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Friday 21 Jan 2022

Fencing is safety priority for Levenmouth rail project

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Work is now underway to install fencing along the line of the Levenmouth Rail link.

Nineteen kilometres of fencing will be erected so that forthcoming work to reinstate the branch line can be carried out safely and members of the public do not come into contact with the plant and machinery carrying out the work.

The fencing being installed will extend along the full length of the route to secure the boundaries of the rail corridor but existing pathways and crossing points will be maintained during early phases of work.

As well as erecting fencing, we will also section-off some bridges on the route between Cameron Bridge and Thornton junction to carry out work. Due to the nature of the activity on the bridges, it is important that the area is secured to maintain public safety.

Preparatory work has seen the clearance of vegetation along the five-mile corridor and the removal of redundant and life-expired railway equipment from the former line. Invasive plant species have been treated, structures inspected and trial holes have been drilled along the full length of the route to check ground conditions and test for contamination.

Joe Mulvenna, Network Rail project manager for the Levenmouth Rail link said;

“While we understand that over the years, the disused railway has been accessed by people exercising and enjoying the river, as well as crossing on well-used paths between communities, that will not be the case for much longer.

“The whole corridor between Thornton and Leven will soon become a major construction site and while we will maintain some limited access on paths across the railway corridor during the early phases of work, in general we are asking people to find alternative walking routes.

“The scale of the work that will be involved in the project means that in the short-term there will be some disruption for the area, but It is an exciting development that has the potential to transform life for local people and the communities it will serve.”

Completion of the rail link will see trains on the line for the first time in more than half a century.

Network Rail is encouraging anyone with any questions about the project to email LevenmouthReconnected@networkrail.co.uk or call our 24-hr helpline on 03457 11 41 41.