Campaign For Re-opening
The advocacy groups Transform Scotland and the Capital Rail Action Group (CRAG) have recently been campaigning for the re-opening of the South Suburban line to passenger rail services. The group suggests three proposals for re-instating the line:
- re-opening the full circular route as a commuter rail service. To address congestion issues along the Haymarket-Waverley rail corridor, the group proposes a further alternative or running the line with tram-train rolling stock; these vehicles could switch to street-running mode as part of the planned Edinburgh Trams light rail network. The tram option would require the electrification of the line.
- creating a "Crossrail 2" service, in which existing North Berwick-Edinburgh trains would run through to Haymarket and then round the South Suburban line to Newcraighall;
- reconfigure the existing Edinburgh Crossrail service from Newcraighall so that after Haymarket, instead of running west to Bathgate, Dunblane or Fife, trains would loop back along the South Suburban line to Newcraighall.
Campaigners also suggest the construction of new stations at Cameron Toll, Niddrie and Fort Kinnaird, but omit the Piershill and Abbeyhill stations from their plans.
The proposals were considered by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2004, and the council indicated a preference for a North Berwick-Niddrie service (Crossrail 2 option).
Campaigners submitted an online petition about their proposals to the Scottish Parliament, raising 1923 signatures. The Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee noted that the re-opening the line would not require parliamentary consent as the line itself is still operational, and that there would be the minimal infrastructural work required (no additional tunnelling work or level crossings would be needed) indicated that the re-opening costs would be relatively low. After further consultation with the City of Edinburgh Council and the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership (SEStran), it was concluded that reopening the line would not be cost effective, nor in line with Scottish Governmental priorities.
Read more about this topic: Edinburgh Suburban And Southside Junction Railway
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“The fact that a man is to vote forces him to think. You may preach to a congregation by the year and not affect its thought because it is not called upon for definite action. But throw your subject into a campaign and it becomes a challenge.”
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