Leuchars Station

[Butts]

When I was catching a train back to Edinburgh tonight I noticed on the Northbound Side there is a set of tracks parallel to the ones used which are overgrown and obviously out of use.

Anyone got any idea why this other set is there.

There is also a third set (also overgrown) but these seem to be a "siding"

 

[DaveNewcastle]

There are sidings on both the Up and Down side of Leuchars. This station used to benefit from being a busy junction, with a line north to Tayport (passengers and freight, closed to passenger services in the 1950s) and a line east to St. Andrews (closed to regular passenger services around 1970) which formed a loop around the Fife Coast joining the present-day line at Thornton.

 

[mbonwick]

There also used to be a link into the RAF base, however this is trunkated by the road. It's visible (just) on both sides though.

 

[matchmaker]

There are sidings on both the Up and Down side of Leuchars. This station used to benefit from being a busy junction, with a line north to Tayport (passengers and freight, closed to passenger services in the 1950s) and a line east to St. Andrews (closed to regular passenger services around 1970) which formed a loop around the Fife Coast joining the present-day line at Thornton.

Leuchars Junction - St Andrews closed to passengers 4/1/69, St Andrews to Leven closed to passengers 6/9/65, Leven to Thorton Junction closed to passengers 6/10/69. Many of the smaller stations on the line closed to passengers in 1930. The Leven to Thornton Junction track is still in place, although now disused since the closure of Methil Power Station.

There are proposals to reopen to Leven for passengers and freight
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levenmouth_rail_link

There has also been a campaign to reopen Leuchars Junction - St Andrews - I doubt that it would been shut nowadays.

 

[Butts]

Thank you all for the replys.

If you see how busy St Andrews Bus Station is it seems crazy passenger services were axed.

Considering The University and Golf Course it would seem a lot more deserving of a service than many of the remaining stations.

I suppose that old adage of "Location Location Location " is the key to it's demise.

 

[Greenback]

I agree it's highly unlikely that the St Andrews branch would be closed today. Unfortunately, it seems to be a lot easier to keep them open than to get them reinstated once they have closed.