Less than one week to go until key phase of Fife rail upgrade

Passengers are being reminded to plan ahead for changes to train services in Fife, with less than one week remaining until Network Rail begins a major phase of work to modernise the railway.

The work forms part of the Scottish Government's £311.5 million investment to electrify 118km of railway in Fife and introduce new battery-electric trains, reducing reliance on diesel and helping to cut emissions. The project will deliver quieter, greener and more sustainable journeys for passengers.

From 10th October, engineers will begin an 18-day programme of works to prepare the railway for electrification.

Three bridges will be demolished and rebuilt to create space for overhead power lines at Bennochy Road in Kirkcaldy, Muriespot near Coaltown of Balgonie and Main Street in Thornton. The bridge at Cardenden Road in Cardenden will also be upgraded while the railway is closed.

Engineers will also continue installing foundations for overhead line masts, make changes to the track and upgrade signalling equipment used to manage train movements.

To allow this work to be carried out safely, temporary changes to train services will be in place:

• Saturday 10 to Friday 23 October: No trains will run via Kirkcaldy. Some CrossCountry, LNER and ScotRail services will be revised, and rail replacement buses will operate.
• Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27 October: Buses will replace ScotRail trains between Cowdenbeath and Leven.

Passengers are encouraged to check their journey before travelling and allow extra time where necessary.

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said:

"This work is an important step forward in delivering a more modern, sustainable, and reliable railway for Scotland.

"We're working closely with Network Rail to help keep customers moving when the improvements are delivered, and we'll have a rail replacement transport plan in place to ensure customers can continue to travel with confidence.

"Customers are asked to plan ahead and check their journey before they travel, and we thank our customers for their patience and understanding while the project is delivered."

More information is available on the Scotland’s Railway website.