Freight is once again being championed as the deciding factor in rail expansion in the North East of Scotland. The Campaign for North East Rail (CNER) has been lobbying stakeholders over its long-held ambitions to bring a new railway to the communities north of Aberdeen in Scotland. The Campaign says several untapped freight flows could be exploited by a new line serving the coastal towns of Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
The campaign is working with Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce and Nestrans, the regional transport partnership for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Together, they are building on the Buchan Sustainable Transport Study, commissioned by CNER and the chamber and undertaken by AECOM and Stantec.
The study, funded through the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund, identified freight bottlenecks among the region’s transport problems. Fishing, agriculture and offshore energy remain heavily dependent on road transport, generating substantial truck movements. The A90 and A952 also have disproportionately high rates of fatal accidents, adding a road safety argument to the case for alternative freight routes.
New industries could provide future traffic
The document also highlighted the potential for rail to support emerging industries, particularly renewable energy and possible carbon capture developments. Transport Scotland and the Scottish transport minister have considered the findings, with officials asked to support further work examining the potential corridor between Aberdeen, Ellon, Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
That work, known as the Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Ellon Corridor Place Based Connectivity Assessment, is being progressed by Nestrans. The intention is to build on the evidence already gathered through the earlier STAG-based appraisal. For CNER, freight provides an important part of the case for extending the existing railway rather than treating the proposal solely as a passenger transport project.
Ellon brewery could provide a rail freight flow
CNER co-founder Craig Leuchars points to BrewDog’s Ellon brewery as one potential source of additional traffic. Following its acquisition by Tilray Brands, the company is looking to increase production at the site. Production is currently moved by road to Mossend, in central Scotland, creating the possibility of a future rail flow if the railway were extended to Ellon.
Leuchars compares the opportunity with Highland Spring’s established rail freight operation from Blackford. He argues that government support could help make such flows commercially viable, particularly through the restoration of the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme. The MSRS grant was suspended in Scotland, leaving Scottish rail freight operators without the same support available elsewhere in Great Britain.
Upgrades could prepare the route for expansion
CNER is also calling for continued progress on the Aberdeen to Central Belt Aberdeen Route Upgrade. The proposed improvements include additional and extended freight loops, signalling changes, gauge clearance and electrification. Leuchars says these measures would improve existing services while creating the capacity needed for a future extension of the East Coast Main Line northwards. “There is no fast track to delivery, with due process to be followed,” said Leuchars. “However, with freight being identified as key to unlocking Buchan Rail, Campaign for North East Rail would like to see continued progress being made at pace in relation to the Aberdeen to Central Belt Aberdeen Route Upgrade works.”
CNER says its objective is not simply to recreate the railway removed during the Beeching era – a 1960s programme of rail route rationalisation and closures. Instead, it wants a modern railway built to current standards, with capacity and line speeds suitable for future demand. The campaign believes freight could provide a significant part of that future demand, alongside passenger services. For the North East, the potential prize is a railway connecting communities that currently rely heavily on road transport while providing access to national freight markets. Whether the proposed flows can support the investment required will depend on further appraisal and the development of a convincing business case.