We are pleased to announce that The City and Royal Burgh of Elgin Community Council are the latest member of the Inter-City Express campaign. In this article George Littlejohn tells us why his organisation has joined the campaign.
If we start from the year 1968, a year synonymous with the breaking up of important lines that were serving the people throughout Scotland’s northeast, the resulting aftermath was devastation of the rail network. When one thinks of all the rail lines that spread from the Aberdeen hub: the Keith Junction to Elgin line via Rothes; the Keith Junction to Boat of Garten / Aviemore line via Craigellachie; the Carnie Junction to Elgin line via the Buckie and the coast; the Inveramsay to Macduff line; the Kintore to Alford line; the Peterhead / Fraserburgh line via Dyce and Maud Junction, we can all realise the complete carnage of track routes that were terminated and subsequently lifted at the behest of a short sighted Government. Out of all that unnecessary rail route termination only one rail line survived, the Aberdeen – Elgin – Inverness main line.
The social effects were enormous in that a population that was used to using a diverse rail network and having this rail network firmly connected to the entire Scottish rail network, and beyond into England and Wales, was then forced to look elsewhere for transportation: Hence the purchase of the car became commonplace by people who had no real alternative.
It is only within the last few years that we are starting to reverse the negative trend from the Beeching era, mainly due to the fact that decisions are now made by the Scottish Government and Parliament who have the responsibility for Railways within Scotland. In addition, we now have to meet our environmental obligations because of the findings from scientific study showing that we must look afresh at what we are doing to our planet Earth by polluting our atmosphere.
For freight this will mean that the Scottish Government will have to manage the modal shift from road to rail for haulage by having one locomotive pulling 20 freight wagons as opposed to one articulated lorry hauling one trailer. It will also mean moving more people en mass on comfortable trains or by comfortable bus for travel throughout the Country.
The Scottish Government must take the lead through capital expenditure for necessary rail upgrades involving the reinstatement of routes where necessary, increased double tracking, upgrades to signalling, and financial backing for the purchase of new trains. Investment will be required for dedicated upmarket trains that will offer the travelling rail public comfortable well appointed coaches that will ply between the major cities.
That is why the Elgin Community Council has produced a rail upgrade submission for the Scottish Government and rail franchisees to consider, coinciding with Transport Scotland’s Control Period 5, 2014 / 2019 and further towards Control Period 6, 2020 / 2025. This submission lays out details of necessary rail upgrades in order to take the railways into the 21st century as part of a continuing upgraded Scottish Rail Network.
George P Littlejohn
The City and Royal Burgh of Elgin Community Council