The campaign to reopen Cove and Newtonhill railway stations has received a boost from Cove Rangers.
Keith Moorhouse, 56, has been chairman of the club since 2000 and has reaffirmed his support for plans to restore both railways stations.
He has urged the Scottish Government “to just get a move on” with the developments.
Cove and Newtonhill train stations were both closed in 1956, as part of the Beeching reforms.
But their reopening has been a long-term goal for the pressure group Campaign for North East Rail.
‘Beyond the football club’
Keith Moorhouse, who has lived in Cove since 1983, said: “I think the area of Cove is underserviced for its size
“I think it is massively important for fans travelling south for away games and other fans coming to Balmoral stadium. They could walk to the stadium it would be great for a club in the Scottish Professional Football League to have a station so close.
“I like to think the station would have much wider-reaching benefits beyond the football club.
“There is one in Portlethen, so why not Newtonhill and Cove?
“It is a no-brainer, the more and more rail links you put in and the more options you give people to travel the better for everyone.”
Study finds overwhelming residential support
The campaign to reopen the railway stations was also given the public seal of approval in a study published in January 2022.
It found 95% of Cove residents and 90% of Newtonhill residents who took part in the study say they would like to see a station in their area.
The research was carried out by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Council transport partnership organisation Nestrans.
They were examining travel options for the Aberdeen to Laurencekirk corridor.
Around 75% of people said the lack of an available station was to blame for not being able to make journeys by rail while 60% of respondents were dissatisfied with the location of their nearest train station.
North-east MSP urges Transport Minister to respond
North-east Conservative MSP Liam Kerr has also been a longtime campaigner for the stations to be restored.
He has written a letter to Transport Minister Kevin Stewart, who was previously the depute leader of Aberdeen City Council and the chairman of Nestrans.
In his letter, Mr Kerr wrote: “Now the Aberdeen to Laurencekirk study has been published, can you tell me when Transport Scotland will issue its formal response and when the people of the north-east will finally get the stations they deserve.
“These communities have been ignored for far too long.”
Mr Kerr said: “The Nestrans corridor study undoubtably shows that the creation of new stations at Cove and Newtonhill should happen now and not further down the line.
“With the increase in residents from new housing developments as well as the growing number of fans attending Cove Rangers football matches, we need new public transport solutions to meet the needs of local people.
“Reston Station in the Borders recently reopened, bringing rail travel back to the area for the first time in 58 years. If this can be done for Reston then there is no excuse for something similar to happen in Cove and Newtonhill.”
Transport minister: ‘No final conclusion made’
In response to the campaigners, Mr Stewart said: “Although new railway stations at Cove and Newtonhill do not feature in the Scottish Government’s current investment programme, we are committed to on-going improvements to rail services and connectivity.
“Projects will be considered subject to the Scottish Government’s investment priorities for the strategic transport network, a robust business case, affordability and other competing proposals.
“Nestrans received funding from Transport Scotland’s Local Rail Development Fund to undertake a transport appraisal which examines all transport modes to determine the most appropriate solutions to the travel corridor between Laurencekirk and Aberdeen.
“The appraisal is considering a number of options, including stations at Cove and Newtonhill. The appraisal is still ongoing and no final conclusion has been made at this time.”
Conversation