St Andrews Rail Link

The former viaduct at Guardbridge. Dismantled.

The St Andrews Rail Link (StARLink) Campaign was established in 1989 with the aim of reconnecting Scottish town of St Andrews to the railway. The historical St Andrews Railway, which had connected St Andrews to the mainline via Leuchars Junction was closed on 6 January 1969.

Unlike the earlier closure of the Anstruther & St Andrews Railway in 1965,[1][2] the St Andrews Railway was not recommended for closure in the (1963) Beeching Report.[3][4][5][6] The closure, ordered four years after Beeching's departure in 1965, was ordered by Richard Marsh, Minister for Transport in the 1964-1970 (Labour) government of Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and whilst some Beeching closures did take place after the departure of Beeching in 1965, the St Andrews closure was not an instance of such.

The original reinstatement plan espoused by StARLink was simply a reestablishment of the historical Leuchars - St Andrews line but since the publication in 2012 of a report by Tata Steel Rail Consultancy StARLink now advocates an entirely new 21st-century layout with a twin-cord high-speed rail link travelling west and southwards via Cupar and northwards via Leuchars.[7] StARLink has estimated that the railway could be reinstated for £76 million.[8] A 2008 survey by StARLink of St Andrews residents and commuters found that 78% of those respondents who did not use buses would use the railway instead;[9] the group had sent out 20,000 questionnaires in December 2007.[10]

This line has been identified by the Campaign for Better Transport as a priority 1 candidate for reopening.[11]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hajducki, A., Jodeluk, M., Simpson, A. (2009). The Anstruther & St Andrews Railway. Usk, Monmouthshire: Oakwood Press. ISBN 978 0 85361 673 3.
2. ^ Holland, J (2013). Dr Beeching's Axe: 50 Years on : Illustrated Memories of Britain's Lost Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 169. ISBN 978 1 4 4630 267 5.
3. ^ British Transport Commission (1963). The Reshaping of British Railways. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
4. ^ Hajducki, A., Jodeluk, M., Simpson, A. (2008).) The St Andrews Railway. Usk, Monmouthshire: Oakwood Press. ISBN 978 0 85361 687 0.
5. ^ Alexander, M. (2013). British Rail, not Dr Beeching, closed St Andrews branch line. Available: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/british-rail-not-dr-beeching-closed-st-andrews-branch-line-1.79294. Last accessed 24 September 2015
6. ^ Holland, J (2013). Dr Beeching's Axe: 50 Years on : Illustrated Memories of Britain's Lost Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 186. ISBN 978 1 4 4630 267 5.
7. ^ Rangelov, Vladimir (May 2012). "StaRLink St Andrews Rail Link High Level Report" (PDF). Tata Steel. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
8. ^ "Optimism at St Andrews rail link feasibility study". BBC News. 11 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
9. ^ "Support for St Andrews rail link". BBC News. 29 February 2008. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
10. ^ "Group wants support for rail link". BBC News. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
11. ^ "The case for expanding the rail network" (PDF). Campaign for Better Transport. January 2019. p. 38\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* St Andrews Rail Link Campaign official website
* St Andrews Rail Link Campaign Facebook page

* v
* t
* e

Rail infrastructure projects in the United Kingdom

Current projects

| Projects|

* Camden Highline
* Camp Hill line
* East West Rail (Oxford to Bedford section)
* High Speed 2
* Northern Hub
* Northern Powerhouse Rail (Hull–Liverpool)
* Northumberland Line
* South Wales Metro
* West Midlands Metro extension to Brierley Hill

|

Electrification|

* Bolton–Wigan
* East Kilbride line
* Kettering–Wigston
* Welsh Valleys

Stations|

* Ashington
* Ashley Down
* Beam Park
* Beaulieu Park
* Blyth Bebside
* Bedlington
* Belfast Grand Central
* Birmingham Curzon Street
* Birmingham Interchange
* Butetown
* Cambridge South
* Darlaston James Bridge
* Kings Heath
* Moseley Village
* Newsham
* Northumberland Park
* Old Oak Common
* Pineapple Road
* Seaton Delaval
* White Rose
* Willenhall
* Winslow

Proposed projects

| Projects|

* Aberdare–Hirwaun Line reopening
* Aberdeen Crossrail
* Bakerloo line extension
* Barrow Hill line reopening
* Bristol Airport Rail Link
* Brentford branch line reopening
* Bolton–Bury line reopening
* Bordon Light Railway reopening
* Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line reopening
* Cirencester branch line reopening
* Consett–Newcastle line reopening
* Coventry Very Light Rail
* Cranleigh line reopening
* Crossrail 2 (London)
* Crossrail Glasgow
* Darlaston Loop reopening
* Parts of Electric Spine (including
* Coventry–Leamington Spa
* Coventry–Nuneaton
* Leamington Spa–Aynho Junction)
* Bedford–Cambridge reopening
* Fawley branch line reopening
* Fleetwood branch line reopening
* Formartine and Buchan Railway reopening
* Maid Marian line reopening
* MetroWest (Bristol)
* Hall Farm Curve reopening
* Heathfield Branch Line reopening
* Heathrow Airport transport proposals
* including Heathrow Airtrack
* Heathrow Southern Railway
* Heathwick
* Western Rail Approach to Heathrow
* Leicester–Burton upon Trent line reopening
* Lisburn–Antrim line reopening
* Cowley branch line reopening
* North and West London Light Railway
* Northern Powerhouse Rail
* North Wales Metro
* Oxford, Witney and Fairford Railway reopening
* Ringwood branch line reopening
* R25 Orbital
* Skelmersdale branch reopening
* Skipton–Colne Rail Link
* Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway reopening
* South Staffordshire line reopening
* Southern Crossrail
* St Andrews Rail Link
* Sutton Link
* Sutton Park line reopening
* Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro
* Walsall–Wolverhampton line reopening
* Wealden Line (Uckfield–Lewes reopening)
* West London Orbital
* Wisbech line reopening
* Windsor Link Railway
* York–Beverley line reopening

|

Stations|

* Armagh
* Allandale
* Aldergrove
* Aldridge
* Arthington
* Ashley Hill
* Ashton Gate
* Balgray railway station
* Balsall Heath
* Barcombe Mills
* Beechwood
* Beeston Castle and Tarporley
* Bonnybridge
* Bordon
* Bradford St James
* Bramley
* Broughton (Flintshire)
* Brownhills
* Brentford Golden Mile
* Brinsford Parkway
* Burgess Park
* Caerleon
* Camberwell
* Cambourne (Cambridgeshire)
* Canterbury Parkway
* Cardiff Parkway
* Carno
* Carr Mill
* Carterton
* Castlethorpe
* Castle Bromwich
* Castle Green
* Charfield
* Cheadle
* Chipping Sodbury
* Claydon
* Cottam Parkway
* Corsham
* Cranleigh
* Cross Hills
* Crwys Road
* Cullompton
* Cwm
* Dalston
* Deeside Parkway
* Devizes Parkway
* Ditton
* Drake Street
* East Midlands Hub
* Eastriggs
* Edwinstowe
* Elland
* Eynsham
* Errol
* Ferryhill
* Finningley
* Fleetwood
* Fort Parkway
* Fraserburgh
* Gabalfa
* Glasgow Airport
* Glasgow Cross
* Glencarse
* Gloucestershire Parkway
* Gorbals
* Greenfield (Flintshire)
* Hatch End
* Haxby
* Heathrow Hub
* Heathfield
* Henbury
* Hirwaun
* Horfield
* Horsforth Woodside
* Hythe
* Hythe Road
* Isfield
* King's Road Chelsea
* Ladbroke Grove
* Langport and Somerton
* Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway
* Leeds New Lane
* Liverpool Baltic
* Lisburn West
* Llanwern
* Long Ashton
* Maiden Lane
* Manchester Airport High Speed
* March Elm Road
* Meir
* Monkerton
* Moorside
* Mouldon Hill
* Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
* Newport West
* Newport West Central
* Newton Longville
* North Filton
* Okehampton Interchange
* Old Kent Road
* Old Oak Common Lane
* Oxford Science Park
* Oxford Business Park
* Ollerton
* Park Farm
* Pelsall
* Peterhead
* Pill
* Portishead
* Portobello
* Poyle
* Richhill
* Roseberry Parkway
* Rugby Parkway
* Rushden Parkway
* Saltford
* Sharnal Street / Hoo
* Oxford Science Park
* Silvertown
* Skelmersdale
* Slattocks
* St Anne's Park
* St Clears
* Stanley Park
* Stockingford
* Stonehouse (Bristol Road)
* Surrey Canal
* Thamesmead
* Templepatrick
* Tempsford
* Thornhill (Dumfries)
* Thornton
* Thorpe Park
* Torquay Gateway
* Town Meadow
* Vauxhall (Merseyside)
* Wantage Road
* Warsop
* Waverley
* Weedon
* Wellington
* Windsor Royal
* Witney
* Wixams
* Woodchurch
* Woodhorn
* Wootton Bassett
* Wormit
* Wrexham North
* Wrexham South

Heritage railways|

* Don Valley Railway
* Norfolk Orbital Railway
* Wisbech and March Bramley Line
* Honeybourne Line

Cancelled projects

| Projects|

* Advanced Passenger Train
* Bordesley to Birmingham Curzon Street
* Cardiff to Swansea electrification
* Central Line extension to Richmond
* Central Line Extension to Denham
* Chessington branch line (never completed)
* Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway
* Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway
* Croxley Rail Link
* Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock
* Dawlish Avoiding Line
* Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (never completed)
* East Sussex Light Railway
* Edinburgh Airport Rail Link
* Electric Spine
* Oxford-Bletchley/Bedford Electrification
* Glasgow Airport Rail Link
* Hawkhurst branch line (never completed)
* Hebridean Light Railway Company
* Heathrow Airport transport proposals
* Heathrow Airtrack
* HS4Air
* Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway
* Highclere, Kingsclere and Basingstoke Light Railway
* InterCity 250
* Kingsbridge to Salcombe
* Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (never completed)
* Leeds and York Railway
* Mid-Suffolk Light Railway (never completed)
* Nightstar (train)
* North Holderness Light Railway
* Ouse Valley Railway
* Picc-Vic tunnel
* Regional Eurostar
* Robertsbridge & Pevensey Light Railway
* St Germans & Looe Railway (never completed)
* Superlink (railway network)
* Tees Valley Metro
* UK Ultraspeed
* York and North Midland Railway (Leeds Extension)
* York, Hull and East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway

|

Stations|

* Barrhead (New)
* Brierdene
* Cassiobridge
* Collywell Bay
* Crowlands
* Doncaster Sheffield Airport
* Doncaster (York Road)
* Dykebar
* Ferguslie
* Glenfield
* Lullingstone
* Paisley East
* Queens Road (GER)
* Richboro Port
* Stanely
* Swithland
* Sykehouse
* Thorpe-in-Balne
* Watford Vicarage Road
* West Hampstead interchange
* Woodhorn

* Proposed projects category
* Cancelled projects category
* Commons

56°21′32″N 2°53′19″W﻿ / ﻿56.359°N 2.8885°W﻿ / 56.359; -2.8885
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template