An Aberdeen conference has heard calls for freight-inclusive rail revival in the region. The Campaign for North East Rail wants to support industry, reduce reliance on road haulage, and help stimulate industrial activity. Campaigners and business leaders have called rail development a vital tool to revitalise the region’s economy. Delegates at the “Future of North-East Rail” conference, hosted by the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, gave strong backing to proposals which would restore freight and passenger rail services to Peterhead and Fraserburgh, two of the largest UK towns without a rail connection.
The Campaign for North East Rail (CNER) is a leading voice in the movement. It says freight is “baked in” to all their proposals. They cite major freight potential from heavy industry, low-carbon energy, and logistics hubs. They argue that only rail investment can unlock long-term economic resilience in a region still dominated by declining fossil fuel industries and long-distance road haulage.
Freight infrastructure “baked in”
The CNER vision includes a freight-only spur to the emerging industrial cluster at St Fergus, just west of Peterhead, designed to serve energy and carbon capture interests. This, campaigners argue, will provide a modern rail freight alternative to congested roads, cutting carbon emissions and improving efficiency for large-scale movers. “Freight needs to be frequent, large and long distance,” said CNER’s Jordan Jack. “We have identified several heavy-duty industries with the lift requirements to make rail freight viable.”
While legacy freight infrastructure remains in Aberdeen, notably at the Waterloo docks area and the purpose-built Craiginches sidings to the south of the city, it is underused and overshadowed by road competition. The CNER argues that a new line to Peterhead and Fraserburgh would create a more attractive, rail-oriented alternative for passengers, logistics and freight traffic. The new alignment would be more efficient than the historical Y-formation, with sub-one-hour passenger travel times to Aberdeen city centre.
Road haulage dominance challenged
Despite the existence of sidings and terminals, Aberdeen’s rail freight is limited, and much of the city’s freight traffic is dominated by road. Long-haul HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) movements dominate flows to domestic and cross-border destinations. Delegates at the conference acknowledged this, but also backed the vision for modal shift. “A proven vehicle for encouraging investment is rail development,” said Jordan Jack. “Adopting a plan for rail revival would help encourage those industries to stay in the North East. That’s the economic bounty that is perfectly suited to rail.”
The conference heard that north-east Scotland is still Europe’s largest oil-producing region, supporting around 100,000 jobs in a population of just half a million. But with energy transition accelerating, the oil and gas industry is forecast to decline sharply by 2050. Rail freight, say campaigners, is essential to retain high-value industry and attract inward investment to energy transition, logistics, and manufacturing.
Cohort pushing for freight revival
The conference brought together business leaders, community advocates, and rail operators. The Scottish parliament and the government agency, Transport Scotland, were also represented. While much attention was given to passenger growth, including rising LNER ridership between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, freight was a recurring theme throughout.
“We need to make the North East easy to reach and the best place to invest,” said Jack. “Rail freight investment is a critical part of that equation.” He added that while passenger services face constraints, such as rolling stock issues and driver shortages, freight services could be scaled up relatively quickly if suitable infrastructure is delivered alongside reinstated routes.
Safeguarded sites and growth-ready corridors
Some of the groundwork for rail revival is already in place. Station sites, including at Ellon, the largest intermediate town on the route between Aberdeen and the north coast, have been safeguarded by local authorities. The CNER also earmarks Ellon for a freight facility. Campaigners say this, along with community support and the region’s growing need for decarbonised transport, makes the case for reinstating rail with freight capability stronger than ever.
The proposed routes wouldn’t just serve Peterhead and Fraserburgh. Additional alignment into Royal Deeside is being considered, improving fixed-link access east of Aberdeen. Local industries previously based on the coast, including major employers like BrewDog and engineering company Powerjacks, have relocated partly due to connectivity constraints. A revitalised rail freight network, says CNER, could reverse that trend.
Strategy for 2026 Scottish elections
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce says the conference outcomes will help shape regional lobbying ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections. With strong business buy-in and public interest, momentum is growing for a freight-oriented, multi-modal strategy for the North East.
The rail revival, say campaigners, is not about nostalgia. Their message is about social inclusion, economic revival and environmentally sustainable development – pushing all the buttons that stimulate political involvement. “This is not just a call for better trains.. It’s a plan to keep industry here,” said Jordan Jack. “Rail that serves the people and industry is our opportunity to take the North East economy forward.”