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Wednesday 17 Dec 2025

One month to go: Edinburgh-Fife rail upgrades begin soon

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Rail passengers travelling between Edinburgh and Fife are being reminded to plan ahead for journeys next month as essential engineering work will close part of the line. 

From 17-25 January 2026, engineers will begin installing overhead line equipment between Haymarket and Dalmeny for the Fife electrification project. The work involves demolishing and rebuilding several bridges at a higher height to create space for the new infrastructure. In places where bridges can’t be raised, the track will be lowered.  

The project is part of the £342m programme to electrify routes in Fife and the Borders, funded by the Scottish Government. It will enable electric trains to operate on the route in the future, delivering greener travel and improving the reliability and sustainability of services. 

To allow the upgrades to take place efficiently and safely, the line between Haymarket and Dalmeny will be closed during this period, with some services diverted or replaced by buses. Passengers are advised to check their journey before travelling using National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator.  

Catherine Hall, strategy and investment director at Network Rail Scotland said: “This work is about future proofing one of Scotland’s busiest rail routes, paving the way for battery-electric trains. It will help increase capacity, improve reliability, and deliver more accessible, comfortable and sustainable journeys. 

“We know there’s never an ideal time to close any part of the railway, and we appreciate the patience of passengers and local residents while these improvements take place. Our teams have planned the work carefully to keep the impact to a minimum, and we’ll continue to keep people informed every step of the way.” 

Journeys with planned changes from 17th-25th January:  

ScotRail  
Edinburgh – Perth (via Kirkcaldy)  
Edinburgh – Dundee/Aberdeen (via Kirkcaldy)  
Edinburgh – Leven (via Kirkcaldy)  
Edinburgh – Leven (via Dunfermline)  
Edinburgh – Cowdenbeath/Glenrothes 

Caledonian Sleeper, LNER and Cross Country  
Edinburgh – Dundee/Aberdeen  

Passengers are encouraged to check with their train operator or nationalrail.co.uk before travelling and follow  @NetworkRailSCOT on X for the latest updates.