Peter Grant MP visited the site of the £116m Levenmouth Rail Link to see the early progress the vast project has already made.
The project to create the Rail Link will see two new stations built alongside 19km of electrified single track reinstated in order to reconnect Leven to the national rail network for the first time in over 50 years.
Visiting the site of what will be the new Cameron Bridge station, Peter Grant walked along the trackbed to gain an alternative perspective of the huge scale of infrastructure that will be built in a bid to get a better insight into the magnitude of the challenge ahead of the project team.
The reinstatement of the first section of rail to the west of the route at Thornton junction has already taken place, with significant progress being made for a number of bridges on the six-mile corridor.
The onsite project team are working to finish the compound sites, which will aid the delivery of work taking place over the next 2 years alongside preparation for the next stage of track works.
It is expected that work to strengthen the Leven Rail (Bawbee) bridge on behalf of Fife Council will begin later in 2022 subject to planning permission for a diversionary route being approved.
The branch line aims to be complete in Spring 2024 and will see trains calling at Cameron Bridge and Leven station for the first time since 1969.
Peter Grant MP said:
“While I was Leader of Fife Council the Council accepted my recommendation that restoring the Levenmouth Rail Link was our number one public transport priority. It's taken a long time but with cross-party support from MSPs, Councillors and MPs, as well as vital support from the people of Levenmouth, the Scottish Government confirmed in 2019 that the rail link would reopen.
“It is great to get an early opportunity to come on-site and see first-hand the work that has been happening since the start of the year and meet the project team who will make this line a reality for the local community.
“Providing low-carbon transport options will make this area more attractive for inward investment and will support growth in tourism, which will both, in turn, support communities and boost the local economy.
Martin McKinlay, Network Rail sponsor for the Levenmouth Rail Link said:
“The new line will improve social and economic opportunities for people in the surrounding communities and we are working hard with local partners to maximise the positive impact the project will have right across the area.
“We appreciate that the project has been a long time coming for local people but the start of the delivery phase is an exciting development and shows that the Rail Link is well on its way to becoming a reality.
“It is great being part of a project that has the potential to be massively positive for the area and to deliver something that will transform the lives of local people and the communities the railway will serve.”
“19km of electrified single track”
Previous articles by the same author said this was going to be double track with provision for future electrification. Did something change in the plan?