Rah For Reston
Mr John Lamont (pronounce;lemon with a t-not tea with lemon)our energetic in-your-face MSP, a Tory to boot (no pun intended) keeps in touch with his faithful via the Mound of Information column in the Berwickshire News. A feature used by his LibDem predecessor as a commentary on what was happening in the Scottish Parliament and not primarily as a Party Political Puff as (ab)used by Mr L. Young John climbs onto every bandwagon in sight, reflecting what he gauges as the popular mood-this week for example he is supporting a community buy out of Coldingham Youth Hostel-good-no dumping (but recycling) of old analogue TVs-very good and bring back Reston Station. 'Its a shame ' says he that trains hurtle through Berwickshire and 'there is no station to serve the local people' So bring back Reston with its famous no ham sandwich facility.

The fact is that Berwickshire is hardly a hub of urbanised society. Further West the Waverley Line, that monument to public money waste on a grand scale, is to serve the main centres of population : Galashiels, Melrose, St Boswells etc. And here in depopulated Neutron Bomb Alley in the East we already have a very nice station at Ber Wick. OK, its not (yet) in Berwickshire but it is just as able to serve the more populated areas of Eastern Berwickshire like Eyemouth (9 miles from Berwick) as Reston a mere 3 miles closer to Eyemouth, but in time little difference). Whilst around us in the Fishwick Conurbation Berwick is the natural choice for a main line service. Duns too, given the differing quality of roads is almost time wise as close to Berwick as it is to Reston. And Berwick with its shops and other urban facilities is a more sensible home for a rail station than one horse, shop less, bankless Reston (assuming someone can find the horse)And further north Dunbar should be the station of choice and it is only just out of Berwickshire.

So Mr L should ask himself is a station in Reston a really cost effective public service solution or just another, locally popular (give the horse a vote) lost cause for a politician on the make?

The image is from Hutton Think Tank 'Heritage' Files. Labels may have been confused (as often happens in the HTx2 archives) but it said to be Reston Halt before Dr Beeching did for it.

Labels: John Lamont, Mound of something, Reston Station

  ¶ 2:11 PM