Romantic or realistic? – Should Beeching’s railway cuts be reversed?

It’s more than 50 years since Dr Beeching’s report was published, spelling the end for thousands of stations and hundreds of branch lines across Britain.

And yet more than half a century after the publication of his explosive report, Beeching remains one of the most infamous names in British history.

The return of trains to the Scottish Borders after 46 years with the opening of the longest new domestic railway built in Britain for over a century has certainly captured the imagination of the Tweedbank public.

But does the opening of the £294 million Borders rail link between Tweedbank and Edinburgh strengthen the case for the re-establishment of rail links in Fife and Tayside? Or is the prospect simply a nostalgic bridge too far?

For a special feature on the merits of local rail campaigns, see Tuesday’s Courier.