Focus on Alloa
On 15th May 2018 the reopened railway to Alloa celebrated its 10th birthday. DHC Director Derek Halden was invited to a photo shoot for the local papers to celebrate the difference the railway had made to the town.
Scottish Government Minister Keith Brown (left) and Railway Campaigner Cameron Little (centre) observed that the average age of those of us that had been involved in developing and planning the railway had gone up. However, looking around the town the average age of the built environment had gone down. The regeneration aims of the railway certainly appear to have been achieved, with Alloa now being far more successful and confident than it was in 2008. Local residents comment that people from Clackmannanshire used to travel to Stirling for shops and restaurants but now they come to Alloa.
National transport statistics show that Clackmanananshire now has relatively low levels of car travel and relatively high levels for walking and cycling given its social and demographic characteristics and rail use has been consistent with the high levels expected by those of us that made the case for the railway.