TRAINS are set to start using the new £116 million Levenmouth rail line, after Network Rail successfully commissioned the signalling system on the line.
The system was tested and brought into use over the weekend, with ScotRail now able to begin training drivers on the new route.
Network Rail said this will see a ‘significant’ number of trains on the tracks in coming weeks as drivers develop their knowledge of the new section of railway between Thornton Junction and Leven Railway Station.
Completion of the signalling and the start of driver training is a major step on the way to reconnecting Leven to the mainline railway with passenger services set to begin this summer.
The Scottish Government-funded project, which first got underway in 2020, will bring rail travel back to the Levenmouth area for the first time in half a century. Six miles of new railway and two new stations are being delivered as part of the work.
Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Government minister for transport, said, “This is a key milestone in reconnecting Levenmouth with the rail network, delivering benefits and opportunities to the people of Leven and Fife. It is also clear evidence of our commitment to investing in Scotland’s Railway as we seek to attract more people onto public transport.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved in the project thus far and look forward to seeing the completion of the stations and active travel links. The imminent start of driver training is another major step towards the railway opening and I aim to visit in the coming weeks to see this progress.”
Gerry McQuade, capital delivery director for Scotland’s Railway, added, “The commissioning of the signalling system is the last piece of the jigsaw which delivers a fully operational railway ready for driver training. The project team will now focus on completing both of the new stations on the line and enhancing the active travel links – walking and cycling routes – that will connect the communities to the new railway.”
David Lister, ScotRail safety, engineering, and sustainability director, commented, “With the new signalling system now commissioned, ScotRail will begin a programme of driver training enabling our trains to run safely onto the wider network. This investment marks one of the final steps towards opening the Levenmouth line, which will deliver new and improved services for our customers across Fife and east Scotland.”
