Passenger numbers at Portlethen station have risen by 150 per cent in three years, from 27,136 to 67,540, and campaigners say the figures make a compelling case for reopening two nearby stations that have been closed for 65 years. Cove and Newtonhill stations, both on the Aberdeen to Dundee line, shut during the Beeching era and have remained derelict ever since.
North East MSP Liam Kerr described the growth as evidence that “demand has never been higher” and said he plans to present the figures to the Scottish Government in parliament. Journeys between Aberdeen and Dundee have also increased by 20 per cent, rising from 85,457 to 102,460.
A cost benefit analysis published by regional transport body Nestrans found that building new stations at Cove and Newtonhill could generate £51.4 million in economic benefits against costs of £23.4 million. The case, on paper at least, is strong.
Jordan Jack of the Campaign for North East Rail argued that Cove is particularly urgent. It sits at the heart of Aberdeen’s energy transition zone, the area intended to attract renewables investment and provide employment for oil workers as the industry evolves. “Cove is essential for Aberdeen to make a success of the just transition,” he said.
Newtonhill, meanwhile, is a growing commuter town with the new development at Chapelton nearby, and campaigners draw comparisons with the successful reopening of Kintore station.
Scotland closed too many railway stations in the 1960s and has been paying the price ever since. The Portlethen numbers show what happens when you give people a rail option: they use it. The economic case for Cove and Newtonhill is clear. What has been missing is the political will to act on it. Whether Kerr’s intervention changes that remains to be seen, but 150 per cent growth in passenger numbers at a neighbouring station is an argument that is difficult to dismiss.