Weak link in suggested East Coast 'Arc'
15, 07 26 17:07
In response to an article in The Herald suggesting the creation of an East Coast 'Arc', to improve economic activity, it was pointed out that because St Andrews suffers from inadequate connectivity, i.e. no railway, this proposal was likely to fall flat on its face.
The theory is that linking the higher education institutions with other regional assets could boost economic development. Good connectivity, however, is an essential factor for this model to succeed. St Andrews is sadly lacking in such, as the Stantec study showed, and Transport Scotland's glib suggestion of 'better buses' is hardly likely to change this. Unfortunately, therefore, this East Coast Arc is unlikely to come to fruition.
The text of the letter from StARlink is as follows:
I was most interested in the piece about the arc model of economic development, which involves linking higher education institutions with improved connectivity, adding in other regional assets to deliver improved economic activity (The Herald 13.07.2026).
Unfortunately, while the Edinburgh-Glasgow corridor arc is already well connected, the same cannot be said for the suggested east coast grouping based around Aberdeen, Dundee and St Andrews, because the links between St Andrews and other towns and cities are slow and sadly lacking. While Oxford and Cambridge, already well connected to London, are forging ahead with a railway line between each other, St Andrews has to make do with road access only, its nearest station being an inconvenient 5.5 miles away, as confirmed by the streams of traffic on the A91, this distance also leading to a widely-held perception that St Andrews is 'remote' and 'difficult to reach'.
Although a professional appraisal carried out under the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) protocol recommended the restoration of a railway to significantly improve connectivity, this was dismissed by Transport Scotland who claimed that all St Andrews needs is 'better buses', although they do not appear to be doing anything about even that.
So I'm afraid that the suggested East Coast Arc is liable to stumble at the first fence, if it be not absolutely doomed to failure, unless and until St Andrews is reconnected to the railway network, as it has been demonstrated that that is the only way the required level of connectivity can be achieved.
Jane Ann Liston
Convenor - StARLink (St Andrews Rail Link) campaign
The theory is that linking the higher education institutions with other regional assets could boost economic development. Good connectivity, however, is an essential factor for this model to succeed. St Andrews is sadly lacking in such, as the Stantec study showed, and Transport Scotland's glib suggestion of 'better buses' is hardly likely to change this. Unfortunately, therefore, this East Coast Arc is unlikely to come to fruition.
The text of the letter from StARlink is as follows:
I was most interested in the piece about the arc model of economic development, which involves linking higher education institutions with improved connectivity, adding in other regional assets to deliver improved economic activity (The Herald 13.07.2026).
Unfortunately, while the Edinburgh-Glasgow corridor arc is already well connected, the same cannot be said for the suggested east coast grouping based around Aberdeen, Dundee and St Andrews, because the links between St Andrews and other towns and cities are slow and sadly lacking. While Oxford and Cambridge, already well connected to London, are forging ahead with a railway line between each other, St Andrews has to make do with road access only, its nearest station being an inconvenient 5.5 miles away, as confirmed by the streams of traffic on the A91, this distance also leading to a widely-held perception that St Andrews is 'remote' and 'difficult to reach'.
Although a professional appraisal carried out under the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) protocol recommended the restoration of a railway to significantly improve connectivity, this was dismissed by Transport Scotland who claimed that all St Andrews needs is 'better buses', although they do not appear to be doing anything about even that.
So I'm afraid that the suggested East Coast Arc is liable to stumble at the first fence, if it be not absolutely doomed to failure, unless and until St Andrews is reconnected to the railway network, as it has been demonstrated that that is the only way the required level of connectivity can be achieved.
Jane Ann Liston
Convenor - StARLink (St Andrews Rail Link) campaign