CRAIG Hoy, a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, has secured a second meeting with Scotland’s Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth MSP, and the Rail Action Group East of Scotland (RAGES) to explore options to open a rail connection between Haddington and Edinburgh.
This follows a meeting between Mr Hoy and Jenny Gilruth earlier this month, where Mr Hoy stressed for the need for improved transport provision in East Lothian.
Last year, Mr Hoy launched a petition to reinstate the X5 bus service between North Berwick and Edinburgh which received over 1,000 signatures. He remains firmly committed to getting a fair deal on transport links for local residents.
He has since pressed the Scottish Government to respond to bus driver shortages and funding constraints facing bus operators since the introduction of free bus travel for those aged under 22 in Scotland, so that services like the X5 stay in operation, and he has called for a train link between Haddington and Edinburgh to alleviate overcrowding on the X7 express service between Haddington and the city.
Mr Hoy commented: “I am pleased that the Scottish Government is willing to engage with local campaigners who are looking to options to restore a railway connection between Haddington and Edinburgh, most probably through a restoration of the line to Longniddry.
“As one of Scotland’s fastest growing communities, it is only right that East Lothian’s bus, road and rail links meet the growing demands being placed upon them.”
The agreement to meet came after Mr Hoy asked the Transport Minister at General Questions: “Does she agree with me that to achieve Net Zero, it’s vital to provide transport connectivity for areas such as East Lothian – one of the fastest growing in Scotland today – and does she welcome the Rail Action Group East of Scotland’s calls for a train connection for Haddington, and will she agree to meet with RAGES to get Haddington back on track?”
Jenny Gilruth MSP responded saying: “I very much agree with the sentiment of Mr Hoy’s question. We had a very positive meeting last week, and he will know that I have met with members of RAGES campaign group when I opened Reston Railway Station earlier this year.
“I’m more than happy to meet the member and the RAGES group more generally to talk about the specific issue of Haddington that we discussed last week.”
Mr Hoy has now written to the Transport Minister to request a date for the meeting. “While there is still a lot of ground to cover before a service can be restored, the meeting with RAGES puts Haddington a step closer to being back on track,” he said.
The news of the meeting has been warmly welcomed by RAGES (Rail Action Group East of Scotland) which has campaigned for the re-opening of the rail link to Haddington as part of its core objectives since its formation in 1999. In recent years RAGES has successfully campaigned for the opening of Reston station, which is now in operation, and East Linton station, which is currently under construction.
The RAGES Chairperson, Barrie Forrest, expressed his delight at the meeting being secured, “Our ambition from the outset has always been to return a rail station to Haddington and connect our county town once again to the national rail network.
“Along with the rest of East Lothian, Haddington has had to absorb a significant amount of growth in recent years without any major investment in transport infrastructure. It is time that we addressed that anomaly and we are keen to have that discussion with the Transport Minister who we know is an advocate of rail connectivity following her campaign to construct the Levenmouth link.
“We have noted the success of the Scottish Borders Railway, opened in 2015, which we believe demonstrates the positive impact investing in new rail projects can have on local communities and economies. It is also significant that the population of Haddington is comparable with Galashiels which currently enjoys a ½ hourly service.
“It is vital that we restore the link that Edinburgh once had with one of its major county towns and the wider rail network. It would be a major boost to the East Lothian economy and a boon to local residents and businesses.”
RAGES has been encouraged by previous statement from Transport Scotland which stated, “Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring the railway meets future growth needs and are willing to consider proposals for improvement works to current stations, new stations, or reopening existing ones, that arise from a positive transport appraisal which takes account of the impact on the wider rail network.
“East Lothian Council has been awarded a total of £90,000 through the Local Rail Development Fund (LRDF), to help them to carry out their East Lothian access study. This work will assess the transport needs and opportunities within East Lothian and includes Haddington within the study remit.
"They have made their case for change which is the first of the three appraisals in the LRDF process, and East Lothian Council are currently producing their initial options appraisal, the second appraisal for this work.
“It is too premature to say whether Haddington station will be re-opened at this stage of the process, but if East Lothian Council’s appraisal provides a robust Strategic Business Case, we will consider it for potential future funding through our rail pipeline process.”
RAGES will be working closely with all committed local politicians to restore the Haddington rail link and welcomes the news of the meeting with Craig Hoy MSP and Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth MSP, as the next important step in the process.
