Musings from the Merse
Friday, February 20, 2009
No Change at Reston. Hopefully
Huttonian's selection of the letter of the month is
SIR, - Quoting from a statement to the Berwickshire News from John Lamont:
"I appreciate that much of the focus is on the central Borders railway going to Tweedbank but this will do nothing to help public transport in Berwickshire. Residents in Eyemouth, Coldstream or Duns are hardly likely to travel all the way to Tweedbank to get the train to Edinburgh. As the central Borders railway grabs all the headlines, Berwickshire must not be forgotten about and I will ensure that the Minister is reminded on a regular basis of the local need for a station at Reston."
Why would anyone be stupid enough to travel from Duns, Coldstream or Eyemouth to Tweedbank when Berwick-upon -Tweed is only a few miles away. In fact all three are as near to Berwick than Reston if not nearer.
This proves once again that the idea is more based on novelty than reality.
When Doctor Beeching was brought in all those years ago to revamp the railway system, one of the cuts he planned was cutting the Newcastle to Edinburgh line, on the basis that the west coast line could serve Scotland via Glasgow. His reason for this being that only Berwick-upon-Tweed would be affected and that the population of the town did not justify an extensive 120 mile rail track.
Luckily that one got away from the doctor and we now have an excellent rail service at Berwick-upon-Tweed.
The idea that a small village in Berwickshire should have a rail service is ludicrous in the extreme, Reston should no more have a station than any other small village and arguments for are flawed, leaving the door open to all small communties to demand they also should have a service.
“Good Morning Trainline here.”
“Oh yes I was enquiring about a super saver from Reston to Ayton.”
“That will be £5 please.”
“What! £5 to Ayton, that’s ridiculous.”
“Not as ridiculous as having stations in small villages sir.”
It would be nice to think we will hear no more about Reston Station, except from Mr Lamont who needs the votes from pleasing all the people all the time. But I am sure that is a forlorn wish . RAGES will be up in arms -ENRAGED indeed and the nonsense will go on. But with a bit of luck the Crunch will finish it off.
The image is from a mock up of a future Reston Station from the archives of the Hutton Think Tank. A lone passenger on platform 32B awaits the 0901 from Aberdeen to Lands End. The only train due that day
Labels: Berwickshire Railway Stations RAGES, Mr Lamont, RESTON, Reston Station
Thursday, September 25, 2008
From the Berwickshire News of 100 years ago
A NUMBER of Border railway stations have received awards in competition for the best kept stations. Burnmouth, Cockburnspath and Marchmont received the first class prize, while Ayton received second class. Duns and Innerwick took a third class and Chirnside, Edrom and Grantshouse a fourth class prize.
What fun traveling must have been in those days. Rattling through Berwickshire covered in soot. Bit galling for third class Duns travellers having to share a line with fourth class Chirnside. And what was so well kept about Marchmont, one wonders? And Glory BE! -no mention of Reston or the urgent need to reopen it? Nor reference to the lack of a sausage roll facility to which one correspondent recently made reference . Perhaps it had not even been opened by 1908.
I hope the Borders Party can launch a campaign to bring back those rural railways if only as a major tourist attraction Also give RAGES something sensible to get its teeth into besides endlessly faffing on about Reston.
What about Duns, for goodness sake?
(Image is not of the Chirnside to Marchmont -change at Duns-Express leaving Fourth Class Chirnside Station only 19 minute late. Delayed by waiting for the bus coming in from stationless Reston. Just out of the picture a mob demanding the opening of a suitable facility at Reston, or failing that Hutton, are being dispersed by mounted police
But it could be.)
