The station saw 75% of local commuters switching from road to rail. Beauly is proof that low-cost stations can provide benefits far exceeding their size.
Conon Bridge
In early 2013, a new station costing in today's money £600,000 was opened at Conan Bridge near Inverness. In the months that followed, more than 2,000 journeys were made to and from it. The then Transport Minister Keith Brown said the numbers showed that it (the station) was an extremely worthwhile investment'.
* Bank of England Inflation calculator
Conon Bridge
The future of Newburgh - with a station
September 2024
Lindores Abbey Distillery played host to a successful workshop run by Fife Council, SEStran and the Newburgh rail campaign which considered the business potential of Newburgh with a train station.
Where things stand
May 2025
Transport Minister visits Newburgh
The case for a reopened station was made. .
We expect a decision to be made soon.
January 2025
Transform Scotland welcomes the NTRG as a new member
The campaign became a member of Transform Scotand, Scotland’s alliance for sustainable transport. Members include Scotrail, LNER, Stagecoach and other rail campaign groups.
December 2024
STAG appraisal submitted
The final part of the transport appraisal (STAG) has been submitted to Transport Scotland for review and comment.
STAG report
Appendix A
How did we get here?
A drawing competition for pupils from Dunbog, Newburgh and Abernethy primary schools were asked for ideas for a Newburgh station logo. The results were inspiring. Our new campaign logo is based on the winning design.
Why not leave a message telling us what you think about public transport and what having a train station means to you.
The town of Newburgh
Newburgh sits on the banks of the River Tay in beautiful North East Fife. Despite being just 42 miles north of Edinburgh and visible from both Perth and Dundee across the water, it feels quite remote. It is the home of Scottish whisky and was once known as the fruit town of Scotland.
Our campaign is powered by people
From past surveys and turnouts at campaign meetings, it is clear that there is a keen appetite for reopening a rail station.
Last year, 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.
The Scottish Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop acknowledged strong community support for a reopened Newburgh station.
The voices of Newburgh
Newburgh is behind a new station. Here is a cross-section of local opinions on current public transport and the possible reopening of a station