A north-east MSP has written to the Transport Secretary calling on him to consider reopening a rail line in the region.
It comes after the Scottish Government revealed plans to reopen the Levenmouth rail link in Fife, which had been closed for decades.
Now, Ms Martin has made a renewed call to Transport Secretary Michael Matheson to find out what opportunities may exist for the Scottish Government to support the reopening of the Formartine to Buchan rail link.
In a letter to Mr Matheson, she said: “As you are aware, I am very much in favour of the expansion of rail services in north-east Scotland, and particularly the exploration of the possibility of reopening of the Formartine-Buchan rail line.
“In my view, the reinstatement of this line would enable residents of settlements in north Aberdeenshire, such as Newmachar and Ellon in my constituency, to travel sustainably across the region and significantly reduce the number of journeys made wholly by car in the area.”
The railway line, which linked Aberdeen with Fraserburgh and Peterhead, was closed as part of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s.
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The cuts were a reduction of route network and restructuring of the railways in Great Britain, following a plan outlined in two reports by engineer Dr Richard Beeching.
Ms Martin said: “The opening of the AWPR earlier this year has been a huge investment for the north-east, reducing pollution and cutting journey times for commuters. Additional train stops in my constituency would allow more people wider access to travel in and out of Aberdeen, and further reduce the numbers of commuters on the roads.
“Earlier this year the Scottish Government announced a climate emergency and it is imperative we look at all options for reducing traffic on our roads with more access to rail for commuters being one of the options. I look forward to what the Transport Secretary has to say about the options for exploring the reopening of the Formartine to Buchan rail line.”
A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: “We are fully committed to increasing public and sustainable transport options across the country and we announced the reopening of the Levenmouth rail link following an extensive evidence gathering and appraisal process.
“Our second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) is under way and is identifying the transport interventions required to provide Scotland with a network fit for the 21st Century. Any decisions on future funding of transport infrastructure will be informed by the outcomes of STPR2 and through the normal cycle of government spending reviews.”
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