17 September 2009
Laurencekirk Station success story
Photo by Paul TetlawResponding to a
report in today's Kincardineshire Observer that patronage figures at the newly-reopened Laurencekirk Station has been recorded as 80% above that initially forecast, Transform Scotland director Colin Howden said:
"It now seems to be an established pattern that patronage at re-opened stations tends to substantially exceed that forecast by official models."Railfuture Scotland have pointed out that patronage has been ahead of forecasts at all of these previous Scottish re-opening projects:
(a) Edinburgh-Bathgate line – reopened 1986
(b) Prestwick International Airport Station – opened 1994
(c) Edinburgh Park Station – opened 2004
(d) Larkhall-Hamilton / Anniesland-Maryhill lines – reopened 1995
(e) Stirling-Alloa line – reopened in 2008
Colin Howden concluded:
"It makes one wonder whether the rail usage on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link – cancelled today by the Scottish Government – would also have been above that in the passenger forecasts."