Customers reminded to plan ahead during next phase of Fife electrification works

ScotRail is reminding customers to check their journey before travelling as the next phase of major electrification works in Fife gets underway.

Network Rail engineers will carry out work at a number of locations across Fife between Saturday, 10 October and Tuesday, 27 October, with changes to rail services throughout, and rail replacement bus services complementing diverted rail services.

It’s part of a £311.5million Scottish Government investment to electrify 118km of railway across Fife and introduce new battery-electric trains, helping to deliver quieter, more sustainable journeys for customers.

From Saturday, 10 October until Monday, 19 October inclusive, no trains will operate between Inverkeithing and Markinch via Kirkcaldy.

Rail replacement buses will run between Inverkeithing and Markinch, serving Dalgety Bay, Aberdour, Burntisland, Kinghorn, Kirkcaldy, and Glenrothes with Thornton. Services will run hourly throughout the day, with additional buses at the busiest times on weekdays and Saturdays.

Trains will continue to operate via Dunfermline, including services between Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, and Leven – although customers should check their journey as train times and calling patterns may have changed.

From Tuesday, 20 October until Friday, 23 October inclusive, the work will move north, with no trains operating between Markinch and Perth or Dundee.

Rail replacement buses will run hourly throughout the day between Kirkcaldy and Dundee, and between Kirkcaldy and Perth.

Where possible, rail services between Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen will be diverted via Stirling and Perth, which will mean a change to train times.

Services between Edinburgh Waverley and Perth / Dundee will operate to and from Kirkcaldy, where customers can connect with rail replacement buses.

Further work will then take place between Saturday, 24 October and Tuesday, 27 October between Lochgelly and Glenrothes with Thornton, when no trains operate between these stations. Replacement buses will run hourly between Cowdenbeath and Leven. Trains via Kirkcaldy will mainly operate as normal.

However, on Saturday, 24 October, work will also take place between Cameron Bridge and Leven, meaning no trains will serve Cameron Bridge or Leven. A rail replacement bus service will operate hourly between Cowdenbeath and Leven, and also between Kirkcaldy and Leven.

In addition to planned rail replacement, Stagecoach will accept valid train tickets for journeys between Kirkcaldy and Inverkeithing on the X58 service, and between Leven and Inverkeithing on the number 7 service, throughout the period of the works.

Customers travelling during each phase of the work should allow extra time for their journey and check the ScotRail website or app before setting off.

Detailed travel advice is available on the ScotRail website.

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said:

“This is the next important phase of the work to electrify the railway through Fife, and it will mean significant changes to services for customers travelling through the area.

“We’ll keep people moving wherever possible, with trains running on alternative routes and replacement buses serving impacted stations.

“The travel arrangements change at different stages throughout the works, so we’re asking customers to check their journey before setting off and allow some extra time to travel.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience while this important investment in Scotland’s Railway continues.”

Michael McArthur, Network Rail Project Manager, said:

“This is a really significant stage of the project and an opportunity to complete a substantial amount of work in a relatively short space of time.

“Teams have spent months preparing for this closure, carefully planning every activity to make the best possible use of the time available.

"By the end of these 18 days, we'll have completed some of the largest and most important pieces of work needed to prepare the railway for the future.

“I'd like to thank passengers and local communities for their patience. We don't take the need for closures lightly, but making these changes now means we can move more quickly towards a quieter, greener and more dependable railway for Fife.”