The Scottish Association for Public Transport (SAPT) is recommending re-opening the 14 mile railway line from Ellon to Dyce. In its response to the NESTRANS transport consultation (“Fraserburgh and Peterhead to Aberdeen Strategic Transport Study”), which closed yesterday (December 14), SAPT points out that trains could bring Ellon within just 28 minutes of Aberdeen, compared with around 40 minutes by car and up to 48 minutes for the bus service, revolutionising public transport in the area.
Dr. John McCormick, Chairman of SAPT, said:
“Aberdeenshire suffered the most from the Beeching cuts in the 1960s, losing all its suburban and rural railway lines. Train services to Fraserburgh and Peterhead were withdrawn in 1965 and these are now the furthest isolated towns from the Scottish rail network.
The very successful re-opening of the Borders rail link to Galashiels shows that a fast rail service is very attractive to commuters and other travellers. In Aberdeenshire, the re-opened Dyce and Laurencekirk stations confirm that good train services are popular with travellers.
A fast train service from a railhead at Ellon via Dyce to Aberdeen would attract car commuters and help to regenerate the economy and reduce road congestion and pollution in Aberdeen city centre. Co-ordinated bus links from Fraserburgh and Peterhead to an Ellon railhead could be the first steps towards fully re-opening the railway to these towns. ”