Tuesday, May 19 2009
Increasing the number of trains on the Aberdeen/Edinburgh line from one to two per hour, calling at Leuchars in Fife, is attracting commuters and putting pressure on capacity at the town’s railway station car park.
Couple this with the fact that some Dundee commuters feel it is more convenient for them to drive the 9 miles to Leuchars and pay a relatively cheaper fare on the train to Edinburgh and the demand for parking spaces escalates.
Transport planner JMP was commissioned by the two statutory transport partnerships, SESTRAN and TACTRAN, to assess parking demand and has recommended that the current 150 space park should be extended onto open adjacent land to add a further 100 spaces, maximising the potential for this site to be used for Park and Ride.
Leuchars Station is an interchange with good bus services towards the Royal Burgh of St Andrews to the east and Wormit Newport and Tayport to the north. It is currently attracting more than 1,200 single trips per day with more than 50 per cent of those having Edinburgh as their destination. With the improved frequency and running times of the alternate ‘fast service’, usage is projected to increase.
The consultant says the projected £635,500 scheme should be taken forward to identify funding mechanisms in partnership with Fife Council, Transport Scotland and the train operators.
JMP director Iain Sherriff said:” This is a good example of when increasing the frequency and improving the running times of trains achieves a modal shift. It is important that the facilities to accommodate increased demand are in place to attract the trips normally undertaken by car, many of which are single occupancy.”