This was the view stressed by Chris Harvie, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, who is also president of the Scottish Association for Public Transport, and has written a book about rising oil prices in the world.

Talking to The Press this week, he said: "In France and Germany, the railways are super-fast and super-efficient, and they are eyeing up Network Rail for takeover.

''This would bring more high-speed routes to Scotland and Fife, and most local traffic will in future be handled by electric 'tram-trains' starting and finishing their journeys in town centres.

"We could have a two rail high-speed link over the new Forth Bridge, with an Inverkeithing-Markinch express route liberating the coastal line, and cutting Edinburgh-Fife-Aberdeen times to an hour and a quarter, while the old bridge could operate as a freight line and for local traffic.

"Fife passengers ought to have a quarter-hour frequency of tram-trains from Edinburgh to Leven via the Forth railway bridge and the coastal route; a co-ordinated system of bus connections at major stations with buses giving door-to-station links at peak times; and an integration of hovercraft and catamarans both across the Forth and along the coast, with bus and train links.''

He added: "If there was a complete rail/road/sea network which linked up to serve the region then it could be a lot more independent of Edinburgh and it could also attract many more businesses.

Read the full story in this week's Fife Free Press.