THIS year is the tenth anniversary of the re-opening of the Stirling-Alloa rail link and interest in re-opening the route to Dunfermline is growing again.

I’ve had good discussions with Alloa and West Fife Community Councils in recent months about the potential. Last year I produced a rail strategy for Fife working with four community campaigns to show the steps needed to get stations re-opened from St Andrews to Kincardine.

In February, this work culminated in the Scottish budget negotiations, when I proposed a Local Rail Development Fund to help communities carry out the feasibility work on rail proposals. The Scottish Government accepted it and as a result £2milliob has become available this year to start the work. The fund is now open with a May 18 closing date, almost 10 years to the day of the Alloa re-opening.

We need to get the pipeline of new rail projects moving, there have not been any new projects commissioned since 2006 and although progress in Scotland has been strong compared to England there is a danger that new projects stall. There is no shortage of demand and passenger numbers on both the Alloa and Borders rail routes blew all expectations.

Getting communities back on the rail map gives the economy a big boost, helping residents access jobs, bringing tourists in and getting lorries and cars off the road. Despite the obvious benefits, there has been a surprising lack of focus on improving transport links in the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Deal – I hope the rail fund will get us back on track.

Pop-up stations was one idea which caught the media’s eye when the fund was announced. Testing the market for a new station by trialling a temporary station may be an option for some lines. It’s not as far-fetched as it may seem and readers might remember the pop-up station that was put in place at Culross in 1992 to bring visitors into events around the Burgh’s 400th anniversary. Back then Scottish Power helped fund the initiative, I hope they will today see that the long term regeneration of their abandoned sites around Kincardine will benefit communities and a station could be part of that future.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed a trip down to ACE Furniture in Alloa recently and it was good to hear of their plans and meet volunteers. Clackmannanshire is lucky to have so many social enterprises and trusts with dynamic people and great ideas.

I also met with Tullibody Community Development Trust to discuss their plans for the civic centre. It’s vital Clackmannanshire Council develops a stronger partnership with such groups. In cash strapped times, councils need these bodies like never before to fight poverty and disadvantage.