Full steam ahead for St Andrews rail plan

● Study will examine feasibility of ten projects including axed line to Fife town

The campaign to re-open the St Andrews rail link after a 50-year gap has won Scottish Government funding for a study which could pave the way for the scheme.

Transportsecretarymichael Matheson raised campaigners hopes by choosing the Fife town to announce £681,000 for research into the project and nine other potential rail initiatives across Scotland.

The new appraisals will determine whether rail is the best transport option, which could lead to government money to build them.

Research for the St Andrews Rail Link campaign (Starlink) in 2012 found restoring the five-mile spur from Leuchars would cost £71 million.

Its report said the line, closed in 1969, would cover its operating costs and provide faster journeys to and from Edinburgh than by road.

Appraisal funding was also awarded for studies that could include new or improved stations at Haddington, Linlithgow, Newburgh, Faslane , Insch and in Clydesdale.

There will also be studies into improving cross-forth travel, and park and ride sites at Bridge of Earn/oudenarde and Stirling.

The appraisals will be paid for under the £2m local rail development fund established by ministers in February as part of a Scottish Budget deal with the Scottish Greens.

Mr Matheson said: “Providing funding for these transport appraisals will allow the successful applicants to consider the transport issues and opportunities affecting their local communities.

“Helping communities bring forward proposals to tackle these specific, local rail connectivity issues, will allow us to consider potential projects as part of our plans for future investment in our railways.”

Starlink convenor Jane Ann Liston said: “As a prime national and international destination, being the ‘home of golf’ and Scotland’s oldest university, the historic tourist destination of St Andrews has suffered for years from the onslaught of increasing traffic clogging up the town.

“The Starlink campaign believes the option of direct rail travel from Edinburgh - including the airport interchange - and Dundee to the town would significantly alleviate both the physical and environmental effects of too many cars in a small town with a medieval layout. In addition, improving the connectivity with the likes of Cupar, Dundee and Dunfermline will spread the economic benefits generated by St Andrews over the whole of Fife and also across the Tay.”

Scottish Greens environment spokesman and Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell said St Andrews and Newburgh had “compelling cases to reopen stations that would be a huge boost to their communities”.

0 The five-mile branch line to St Andrews closed in 1969