Work continues on restoration of abandoned Scots rail link

The scheme will see the re-opening of the disused rail line between Thornton junction and Leven, providing new passenger rail services to connect the Levenmouth area to Fife, Edinburgh, and the wider rail network.

Around 19km of fencing will be erected so that forthcoming work to reinstate the branch line can be carried out safely and members of the public do not come into contact with the plant and machinery carrying out the work.

The fencing will extend along the full length of the route to secure the boundaries of the rail corridor but existing pathways and crossing points will be maintained during early phases of work.

As well as erecting fencing, Network Rail will also section-off some bridges on the route between Cameron Bridge and Thornton junction to carry out work.

Preparatory work has seen the clearance of vegetation along the corridor and the removal of redundant and life-expired railway equipment from the former line. Invasive plant species have been treated, structures inspected and trial holes have been drilled along the full length of the route to check ground conditions and test for contamination.

In October, the rail link project completed work to remove the old disused track and redundant infrastructure from the former line.

Work on the track began in July, after plans for the rail link were revealed in June.

Network Rail project manager Joe Mulvenna said: “While we understand that over the years, the disused railway has been accessed by people exercising and enjoying the river, as well as crossing on well-used paths between communities, that will not be the case for much longer.

“The whole corridor between Thornton and Leven will soon become a major construction site and while we will maintain some limited access on paths across the railway corridor during the early phases of work, in general we are asking people to find alternative walking routes.

“The scale of the work that will be involved in the project means that in the short-term there will be some disruption for the area, but it is an exciting development that has the potential to transform life for local people and the communities it will serve.”

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