Ardrossan North included in rail station reopening plans

Railfuture Scotland has mapped out a list of 51 proposed stations to be opened or re-opened - including Ardrossan North - in a bid to attract the public back on trains as Covid restrictions are lifted and as the nation shifts away from carbon-emitting cars.

According to the website railscot.co.uk the Ardrossan North station closed in 1932, although the station building and disused platforms and lines remained intact for many years. The last lines were lifted in 1987, while the platforms remained until 2017, when they made way for a new housing development.

Stations in Cumnock and Mauchline have also been included in the plans; both opened in the East Ayrshire towns in the 1800s but closed in 1965.

The stations to be opened or re-opened lie on existing or government proposed rail lines and have been assessed to provide the greatest immediate benefits.

As part of the plans, it is believed that reopening Ardrossan North Station would create a minimum annual usage of 136,000 passengers.

Railfuture Scotland plans

Jane Ann Liston, secretary of Railfuture Scotland said: "These stations are considered necessary to provide an attractive and environmentally-friendly alternative to road vehicles.

"Each of the locations has some specific feature as to why it needs a station, such as an attraction which brings in many people, a major employer or simply a large number of residents who need to travel.

"These stations would open up more of the country to non-road travel."

The updated list comes years after its first blueprint. Since then seven stations recommended by the think-tank have been or are being re-opened: Leven, Inverness Airport, Cameron Bridge, Robroyston, Kintore, East Linton and Reston.

Ms Liston added: "The original justifications for the stations on the list still stand but to them must now be added the imperativeness of attracting people back to trains in the wake of the pandemic, as the message that public transport is not safe still lingers in the public consciousness with the result that passenger numbers are still well below what they were prior to March 2020."

The full list of proposals can be found here.