THE ST ANDREWS CITIZEN ARE THIS EVENING REPORTING THAT SCOTRAIL IS BEING URGED TO RETHINK PLANS TO REDUCE TICKET OFFICE OPENING HOURS AT CUPAR AND LEUCHARS STATIONS, AS WELL AS THE REDUCED OPENING HOURS OF WAITING ROOMS. SCOTRAIL HAVE PROPOSED PLANS WHICH WILL SEE OPENING TIMES AT OVER 200 STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ALTERED TO BETTER FIT IN WITH THE HABITS OF TRAIN USERS IN SCOTLAND.
UNIONS HAVE HIT BACK AT THE PLANS AND SOME LOCALS HAVE ALSO VOICED THEIR DISAPPROVAL, INCLUDING SOME FIFE COUNCILLORS, WHO HAVE WRITTEN TO SCOTRAIL URGING THEM TO RECONSIDER. THE REDUCTION IN OPENING HOURS FOR LEUCHARS IS SET TO BE 6PM/6.30PM INSTEAD OF 9.45PM MONDAY TO SATURDAY, AND 2.30PM INSTEAD OF 10.15PM ON SUNDAYS.
JANE ANN LISTON, A ST ANDREWS COUNCILLOR SAID: "THE STATION IS ISOLATED, SOME DISTANCE FROM OTHER SHOPS AND FACILITIES. WHEN IT WAS BUILT AS LEUCHARS JUNCTION BACK IN 1878, IT WAS ENVISAGED SOLELY AS AN INTERCHANGE BETWEEN THE ST ANDREWS AND TAYPORT BRANCHES, RATHER THAN THE STARTING POINT OR FINAL DESTINATION. THE ISOLATION DID NOT MATTER THEN, IT DOES NOW"
THE NORTH EAST FIFE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE ALSO RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD RESULT IN THE COMPLETE CLOSURE OF CUPAR TRAIN STATION'S TICKET OFFICE ON SUNDAYS. "I DO NOT SUPPORT THE REDUCED HOURS (MONDAY TO SATURDAY) OR THE COMPLETE CLOSURE OF THE CUPAR TICKET OFFICE ON SUNDAY" SAID CUPAR COUNCILLOR MARGARET KENNEDY.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW...
UNIONS HAVE HIT BACK AT THE PLANS AND SOME LOCALS HAVE ALSO VOICED THEIR DISAPPROVAL, INCLUDING SOME FIFE COUNCILLORS, WHO HAVE WRITTEN TO SCOTRAIL URGING THEM TO RECONSIDER. THE REDUCTION IN OPENING HOURS FOR LEUCHARS IS SET TO BE 6PM/6.30PM INSTEAD OF 9.45PM MONDAY TO SATURDAY, AND 2.30PM INSTEAD OF 10.15PM ON SUNDAYS.
JANE ANN LISTON, A ST ANDREWS COUNCILLOR SAID: "THE STATION IS ISOLATED, SOME DISTANCE FROM OTHER SHOPS AND FACILITIES. WHEN IT WAS BUILT AS LEUCHARS JUNCTION BACK IN 1878, IT WAS ENVISAGED SOLELY AS AN INTERCHANGE BETWEEN THE ST ANDREWS AND TAYPORT BRANCHES, RATHER THAN THE STARTING POINT OR FINAL DESTINATION. THE ISOLATION DID NOT MATTER THEN, IT DOES NOW"
THE NORTH EAST FIFE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE ALSO RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD RESULT IN THE COMPLETE CLOSURE OF CUPAR TRAIN STATION'S TICKET OFFICE ON SUNDAYS. "I DO NOT SUPPORT THE REDUCED HOURS (MONDAY TO SATURDAY) OR THE COMPLETE CLOSURE OF THE CUPAR TICKET OFFICE ON SUNDAY" SAID CUPAR COUNCILLOR MARGARET KENNEDY.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW...
LET NATIONALISATION BE THE START OF
A RAIL REVOLUTION IN SCOTLAND
A RAIL REVOLUTION IN SCOTLAND
THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT HAVE CONFIRMED SCOTRAIL WILL COME BACK UNDER PUBLIC OWNERSHIP, AND WITH THIS MOMENTOUS MOMENT SCOTLAND CAN LAUNCH A RAIL REVOLUTION. THE CONCERNS RAISED BY COUNCILLORS IN ST ANDREWS AND CUPAR ARE ONES I ECHO, BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE AND REALISE THE WORLD HAS CHANGED NOW. THE VAST MAJORITY OF TRAIN TICKETS ARE BOOKED ONLINE VIA SERVICES SUCH AS THE TRAINLINE, OR PEOPLE SIMPLY GET ON THE TRAIN AND BUY A TICKET ONBOARD.
FOR ME THE BIGGEST ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO THE STORY IN TODAY'S ST ANDREWS CITIZEN IS THE REDUCTION IN OPENING HOURS FOR WAITING ROOMS, ESPECIALLY AT SOMEWHERE LIKE LEUCHARS AND CUPAR. LEUCHARS IS, AS THE COUNCILLOR POINTED OUT, SOME DISTANCE FROM THE TOWN CENTRE OR THE CENTRE OF GUARDBRIDGE, EVEN THOUGH THE TWO COMMUNITIES ARE GETTING EVER CLOSER WITH THE HOUSEBUILDING IN GUARDBRIDGE.
OF COURSE THERE ARE THE CAMPAIGNS TO REINSTATE A STOP NEAR ST ANDREWS, PLANS WHICH ARE VERY EMOTIVE BUT SEVERELY COMPLICATED AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE GIVEN HOW DIFFERENT THE LAYOUT OF THE TOWN IS FROM WHEN THE STATION WAS DECOMMISSIONED. THAT LEAVES LEUCHARS STATION AS THE HUB FOR LEUCHARS, ST MICHAELS, GUARDBRIDGE, BALMULLO, TAYPORT, WORMIT, NEWPORT, ST ANDREWS AND THE ENTIRE NORTH EAST FIFE COAST.
PEOPLE USE THE STATION AS A STARTING POINT TO JOURNEYS ALL OVER SCOTLAND AND TO THE REST OF THE UK. SO LEUCHARS STATION NOT ONLY DOESN'T NEED A REDUCTION IN OPENING HOURS FOR THE TICKET OFFICE AND WAITING ROOM, IT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT, EXPANDED AND MADE INTO A WARM, WELCOMING TRANSPORT HUB FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. OTHER TRAIN STATIONS SUCH AS GLENEAGLES HAVE MULTIPLE EMPTY UNITS WHICH ARE ADVERTISED AS BEING AVAILABLE FOR RENT BY A BUSINESS, AND SCOTRAIL UNDER PUBLIC OWNERSHIP SHOULD DEFINITELY PURSUE THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO TRAVELLERS ACROSS SCOTLAND, AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG entrepreneurS TO OPEN A BUSINESS.
WAITING ROOMS SEEM TO BE A HIT OR A MISS AS TO WHETHER THEY ARE OPEN, AND THAT HAS TO CHANGE GOING FORWARD, THE LIKES OF CUPAR, GLENEAGLES AND LEUCHARS STATIONS AMONG OTHERS, ARE NOT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OTHER SUITABLE PREMISES TO WAIT SAFELY FOR THE NEXT TRAIN AND IN A WARM ENVIRONMENT.
WAITING ROOMS OUT OF HOURS COULD, IN THE RIGHT PLACE, SERVE AS A SHELTER FOR THE LOCAL HOMELESS. SOME MAY TURN THEIR NOSE UP AT THIS IDEA BUT THIS KEEPS THE SPACE IN USE AND GIVES A SAFE, WARM PLACE FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE TO SEEK COMPANY AND ASSISTANCE.
TRAIN STATIONS ACROSS SCOTLAND ALSO NEED TO BE MADE FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY WITH MULTIPLE TICKET MACHINES, NOT THE LUDICROUS SITUATION AT CUPAR WHERE IF THE TICKET OFFICE IS CLOSED YOU HAVE TO GO ACROSS TO THE OTHER PLATFORM TO GET A TICKET AND THEN GO BACK TO THE OTHER PLATFORM IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING NORTH, MULTIPLE TICKET MACHINES AT LEUCHARS WOULD REDUCE CROWDING AND queueS ON THE PLATFORM. THESE SMALL CHANGES WOULD ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF USING THE TRAIN NETWORK.
THE COST OF TRAIN TRAVEL NEEDS TO BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED, THERE IS NO REASON WHY TRAINS CANNOT BE MORE AFFORDABLE THAN BUS TRAVEL. A TRAIN CAN ACCOMMODATE MANY MORE PEOPLE THAN A BUS AND TRAINS DON'T HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF TRAFFIC TO DELAY JOURNEYS. NOW THE SERVICE IS UNDER PUBLIC OWNERSHIP THE ABSOLUTE PRIORITY MUST BE THE TRAVELLER. WE NEED MORE TRAIN SERVICES, AND MORE AFFORDABLE JOURNEYS. IF PEOPLE WISH TO TRAVEL FIRST CLASS, THEN HIKE THE PRICE FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO USE THAT SERVICE, BUT IN A WORLD WHICH CLIMATE CHANGE IS A DISTINCT THREAT TO OUR EXISTENCE THEN TRAIN TRAVEL MUST BE ENCOURAGED AND MADE MORE ACCESSIBLE, NOT DISCOURAGED AND MADE HARDER TO USE.
FOR ME THE BIGGEST ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO THE STORY IN TODAY'S ST ANDREWS CITIZEN IS THE REDUCTION IN OPENING HOURS FOR WAITING ROOMS, ESPECIALLY AT SOMEWHERE LIKE LEUCHARS AND CUPAR. LEUCHARS IS, AS THE COUNCILLOR POINTED OUT, SOME DISTANCE FROM THE TOWN CENTRE OR THE CENTRE OF GUARDBRIDGE, EVEN THOUGH THE TWO COMMUNITIES ARE GETTING EVER CLOSER WITH THE HOUSEBUILDING IN GUARDBRIDGE.
OF COURSE THERE ARE THE CAMPAIGNS TO REINSTATE A STOP NEAR ST ANDREWS, PLANS WHICH ARE VERY EMOTIVE BUT SEVERELY COMPLICATED AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE GIVEN HOW DIFFERENT THE LAYOUT OF THE TOWN IS FROM WHEN THE STATION WAS DECOMMISSIONED. THAT LEAVES LEUCHARS STATION AS THE HUB FOR LEUCHARS, ST MICHAELS, GUARDBRIDGE, BALMULLO, TAYPORT, WORMIT, NEWPORT, ST ANDREWS AND THE ENTIRE NORTH EAST FIFE COAST.
PEOPLE USE THE STATION AS A STARTING POINT TO JOURNEYS ALL OVER SCOTLAND AND TO THE REST OF THE UK. SO LEUCHARS STATION NOT ONLY DOESN'T NEED A REDUCTION IN OPENING HOURS FOR THE TICKET OFFICE AND WAITING ROOM, IT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT, EXPANDED AND MADE INTO A WARM, WELCOMING TRANSPORT HUB FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. OTHER TRAIN STATIONS SUCH AS GLENEAGLES HAVE MULTIPLE EMPTY UNITS WHICH ARE ADVERTISED AS BEING AVAILABLE FOR RENT BY A BUSINESS, AND SCOTRAIL UNDER PUBLIC OWNERSHIP SHOULD DEFINITELY PURSUE THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO TRAVELLERS ACROSS SCOTLAND, AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG entrepreneurS TO OPEN A BUSINESS.
WAITING ROOMS SEEM TO BE A HIT OR A MISS AS TO WHETHER THEY ARE OPEN, AND THAT HAS TO CHANGE GOING FORWARD, THE LIKES OF CUPAR, GLENEAGLES AND LEUCHARS STATIONS AMONG OTHERS, ARE NOT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OTHER SUITABLE PREMISES TO WAIT SAFELY FOR THE NEXT TRAIN AND IN A WARM ENVIRONMENT.
WAITING ROOMS OUT OF HOURS COULD, IN THE RIGHT PLACE, SERVE AS A SHELTER FOR THE LOCAL HOMELESS. SOME MAY TURN THEIR NOSE UP AT THIS IDEA BUT THIS KEEPS THE SPACE IN USE AND GIVES A SAFE, WARM PLACE FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE TO SEEK COMPANY AND ASSISTANCE.
TRAIN STATIONS ACROSS SCOTLAND ALSO NEED TO BE MADE FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY WITH MULTIPLE TICKET MACHINES, NOT THE LUDICROUS SITUATION AT CUPAR WHERE IF THE TICKET OFFICE IS CLOSED YOU HAVE TO GO ACROSS TO THE OTHER PLATFORM TO GET A TICKET AND THEN GO BACK TO THE OTHER PLATFORM IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING NORTH, MULTIPLE TICKET MACHINES AT LEUCHARS WOULD REDUCE CROWDING AND queueS ON THE PLATFORM. THESE SMALL CHANGES WOULD ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF USING THE TRAIN NETWORK.
THE COST OF TRAIN TRAVEL NEEDS TO BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED, THERE IS NO REASON WHY TRAINS CANNOT BE MORE AFFORDABLE THAN BUS TRAVEL. A TRAIN CAN ACCOMMODATE MANY MORE PEOPLE THAN A BUS AND TRAINS DON'T HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF TRAFFIC TO DELAY JOURNEYS. NOW THE SERVICE IS UNDER PUBLIC OWNERSHIP THE ABSOLUTE PRIORITY MUST BE THE TRAVELLER. WE NEED MORE TRAIN SERVICES, AND MORE AFFORDABLE JOURNEYS. IF PEOPLE WISH TO TRAVEL FIRST CLASS, THEN HIKE THE PRICE FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO USE THAT SERVICE, BUT IN A WORLD WHICH CLIMATE CHANGE IS A DISTINCT THREAT TO OUR EXISTENCE THEN TRAIN TRAVEL MUST BE ENCOURAGED AND MADE MORE ACCESSIBLE, NOT DISCOURAGED AND MADE HARDER TO USE.
