CAMPAIGNERS calling for a railway station to return to Haddington will outline their hopes at a community meeting.

Passengers have not set foot on a train from the town since 1949, though a station was used for freight up until 1968.

Rail Action Group East of Scotland (RAGES) has a long-term ambition to see rail services return to the town.

Next month, representatives will attend the virtual meeting of Haddington and District Community Council to outline their hopes for a potential new station.

Stewart Leslie, from the group, said a station could be opened in the town or at an out-of-town site.

He stressed that any new station would be a long-term development and acknowledged there would always be “naysayers”.

However, he pointed to the success of other recent developments on Scotland’s railways, including the connecting of Bathgate to Airdrie and the reopening of Larkhall’s station.

The old Haddington to Longniddry line has since been replaced by a popular walking route and an industrial estate now sits where the former Haddington station was located, just off Hospital Road, so any return of rail tracks through Haddington would be a major and costly civil project.

The upcoming presentation was highlighted at the most recent meeting of the community council.

Morgwn Davies, a member of Haddington’s community council, stressed it might be the case that not everyone was in favour of seeing the station return.

He said: “I think a number of people enjoy having that railway walk and, if the suggestion is to put the railway line in there again, there would be opposition to it.

“Also, you cannot bring the railway station into the centre of the town anymore. It would have to be on the outskirts, which would take everything away from the centre of Haddington.”

Earlier this year, former East Lothian MP Martin Whitfield announced he was backing RAGES’ campaign for the station.

The Labour politician, who is aiming to succeed Iain Gray as the county’s MSP at the Holyrood elections in May, said: “Reinstating the Haddington branch line and constructing a new rail station would help solve many of the town’s current transport problems, as well as supporting economic growth.”

Meanwhile, Conservative candidate Craig Hoy, a ward councillor for Haddington, has previously said he would “push hard for a new railway station for Haddington, targeting UK Government infrastructure funding to deliver it” if elected.

SNP candidate Paul McLennan has said support for a new station at Haddington was “overwhelming”, adding: “I will engage with the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland to launch the first stage of the new station process, a formal feasibility study.”

And Euan Davidson, the Liberal Democrats’ candidate, said: “We urgently need a study into the various possible locations. However, it is vital that if the project goes ahead, trains are much more regular than what we see at some other locations throughout the county.”

The debate surrounding the return of trains to Haddington comes as East Linton is preparing to welcome back rail services. Its station closed four years earlier than Haddington’s but plans are now with East Lothian Council which will hopefully see a new station in the village open by the end of 2024.