Press Release - Friends Support Petition

The Friends of the Far North Line (FoFNL) has written to the Scottish Parliament in support of the Association of Caithness Community Councils' petition for improved rail services on the Far North Line.

Convener, Mike Lunan, said "We are happy to see the democratic processes being used in such a useful way and glad to lend our support to the call for the Scottish Executive to commission a study of ways of improving the line. We would expect such a study to be inclusive of all the current stations but also to look at ways of serving additional communities and speeding up journey times. It is important that the study should identify the likely costs of the various options so that there can be an informed debate about the future."

"FoFNL is highly delighted that the Scottish Executive has listened to our plea for extra services and recently announced the introduction of an additional morning train from Wick to Inverness from December this year. Leaving Wick after 08.00, this will provide significantly increased journey opportunities for residents in the north. It will also provide a useful connection at Thurso with the early morning boat from Orkney and the connection at Inverness in to the 12.45 service to Edinburgh will allow Orcadians to reach as far as the south of England in the same day."

"We would like to see a corresponding extra return service introduced leaving Inverness around 14.00. This would give connections out of the breakfast time services from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Inverness, provide a connection into the evening ferry to Orkney and get Caithness residents home in time for tea!" A further policy ambition is to see a late night Fridays only service at around 20.30 from Inverness to make it easier for northerners to make weekend visits home and others to come for a weekend break."

"The prospect of free bus travel for the disabled and not so young has also prompted FoFNL to lobby the Executive for free train travel on the Far North and Kyle lines for holders of Highland Railcards in the above categories. This largesse has not been extended to train travellers throughout Scotland for fear of overcrowding. However, FoFNL feels that, with the introduction of the Invernet services at the southern end of the line, this is now much less likely. Accordingly we have asked the Executive to make such a choice available to travellers in the north."