The latest Sep 2023
Barely a month after the completion of the laying of track on the 19-kilometer Levenmouth/Leven Rail Link, the Network Rail has installed a footbridge at Cameron Bridge Station.
The newly installed footbridge at Cameron station is made of steel and it features eleven sections making up the main framework. The largest section, which is the main bridge span is 15 meters long. It sits more than 6 meters above the track to enable clearance for electrification.
The footbridge is the only station footbridge on the Levenmouth Rail Link as the other new station, Leven, boasts an island platform to enable step-free access to the station.
The Levenmouth rail link is also referred to as the Leven rail link. It is a railway line developed in Fife, Scotland, to connect Leventown and other Levenmouth conurbations with Thornton, while the Fife Circle Line joins at Thornton North Junction.
The project is being developed by Fife Council in partnership with the South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTRAN). Network Rail is tasked with designing and constructing the rail link. The construction and preparation costs of the project are approximately US$ 85.07M.
The project comprises the construction of a 19km electrified double-track railway. The line has some new parts and others restored. Two new modern train stations will also be constructed at Cameron Bridge and Leven as part of the scheme.
The station at Cameron Bridge will be situated at the east of the A915 road while the Leven station will be constructed behind the Leven leisure centre. Leven station will have an entry from the north through an improved footpath located behind the leisure centre. The latter will also include a bus stop, a drop-off point for commuters, and an area for car parking with 90 slots.
Another parking space will be constructed optionally on the east part of the river. The station will also include bike storage areas and charging stations for electric automobiles.
Levenmouth rail link project to improve transportation in the host community
Upon completion, the Levenmouth rail link will permit two trains to operate every hour to Edinburgh, one through Dunfermline and the other through Kirkcaldy. It is set to explore the possibility of travel optimization and the interchange of options between stations. The line will consist of electrified overhead wires and on initial services the electric units will be battery-operated.
The development is being implemented without impacting the leisure activities of the community. The railway link together with the other upgraded transportation connections will offer Leven a direct railway link to Edinburgh, enhancing the local economy. The line electrification will shorten travel time. The scheme is set to enable passengers to arrive in Edinburgh from Levenmouth in around 75 minutes.
Levenmouth Rail Link Project Timeline
2019
The Scottish Government revealed the design phase of the Levenmouth line in August.
2020
Vegetation clearance and other preparatory works began.
2021
The project’s public consultation was completed in January. In May, the line sleepers were delivered while the plans for the project got unveiled in June. The old tracks on the route were removed and either reused or recycled. The unwanted equipment was taken to a range of heritage railways, with some of the assets set to be reused in the building of the new railway line.
The track duties to remove the old disused track and unwanted infrastructure from the former branch line commenced in July. The removal of the disused track and excavation of the old ballast will facilitate the building of new lines early in 2022.
March 2022
Levenmouth Rail Link project approved by Transport for Scotland
The Levenmouth Rail Link project which is estimated to cost US$ 152 million has been approved by Transport for Scotland, the national transport agency of the country that is part of the United Kingdom. Network Rail Limited, the owner and infrastructure manager of most of the railway networks in Great Britain, has begun the construction works.
The works include the removal of the original trackbed, as well as other route preparation operations, prior to the reinstatement of the double-track railway and passenger services to Leven. Two fully accessible stations will also be built at Cameron Bridge and Leven as part of this massive project.
Diesel service will be the first to run on the line upon completion before it is converted to electric operation at the earliest possible opportunity. The electrification will be carried out as part of the Scottish Government’s decarbonization action plan, allowing for the quickest feasible transition to electric services, reducing future passenger inconvenience while ensuring that the work is carried out as efficiently as possible.
Expectations for the Levenmouth Rail Link Project
The Levenmouth Rail Link project will benefit from active travel access infrastructure and provide enhanced connectivity to local communities. The use of the majority of the current double trackbed on the line will provide cost-effective capacity for passengers.
To maximize the benefit of this transformative investment for the Levenmouth area, an investigation into the possible options for freight and tourist/charter rail operations will be conducted as part of the project.
“The Levenmouth Rail Link demonstrates our ambition not just for improving and investing in Scotland’s Railway, but also for our commitment to communities, as new rail links bring many additional benefits such as connectivity to the wider economic area, allowing new journeys for work, education, and leisure,” said Bill Reeve, director of the rail, Transport Scotland.
March 2022
First new rails were laid on the new 19km Levenmouth Rail Link project
The first new rails were laid on the new 19km Levenmouth Rail Link project, which will reconnect the area to the mainline passenger network for the first time in more than a half-century. Extensive preliminary work near Thornton Junction to the west of the route has resulted in an early chance to lay down the first new sections of rail on the project, which will eventually see the installation of 19km of double track to establish the branch line.
Existing track sections inside the first mile of the rail corridor were used to supply new ballast, sleepers, and rails, after which the old track was lifted, and the track bed was promptly re-formed. The concrete sleepers were placed in batches of seven at a speed of 72 meters per hour, allowing for the early installation of the first of the new tracks.
Seven pairs of 240-meter-long continuously welded rail sections were positioned on the sleepers before being clipped into place to construct the first mile of the new Levenmouth branch line.
Comments on the Rail Link scheme
“Laying the first rails on the rail link is a huge milestone for this exciting work and great news for this neighbourhood,” said Bill Reeve, Transport Scotland’s director of rail. The Levenmouth Rail Link will provide long-term connectivity for the villages of Leven, Methil, Cameron Bridge, and the surrounding area, attracting people to visit, live, work, and invest in those areas.
The derelict train route between Thornton Junction and Leven will be reopened, enabling convenient and comfortable services across Fife to Edinburgh, Dunfermline, and the larger rail network.”
“Even at this early stage in the project, laying the first tracks feels like a symbolic occasion,” said Joe Mulvenna, project manager for the Levenmouth Rail Link.
The project was able to move fast out of the blocks thanks to the use of much of the existing trackbed and considerable preparatory work. We can already see the scheme taking shape, but there is obviously a long way to go. With the first rails installed along the first mile, the focus will shift to other areas of the program, particularly work on some of the structures, but it is fantastic that the project has gotten off to such a good start.”
April 2023
Levenmouth Rail Link in Scotland: Construction of Leven station well on course
The construction of Leven Station which is being carried out as part of the Levenmouth Rail Link Project in Scotland is well on course. Reportedly the facility, located next to Leven Leisure Centre, is off the ground approximately two months after its construction began in early February 2023.
Leven Station is one of two new stations on the six-mile branch line, alongside Cameron Bridge. Upon completion, it will boast 200m island platforms. It will also have a pebble-styled pavilion area. Moreover, the new station will have 133 parking spaces with provisions for EV charging and cycle storage.
Work done so far
So far, more than 1800 tonnes of stone has been used for foundations and to create the base for the island platform. The latter will allow the casting of the concrete base for the nearly 200m-long platform.
The track-side walls of the new platforms have also been installed. This was done using 74 precast concrete sections, each of which weighs four tonnes plus. More side-wall units will be installed once the section of the Bawbee Bridge, which is above the station, has been replaced.
Aug 2023
Laying of track on 19km Levenmouth/Leven Rail Link complete
After close to one and a half years, the laying of track on the 19-kilometre Levenmouth/Leven Rail Link has finally been completed. The final clip of the new rail track was installed recently by the country’s transport minister Fiona Hyslop.
Focus is now turned on the construction of the new station buildings at Leven and Cameron Bridge before the £116 million railway opens next year. Once operational, the Scottish Government-funded project will see passenger trains run from the town for the first time in 50 years.
