I often struggle to comprehend how we just accept the public transport offering in the north-east without question.
Anyone wanting to work their way around Aberdeenshire, or indeed travel from anywhere there to the city, faces lengthy journeys at, quite frankly, ridiculous costs.
For as long as I can remember, it has felt like all north-east residents are expected to have car, because anyone who doesn’t may as well accept they ain’t getting anywhere fast (or without paying an arm and a leg).
There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about the impact scaled-back rail services are having across the country, and it makes you realise how vital they are.
Having just travelled around Spain by train, I can tell you it was a delightful, hassle-free, quick and affordable way to get about. Meanwhile, in the north-east, the 15-mile bus journey between Peterhead and Fraserburgh has just been ranked as one of the worst in Scotland.
At £6 each way, the Stagecoach route can take up to an hour and 20 minutes, when the same journey by car takes just 20. I could get a train to Glasgow for the same price, if I booked early enough!
Not to mention the cost and time attached with bussing it between Peterhead and Aberdeen – £15 for a return ticket.
Will choo-choos return to the Bloo Toon?
As a little girl growing up in Peterhead, I often found myself riding my bike down the old railway line, wondering what it would have been like when the trains were still in use. And, if you believe some of the pledges made before the local elections, choo-choos might be returning to the Bloo Toon soon.
The Campaign For North East Rail (CNER) was established in 2021 by train driver, Jordan Jack, to bring modern infrastructure to the “forgotten” corners of Aberdeenshire.
This is what we once had in the North East, compared with what we have. #STPR2 resigns us to live without it for another 20 years. @MathesonMichael & @GraemeDeyMSP, it's time to #ConnectOurCoast, amend STPR2 to reflect what was promised in the cooperation deal. https://t.co/JigB83iYgv pic.twitter.com/BCAtozDJTL
— Campaign for North East Rail (@CNERail) January 21, 2022
Many north-east towns were taken off the network during the Beeching cuts in the 1960s. It is hoped reinstating rail links to Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Banchory will boost tourism, help the fishing industry transfer freight from road to rail, tackle climate change and offer a “lifeline for isolated communities”.
Some may think it’s a pie in the sky idea, with not enough daily footfall to warrant such an epic infrastructure undertaking. But, realistically, something needs to be done, and it appears to have cross-party support.
With Peterhead expanding at a tremendous rate, a railway line would make sense
Aberdeen city and shire have been, for as long as I have been living here, intrinsically linked.
My father commuted from Peterhead to Aberdeen every day of my childhood, but how sustainable is that now, with the price of petrol and diesel rising, not to mention the cost to the climate?
And, with Peterhead expanding at a tremendous rate, a railway line would make sense.
We need to think bigger than buses
Free buses were touted by both the Labour and Conservative groups prior to the recent election – to different extents, and albeit at significant costs. Aberdeen Labour insist they remain committed to that vision.
And, don’t get me wrong, anything that will allow easier and more frequent access to the city centre has to be considered a positive step in the way of regeneration and Covid recovery. But, please, let’s not also forget about those plans to link Aberdeen city centre with the airport and P&J Live by train.
We need to think bigger than just being able to move around by bus.
There is something rather lovely about being able to hop on a train and arrive in Stonehaven in less than half an hour. On a hot summer’s day, the beach and nearby restaurants are a huge draw for me, and it’s all the more satisfying knowing I can go and have a glass of wine with lunch and get safely back home.
If new train lines were instated between Aberdeen, Ellon, Peterhead and Fraserburgh, think of the good it could do for these towns. I know, for sure, I would return to Peterhead more regularly if it was as simple as getting on a train.
Savings on climate cost would be worth it
A whole new rail infrastructure is, I am aware, a bigger undertaking than anything either of our councils can do alone. These plans were apparently rejected by the Scottish Government earlier this year when they were being considered as part of the 20-year transport masterplan.
Heavily populated north-east towns, which have so much potential in industry and tourism, are missing out on economic growth because they are isolated.
Our world is changing. Low emission zones are being introduced and people are being actively encouraged to ditch the car in favour of green transport.
Yes, the costs could be huge but, once the investment is there, surely the savings on the cost to the climate are worth it?
Could it be that, in 30 years’ time, little girls in Peterhead won’t have to wonder what it’s like to take a train from their home town? For them, it could be normality.
Rebecca Buchan is City and Shire Team Leader for The Press & Journal and Evening Express
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