Recycled stock keeps heritage group on track

Brechin’s Caledonian Railway has put old Fife train tracks to good use as the Angus attraction’s summer season gets up to full speed.

Over the last few months, volunteers have renewed a loop around Brechin station with old tracks from the £116 million Levenmouth rail project.

The Fife project wll deliver two new stations on the five-mile link and is due to open in 2024.

The new stops will be at Leven swimming pool and Cameron Bridge.

And the lines lifted as part of the work are being put to good use on heritage railways across Scotland.

Caley chairman Jon Gill says the extra infrastructure has been a welcome windfall.

He said: “Over the last few months, volunteers have been working away on this season’s track maintenance.

“It has included the renewal of the run-round loop at Brechin station.

“This project has been made possible thanks to the generous donation of track materials from the Levenmouth project by Network Rail and support from the Scottish Government.

“Local groups like ourselves will repurpose the redundant assets for use on the heritage railways and so will again serve passengers, as well as benefit the wider community.

“The first phase to renew part of the track at Brechin station is now complete.

“Over the last few months, the team have been processing the donated materials and using them to build replacement track panels.

“As well as the track at Brechin, other areas of the railway have been selected to utilise the materials, including our new diesel storage facility.

“We’d like to extend our appreciation to Network Rail and the Scottish Government for their recent support with these donations.”

The railway group welcomed visitors for a busy afternoon tea service over the weekend.

And volunteers are looking forward to the popular Day Out with Thomas weekends scheduled for July 16 and 17 and August 27 and 28.

Mr Gill has also urged Angus councillors to show “vision and foresight” by backing a bid for cash from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF).

The Caledonian Railway hopes to land up to £18m for future projects.

This includes hopes of linking the four-mile Brechin to Bridge of Dun link to the east coast main line.

The Queen’s Awardwinning group believes the investment could increase tourism spend in Angus by more than £20m in five years.

But there are concerns council officials will say the application has too many risks. Angus missed out on the first round of LUF funding in 2021.

The Brechin bid is due to be considered by a meeting of the full council at the end of this month.

WELL CONNECTED: Volunteer driver Kaine Bisset at the controls at Brechin.