Invest in Fife rail connection

Sir, - What an excellent suggestion from Dr Allen Armstrong that the £1 billion underspend from building the Queensferry Crossing be invested in improving the Fife rail network (March 7).

It is high time that some money was spent on rail services on the north side of the Forth, considering the amount being invested to the south of it.

There can be no doubt that the people living in the communities which would be served by a reopened Levenmouth branch, Newburgh station or Forth rail link would benefit greatly from the resulting enhanced connectivity.

The case of St Andrews is somewhat different, though no less valid.

The town is primarily a destination, and an international one at that. St Andrews could be described as Scotland’s Oxbridge, Canterbury and Wimbledon all rolled into one and considering that just one of these factors could be said to justify a rail connection, the fact that St Andrews ticks all three boxes makes the case overwhelming.

Indeed, as it is likely that a St Andrews service would operate at a profit, it could help subsidise the other improvements, and a combination of the Forth rail link from Alloa to Dunfermline plus the link to St Andrews would make possible direct west-east rail travel all the way from Glasgow.

All in all, a billion pounds could go some way to making the Fife rail network fit for the requirements of the 21st century. Jane Ann Liston. St Andrews Rail Link Campaign, 5 Whitehill Terrace, Largo Road, St Andrews.