THE NORTH-EAST has been branded Scotland’s “forgotten rail region” in a row over the lack of priority given to reopening Cove and Newtonhill stations.
Both were closed in 1956, but a campaign has gathered pace in recent years to see them reopened.
Government agency Transport Scotland awarded £80,000 to regional body Nestrans to look at the wider “travel corridor” between Aberdeen and Laurencekirk.
North-east Conservative MSP Liam Kerr has written to Transport Minister Kevin Stewart urging him to get behind the proposals for Cove and Newtonhill.
In response, the Aberdeen Central MSP said new railway stations at the two locations “do not feature in the Scottish Government’s current investment programme”.
But he insisted the government was “committed to ongoing improvements to rail services and connectivity”.
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Mr Kerr told the Press & Journal: “Our region is fast becoming Scotland’s forgotten rail region despite huge public support from residents and businesses for the reopening of Cove, Newtonhill and also the Formartine and Buchan railway.
“As an Aberdeen-based MSP, I’m astonished Kevin Stewart is happy to ignore the wishes of North-east communities who want these stations now – not further down the line.”
A new station was recently opened in Inverness, and in Reston in the Borders, while work has started to create new stations in East Lothian and in Leven and Cameron Bridge in Fife.
