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Thursday 10 Sep 2026

One month to go until key phase of Fife rail upgrade

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Passengers are being reminded to plan ahead for changes to train services in Fife next month as Network Rail carries out a major phase of work to modernise the railway. 

It’s part of the Scottish Government's £311.5m investment to electrify 118km of the railway in Fife and introduce new battery-electric trains, reducing reliance on diesel and helping cut emissions. It’ll mean quieter, more sustainable journeys for passengers.  

During 18 days in October, engineers will carry out a significant portion of the work needed to prepare for electrification.  

Three bridges will be demolished and rebuilt, creating space for overhead power lines, at Bennochy Road in Kirkcaldy, Muriespot near Coaltown of Balgonie and Main Street in Thornton. The bridge at Cardenden Road in Cardenden will also be upgraded while the line is closed. 

Engineers will continue installing foundations for the overhead line masts, make changes to the track and upgrade signalling equipment, which is used to manage train movements. 

 To allow this work to be carried out safely, temporary changes to train services will be in place: 

• Saturday 10 to Friday 23 October - no trains will run via Kirkcaldy. Some CrossCountry, LNER and ScotRail services will be revised, and rail replacement buses will operate. (Full details) 
  
  
• Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27 October - buses will replace ScotRail trains between Cowdenbeath and Leven. (Full details) 

Paul Reilly, senior programme manager at Network Rail Scotland, said: "This 18-day closure will allow us to complete some of the biggest and most complex elements of the work needed to electrify the railway in Fife. 

"Rebuilding bridges and upgrading the track for electric trains isn't possible while trains are still running. By bringing these activities together into a single closure, we can make significant progress towards a cleaner, more modern railway. 

"We know the disruption this will cause isn't ideal and we're grateful to passengers for their patience. The investment being made now will help ensure the railway continues to serve communities across Fife for decades to come." 

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “This work is an important step forward in delivering a more modern, sustainable, and reliable railway for Scotland.  

“We’re working closely with Network Rail to help keep customers moving when the improvements are delivered, and we’ll have a rail replacement transport plan in place to ensure customers can continue to travel with confidence.  

“Customers are asked to plan ahead and check their journey before they travel, and we thank our customers for their patience and understanding while the project is delivered.” 

More information is available on the Scotland’s Railway website.