July 27 2021

Network Rail has applied for a screening request to establish whether an environmental impact assessment is required for proposals to reinstate a lost rail link between Thornton North Junction and Leven, after being asked to appraise options by Transport Scotland and Fife Council.

Conducted by Atkins the report governs the reintroduction of 19km of railway connecting two new stations at Cameron Bridge and Leven with capacity for future connections to a planned freight facility and the Fife Heritage Railway.

Works will include double-tracking existing line, electrification and renewal of bridge structures to provide direct passenger services to Edinburgh, opening up opportunities to a region suffering from high unemployment and low incomes.

A victim of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s the lost link remained in partial use for freight traffic until the early 2000s but is now classed as temporarily out of use.

In a statement, Atkins wrote: "The aim of the proposal is to provide a rail link to Leven in order to improve economic resilience, social outcomes and as part of a wider move to the decarbonisation of the railways and to encourage sustainable travel by providing low carbon transport options."

Delivery of the new line is expected to get underway next year.

1 Comment

#1 Posted by Georwell 84 on 27 Jul 2021 at 16:47 PM

All very well but what about a station at Parkhead. The line and rolling stock already there. Trains just zip past shopping centre , new upcoming hospital and resedential development potential.

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