PLANS to see a railway station return to East Linton could be with East Lothian Council by the end of the year.

Campaigners have fought for more than 20 years to see a station return to the village.

Progress has already been made, with groundworks carried out in East Linton earlier this year.

Now, a consultation event is due to be held next Thursday (October 29), with hopes that an application could be with the council by “Q4 2020/Q1 2021”.

A second event has also been lined up for November 5.

Ward councillor Norman Hampshire, cabinet spokesman for environment, said: “The council has been working for years to get the Scottish Government to make this investment. It is really needed within East Linton.

“The land to allow it to happen has been secured by the council and we just need Network Rail and the Scottish Government to get on and deliver the station.”

Mr Hampshire said that the station was to be built and open by 2024, with East Lothian Council having already committed more than £3 million to the scheme.

The councillor stressed the importance of the new station to not just people staying in East Linton but those in the surrounding area.

He told the Courier: “It is important because to get to Edinburgh, people in East Linton can use the bus but it is a long journey.

“A lot of people that live in East Linton and the surrounding area use their car to get into Edinburgh.

“If there was a regular train service into Edinburgh then more people would use the train.

“There is already a lot of development taking place within East Linton and a lot of [the new residents] will likely work in Edinburgh.

“We are doing everything we can as a council to facilitate the station delivery and will deal with the application as quickly as we can so they can proceed to get out and begin construction.”

The latest details from Network Rail outline that “two platforms, waiting shelters, installing lifts, a footbridge and access points” will be included in the project.

The platforms would be able to accommodate a six-car carriage train. A car park with 126 spaces, including 18 electric car charging points, would also be created on land between Andrew Meikle Grove and the East Coast Mainline.

Pedestrian access would be available from both sides of the railway line, with a bike shelter included in the car park.

However, the proposals do not give a date for when the station could be in place.

The details on the project’s website state: “Transport Scotland has communicated that the station will be delivered as early as possible in Network Rail’s current funding cycle, CP6, and will announce a delivery date soon.”

Allison Cosgrove, vice-chairwoman of East Linton’s community council, said: “It will just make access everywhere a lot quicker.

“At the moment, people who want to go by train go to Drem or Dunbar and they will not need to do that anymore.”

East Linton was previously home to a railway station between 1846 and 1964.

The consultation events both take place 4-8pm, with members of the public able to speak to members of the project team online. Slots are full for October 29 but can be booked for November 5 at scotlandsrailway.com/projects/east-linton-station/events