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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 journey times and better connectivity, it will be the catalyst for revitalising our town, letting us engage with and contribute to the economy of North Fife and the rest of Scotland
MP Wendy Chamberlein addressing group members.

Local MP to speak to Transport Minister about Newburgh station

January 2024

Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife, met campaign supporters at the Lindores Abbey Distillery to provide an update on her meeting with the Minister for Rail Huw Merriman. They discussed what financial support may be available for a new Newburgh Station.

Read more in the Dundee Courier article below

 

Fife's Forgotten Town

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 Fife but for all of Scotland.

A montage of drawings down by local pupils about our railway station

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 j restricted bus service on Sua

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 distri.  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 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, Dunfermline and Dundee would benefit from a rail connection. and to the Perth Royal Infirmary, especially during the evening for hospital 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

Person holding placard showing a modular station

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 needed to ship assembled components to site is far less 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 they can shortened or lengthened depending on passenger traffic.

 

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 recently built, carriage-length modular platform. It was assembled without rail disruption.

The voices of Newburgh

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

Campaign member reviewing logo design entries

Where things stand

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

SETran* 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 concluded 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 pass ever since.

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

Members of the Newburgh Train Campaign outside Lindores Distillery

The voices of Newburgh

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

Contact us

Newburgh

07788447509

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