Levenmouth rail link to reopen: project updates

[najaB]

Seems odd to be loading that cost onto the Levenmouth project, unless it had a really great business case already or the electrification bit comes out of a separate electrification budget??

There was a power station in the Leven area which, I assume, means a grid connection is readily available. Maybe that's why?

 

[snowball]

Is there are any insight as to how much (if any) of the main line south towards Edinburgh will be electrified as part of the project?

Dalmeny to Edinburgh according to a couple of articles I've seen. (Or they may have been posts on here.)

 

[gingertom]

There was a power station in the Leven area which, I assume, means a grid connection is readily available. Maybe that's why?

there's certainly some heavy duty power lines in the vicinity of Thornton Junction, so makes for a sensible location for feeder point.

 

[edwin_m]

The choice of train has an effect on power supply redundancy and therefore cost. A battery train would probably need to charge on the Levenmouth section during every journey, so if the power failed the service couldn't operate and a redundant (duplicated) feed would be required. A bi-mode, or a battery train with sufficient range, would be able to continue operating if the power had failed on that section.

 

[matchmaker]

There was a power station in the Leven area which, I assume, means a grid connection is readily available. Maybe that's why?

There was a coal slurry burning station at Methil.

 

[och aye]

Not to go too off topic, but I wonder if they electrification of the Levenmouth line may be part of a wider Fife electrification plan i.e. Alloa - Dunfermline?

 

[Brissle Girl]

Alloa to Dunfermline would be a complete reopening, so suggest that is off topic for this particular thread. It was noted earlier that the expectation is that the main line will be electrified from Edinburgh to just before the Forth Bridge as part of the project.

 

[QTXAdsy]

I find the comments of the electrification from the article a little bit suspect when they have been iffy for years about putting the wires up on the Forth Bridge, I can only assume they are saying this to make it sound more eco friendly rather than the very real prospect of having the diesel units being used. Only way I can see them putting up wires for the route is if they reopen Alloa to Dunfermline and put the wires up via Cowdenbeath and Thornton, though ideally you'd rather had they electrified the whole of the current Fife rail network in one go.

I'm quite suspect that they have made little to no comment about Alloa to Dunfermline which honestly seems like a no brainer to open, would it had been an idea that both it and the Leven line would have been opened at the same time to kill two birds with one stone with hindsight? Plus being around the area, for what I was hearing about the chosen location of where Leven station is to be, I was hearing that the land owners were wanting some silly money for the payment which Network Rail weren't will to cough up unless they have decided to bite the bullet if this article is telling the truth?

 

[najaB]

I'm quite suspect that they have made little to no comment about Alloa to Dunfermline which honestly seems like a no brainer to open, would it had been an idea that both it and the Leven line would have been opened at the same time to kill two birds with one stone with hindsight?

If rumours are to be believed then SAK was "value engineered" and the line past Alloa might require a bit of work to bring it up to full passenger standards.

 

[Bald Rick]

If rumours are to be believed then SAK was "value engineered" and the line past Alloa might require a bit of work to bring it up to full passenger standards.

Every project is value managed and value engineered. It was built to the spec it was needed for - which was a low speed freight railway.

 

[mcmad]

Alloa to Kincardine is being looked at under a separate project for opening to passenger and electrification but Kincardine to Dunfermline isn't as far as I know on anyones radar. I'd put it in the same box as Edinburgh Sub and Glasgow Crossrail of a solution looking for a problem to solve.

 

[najaB]

Every project is value managed and value engineered. It was built to the spec it was needed for - which was a low speed freight railway.

Oh, I understand that completely and there was no point in building it to express passenger standards given that Longannet had a long future ahead of it. Of course, that was based on what they knew at the time.

 

[och aye]

Do we know if Diageo are still in talks or have walked away from the potential of a freight connection to the Cameron Bridge Distillery?

 

[mcmad]

plan is still to include a freight connection slightly further down the branch than the distillery itself as there isn't room for what is requested. Whether it actually sees any use is a different matter, the much trumpeted Highland Spring connection is still devoid of track getting on for 3 years post installation of the main line connection.

 

[och aye]

plan is still to include a freight connection slightly further down the branch than the distillery itself as there isn't room for what is requested. Whether it actually sees any use is a different matter, the much trumpeted Highland Spring connection is still devoid of track getting on for 3 years post installation of the main line connection.

Thanks for the update. Apparently the Highland Spring rail freight connection will be operational next year according to this article:

Highland Spring commits to net-zero emissions by 2040 - edie

The Highland Spring Group has unveiled an ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, with targets in place to halve emissions by 2030 through soon-to-be-developed science-based targets.

www.edie.net

The Group has already outlined new efforts to reduce emissions. A planned onsite rail freight facility is due to be operational in Blackford next year that will remove 8,000 lorries from the road and contribute towards a CO2 reduction of 3,200 tonnes per annum. Additionally, the Group is aiming to achieve biodiversity net gain by 2025.

 

[Brissle Girl]

That's a remarkable number of lorries to remove from the roads if I may say so. Do they mean lorry movements I wonder?

 

[najaB]

That's a remarkable number of lorries to remove from the roads if I may say so. Do they mean lorry movements I wonder?

Yeah, suspect that is movements.

 

[och aye]

This video has some information about ScotRail's fleet replacement at around 15 mins in with Syeda Ghufan, ScotRail’s Engineering Director explaining their plans. There's also a lot of information and slides about the future plans for the network in Scotland as well.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

This video has some information about ScotRail's fleet replacement at around 15 mins in with Syeda Ghufan, ScotRail’s Engineering Director explaining their plans. There's also a lot of information and slides about the future plans for the network in Scotland as well.

The slide shown at 30mins suggest electrification under contract has pushed on a lot further

 

[Bald Rick]

Depends what ‘under contract’ means. May well not be for construction.

 

[och aye]

Old tracks are being lifted and some will be reused by the Fife Heritage Railway.

Heritage railway to benefit as milestone work to remove old Leven train tracks begins

The old Leven to Thornton railway line is being ripped out to make way for the new £70 million Levenmouth rail link. Network Rail began removing more than

www.thecourier.co.uk

Network Rail began removing more than five miles of track this week in a milestone moment for the long-awaited project.
But it’s not quite out with the old and in with the new, as much of the track will be preserved for future generations.


Around one-mile of the original track will be donated to Fife Heritage Railway, which preserves locomotives and runs pleasure rides at its Leven yard.


This will allow volunteers to extend their own route and hopefully attract more visitors.

 

[najaB]

Bit of a random question, but does anyone know how much of a construction site (with limited access) the line is at the moment vs how much is accessible and walkable? Might fancy going for a wander that direction next weekend if the weather is fine.

 

[fgwrich]

Old tracks are being lifted and some will be reused by the Fife Heritage Railway.

Heritage railway to benefit as milestone work to remove old Leven train tracks begins

The old Leven to Thornton railway line is being ripped out to make way for the new £70 million Levenmouth rail link. Network Rail began removing more than

www.thecourier.co.uk

Some interesting use of Forestry Equipment there! Good to see track going to the Fife heritage centre - this should allow them to extend the alongside the new line for a good length out of Leven.

 

[gallafent]

That's a remarkable number of lorries to remove from the roads if I may say so.

Just think how many they could remove if people had the sense to just drink the water out of the tap instead of putting it in plastic bottles then transporting it around the place (this is a serious point: a bottled mineral water company greenwashing about decarbonisation is just too depressing, when the correct amount of decarbonisation is “all of it” if we're being serious about removing discretionary CO2 emissions …)

 

[Brissle Girl]

That’s a very good point, although I think sparkling mineral water does have enough of an edge over tap water to make it worthwhile.

 

[och aye]

Press release from Network Rail regarding the track lifting.

Track work is a big lift for Levenmouth rail project

The Levenmouth rail link project has taken another huge step forward with the start of work to remove the old disused track and redundant infrastructure from the former branch line.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Track work is a big lift for Levenmouth rail project​

The Levenmouth rail link project has taken another huge step forward with the start of work to remove the old disused track and redundant infrastructure from the former branch line.


Following on from last month’s confirmation that the line will be double tracked and electrified, and announcement of the station locations when Transport Minister Graeme Dey visited Leven, the removal of the old disused tracks is another clear signal that project is gathering momentum.


Work is now underway on the route between Thornton Junction and Leven and will be ongoing until the end of August, though not continuously at any one location.


Removing the redundant and life expired railway equipment is an important step forward for the project and is the most significant work to date. Removing the disused track and excavating the old ballast will also help create a clear area for when the construction of the new lines will begin early in 2022.


The redundant equipment has been itemised and offered to a range of Heritage railways. It is our intention that all of the assets removed will be recycled and re-used within a railway environment. Some of it will be repurposed for use on the construction of the new line.


Joe Mulvenna, Network Rail project manager for the Levenmouth Rail link said; “This is the most significant phase of preparatory work so far on the project and we are literally clearing the way for the start of construction early next year.


“While clearing the old track breaks a link with the past, its important that we can re-use and recycle the redundant assets for use on heritage railways and some can be repurposed for the new line.


“We are doing what we can to minimise any disruption from this work and so we can continue to enable people to enjoy using the railway corridor for leisure purposes. We will have measures in place to manage the work safely but we do ask that everyone exercise caution while we carry out this work.”


The railway corridor will remain open for leisure purposes and we will have appropriate measures in place to segregate the public from what will be a moving work site.


We would ask anyone using the area to exercise increased caution during this work and if requested, please follow advice from those on site to ensure your safety.

Notes to Editors​

Notes to editors
Track works
Removal of the track will be undertaken from west to east and will involve a team of 10-12 people using an excavator and trailer.
The work will be delivered from a compound within the Fife heritage railway site and the line will be accessed for this activity from here and at Double Dykes only.
Before this work starts, we have undertaken all necessary environmental and ecological surveys to identify any protected species or nesting birds in the area. Appropriate methods of working have been put in place. Our aim has been, and will continue to be, to proactively identify safeguarded species, roosts and habitats of value.

Summary of Project:
The project is currently considering a number of options which include:

• 19 single track kilometres of new / reinstated railway. (This means a double track railway running the full length).
• Two new modern accessible stations
• Provision for efficient electrification of the line in the future
• Work with partners to optimise travel / interchange options connecting stations

The project is also continuing to develop options for connection to the Heritage Railway and to support future freight aspirations.
Current Status:
The project is currently onsite, designing and developing a delivery programme.

• Station designs will be complete and planning applications made in Autumn 2021
• It is anticipated that main construction works will begin early in 2022

 

[najaB]

Press release from Network Rail regarding the track lifting.

Thanks for posting that - it answers my earlier question: "The railway corridor will remain open for leisure purposes and we will have appropriate measures in place to segregate the public from what will be a moving work site."

 

[snowball]

Removal of old track completed.

Redundant Leven track to support heritage railways.

The Levenmouth rail link project has now completed work to remove the old disused track and redundant infrastructure from the former branch line.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

The Levenmouth rail link project has now completed work to remove the old disused track and redundant infrastructure from the former branch line.

Completing the removal of redundant and life expired railway equipment is an important step forward for the project and is the most significant work completed to date. Removing the disused track and excavating the old ballast will also help create a clear area for when the construction of the new lines will begin early in 2022.

As part of the project’s commitment to minimise its carbon footprint and increase its environmental sustainability, 100% of the removed track will be re-used, recycled or repurposed on` the project.

The redundant equipment was itemised and offered to a range of Heritage railways. Groups such as Leven Heritage, Shed 47 Dunfermline Caledonia Heritage society and Boness Heritage railway all received significant quantities of track and sleepers, which will benefit their respective projects going forward.

 

[snowball]

Fencing in progress according to this press release

Fencing is safety priority for Levenmouth rail project

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

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

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.

 

[Wynd]

Saw the NR media release for this today, £116m?! I thought it was £75m? how has it gone up 55%?