2016
StARLink News | 2017 | 2015

Double standard on rail proposals attacked

09, 12 16 10:55
Both the Courier and St Andrews Citizen covered the apparent ‘double standard’ applied by Fife Council used to determine whether or not rail projects were included in FIFEplan. The Council claimed to have ruled out St Andrews because no STAG evaluation had been carried out. However no STAG has been carried out for at least 2 proposals that were included, Wormit and Newburgh, suggesting that a different criterion was used to exclude St Andrews. Read More...

Re-open Fife services, including St Andrews, says Guardian

21, 11 16 15:18
A piece in The Guardian calling for a modern Scottish rail network cites St Andrews as a candidate for re-opening. Read More...

Citizen covers lack of Leuchars rail/bus connection

11, 11 16 20:20
The plight of passengers stranded at Leuchars Railway Station late at night was featured in this week’s St Andrews Citizen. Read More...

Stranded passengers demonstrate need for railway

05, 11 16 13:54
Stranded passengers from a late-running train at Leuchars Station illustrated just why the current bus so-called ‘connection’ is inadequate to serve St Andrews.

The Courier today reports that when the last train from Edinburgh Waverley on Saturday night arrived at at a deserted Leuchars Railway Station 15 minutes late, the last bus had gone, leaving passengers with no obvious way of travelling the 5.67 miles to St Andrews. Read More...

Tayside rail vision

17, 10 16 10:56
At the weekend a national campaigning group presented its vision for rail on both sides of the Firth of Tay, including new lines from Perth to Laurencekirk via Forfar, Perth to Crieff and Comrie and from the East Coast Main Line to St Andrews. Read More...

Car drivers won't use buses, says study

13, 10 16 17:30
A report by law firm Protecting.co.uk recently covered in the St Andrews Citizen illustrates the reluctance of motorists to use buses, with 97% claiming that they wouldn’t even consider catching a bus. Read More...

Business editor says case 'indisputable'

07, 09 16 22:17
In a piece entitled ‘Economic case for return of rail’ illustrated appropriately enough by an LNER poster for St Andrews, the business editor of The Courier describes the case for restoring rail to the town as ‘indisputable’. Read More...

Bold vision for Fife railways - Courier

22, 07 16 18:06
A bold vision of what Fife rail services could look like was featured on the front page of The Courier today. The proposals, part of a larger scheme covering all of Scotland, were created by Railfuture Scotland’s vice-chair Roderick McDougall, and were unveiled at Cupar Model Railway Exhibition at the weekend.

The scheme includes direct services from St Andrews to Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Read More...

Concern over discredited rail forecasting - SoS

26, 06 16 00:24
Scotland on Sunday reported on worries that unduly pessimistic modelling might be sabotaging potential rail re-openings. Read More...

Coverage in Sunday Express

19, 06 16 00:08
Following the Railfuture conference, a report about both the Levenmouth and St Andrews proposals appeared in the Sunday Express. Read More...

National conference hears case for St Andrews railway

18, 06 16 00:03
The national Railfuture conference ‘Waverley Way’ in Newtongrange today, although centred around the successful campaign to re-open the Borders line, also heard the case for a new St Andrews railway. Read More...

Student paper claims St Andrews is 'remote'.

27, 04 16 15:50
The University of St Andrews student newspaper The Saint has described the university’s location as ‘remote’, adding, ‘for new students it can be a struggle to understand how to get here’. They suggest students might be better taking a long-distance bus rather than the train to Leuchars and a bus or taxi thereafter. Read More...

Railway's 'game-changer' potential

22, 04 16 12:29
The potential of the railway to make a significant difference to the tourist industry in rural areas has been highlighted by a partnership promoting the Borders. Read More...

'Investment should be prioritised' - Willie Rennie

05, 04 16 09:59
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader today voiced his support for the re-opening of Newburgh Station and lines to Levenmouth and St Andrews. Read More...

Herald recognises St Andrews-Glasgow potential

31, 03 16 13:01
An article in The Herald by transport correspondent Helen McArdle mentions, in the context of the closure of Longannet power station and the subsequent freeing of its rail line, the potential of the StARLink campaign’s proposal, not only to link ‘the golfing jewel’ with Edinburgh and Dundee but also to ‘facilitate direct services between Glasgow and St Andrews.’ Read More...

Rail experts recommend st Andrews for re-opening

18, 03 16 01:20
As reported in today’s Courier, rail experts Chris Austin and Richard Faulkner (Lord Faulkner of Worcester) have recommended St Andrews as one of only 5 Scottish candidates for re-opening in their latest book Disconnected - Broken Links in Britain’s Rail Policy. Read More...

'Daft that St Andrews doesn't have a train line'

17, 03 16 17:09
A top columnist in The Courier has described as ‘daft’ the fact that St Andrews is not on a railway line. Read More...

Letter in Courier

09, 03 16 13:36
A reply from StARLink to Dr Armstrong’s letter in The Courier was published. Read More...

In Courier and Scotsman

07, 03 16 22:07
Dr Armstrong’s letter was published in today’s Courier. Meanwhile, a reply from StARLink was printed in The Scotsman. Read More...

'Spare' billion could be used for Fife rail improvements

05, 03 16 10:52
A letter published in both The National and The Scotsman argues that the £1B no longer required for the Queensferry Crossing, should be used for Levemouth, the Forth Circle, Newburgh and St Andrews rail enhancements. Read More...

In 'A to B'

03, 03 16 18:43
An article in the cycling magazine A to B cites St Andrews as a potential candidate for rail re-opening. Read More...

Scotsman editorial

29, 01 16 12:45
The Scotsman editorial mentions St Andrews campaigners in its comment upon the success of the Borders service. Read More...

Latest Golflink figures confirm bus is a turn-off

26, 01 16 21:23
Just 12% of those attending last year’s open championship at St Andrews used the Golflink, i.e. rail and connecting bus, service to reach the Links, the same proportion as in 2010, despite a significantly enhanced rail service to Leuchars in 2015. Read More...

Forth Rail Link comments

25, 01 16 16:04
In an article in The Courier Fife Council’s Chief Executive is quoted as saying that Fife Council supports projects that increase travel options for Fife residents and support local businesses and tourism. This was in the context of a campaign to restore passenger services between Alloa and Dunfermline on the Longannet line when the power station closes at the end of March.
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/longannet-closure-could-pave-way-for-fife-rail-line-to-be-revived-1.921276 Read More...

Scotland on Sunday editorial supports St Andrews railway

24, 01 16 18:15
The editorial in today’s Scotland on Sunday listed St Andrews as a destination worthy of reconnection, along with Leven, Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Hawick. Read More...

Everything points to a rail solution

23, 01 16 12:11
Following the report of the record money made by the 2015 Open, there was a story in the national press about an increase in car use and drop in that of public transport. The Scotsman’s report is at:

 http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/campaigners-denounce-failure-to-cut-scots-car-use-1-4007389
Locally, the Fife Herald led on the proposed expansion of Cupar, while the St Andrews Citizen featured the effects of an eight-week road closure in Guardbridge, beginning 15th February.
 Read More...

St Andrews Open makes £140M for Scotland

18, 01 16 11:42
A report commissioned by the R & A shows that last year’s Open championship at St Andrews boosted Scotland’s economy by nearly £140M, nearly double the amount made in 2010. The Fife economy benefited by £52M. Read More...