Levenmouth Railway campaign

[railjock]

Could this be the next Scottish re-opening after the Borders railway?

http://www.lmrc-action.org.uk

Lobbying for the reintroduction of Thornton-Leven rail services

Levenmouth is the largest urban area (pop 37,000) in Scotland NOT directly served by rail, despite the presence of a high standard mothballed line between Thornton (on the main east coast line) and Leven, a distance of 5 miles.

The Campaign seeks to raise awareness and exert pressure from the local community for the need, logic and justice of reconnecting our neglected community to the national rail network. ...

 

[ffm]

It would be great if Diageo are as serious as they sound too

 

[Altnabreac]

Could this be the next Scottish re-opening after the Borders railway?

http://www.lmrc-action.org.uk

I certainly think it has the best business case of any Scottish reopening.

Altnabreac's 4 golden rules of a successful rail reopening:

• Population of 10,000+
• 60 minutes (75 at a push) journey time of a major employment centre.
• Extant or mainly unobstructed trackbed
• Ability to extend an existing service so more terminal capacity is not required.

Levenmouth fits all 4 of those rules comfortably.

 

[matchmaker]

There's also a lot of money being spent in the area on educational and community facilities.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Does this proposal use any of the former line of the Leven and East Fife Railway?

 

[Altnabreac]

Does this proposal use any of the former line of the Leven and East Fife Railway?

Indeed Paul, most of the track is still in place and the proposal is to reuse this existing trackbed although much vegetation clearance and new track replacement will be required.

The proposed station location in Leven may just lie on the beginning of the old Leven Dock Railway rather than the former L&EF station site.

 

[daniel3982]

I certainly think it has the best business case of any Scottish reopening.

Altnabreac's 4 golden rules of a successful rail reopening:

• Population of 10,000+
• 60 minutes (75 at a push) journey time of a major employment centre.
• Extant or mainly unobstructed trackbed
• Ability to extend an existing service so more terminal capacity is not required.

Levenmouth fits all 4 of those rules comfortably.

If the North East of England was ran by the Scottish government imagine how many reopenings we'd have to places like Blyth, Ashington, Consett etc.

 

[Altnabreac]

If the North East of England was ran by the Scottish government imagine how many reopenings we'd have to places like Blyth, Ashington, Consett etc.

Ashington & Blyth fulfill 3 of the rules but not the existing service one. I suspect Newcastle Central has enough capacity that rule 4 could be overcome here.

They would certainly have a service by now if there was more regional control of infrastructure investment.

Get lobbying your MP for more devolution to the NE! Power has to be wrested forcefully from Whitehall.

 

[clc]

I notice that this reopening was rejected by the STPR which stated:

"Initial appraisal has indicated that benefits of the connections to Levenmouth are considered to be focused at the local and regional level. In light of further appraisal this intervention would not contribute significantly towards the strategic objectives."

As it isn't recommended in the STPR it seems unlikely that the Scottish Govt would fund it. I cant see the local authority having the money to do it.

 

[Altnabreac]

I notice that this reopening was rejected by the STPR which stated:

"Initial appraisal has indicated that benefits of the connections to Levenmouth are considered to be focused at the local and regional level. In light of further appraisal this intervention would not contribute significantly towards the strategic objectives."

As it isn't recommended in the STPR it seems unlikely that the Scottish Govt would fund it. I cant see the local authority having the money to do it.

I believe that there is the possibility of using the Edinburgh City Deal money to fund the scheme.

Evening News also mentioned extensions / branches on Borders Rail as potential City Deal funded schemes. Presumably Penicuik and/or Hawick.

 

[clc]

I believe that there is the possibility of using the Edinburgh City Deal money to fund the scheme.

Evening News also mentioned extensions / branches on Borders Rail as potential City Deal funded schemes. Presumably Penicuik and/or Hawick.

Here's hoping. Though I suspect if Edinburgh gets a City Deal extending the trams network will be the council's main transport priority.

 

[DaleCooper]

On Google there appears to be a train at Levenmouth. Is it stranded?

 

[najaB]

On Google there appears to be a train at Levenmouth. Is it stranded?

That image is at least four or five years old as the power station was demolished a while back. I'm pretty sure I've seen photos of trains being broken up somewhere on that line, so there's a good chance they went in with no intention to come back out.

 

[Altnabreac]

Here's hoping. Though I suspect if Edinburgh gets a City Deal extending the trams network will be the council's main transport priority.

Although the City deal is named after Edinburgh it is being negotiated by and must be agreed by 6 local authorities:
Edinburgh
Fife
Borders
East Lothian
Midlothian
West Lothian

Only 1 of those authorities is remotely interested in Trams so schemes like Levenmouth will be promoted by the other LAs.

 

[clc]

Just reading into it a bit more, I hadn't realised the cost estimate to reopen the line is only £76m, so it would be a relatively small proportion of the City Deal budget and half the cost of reopening the Penicuik line. It could be in with a shout.

 

[snakeeyes]

why is it £75m? for 5 miles of railway?

 

[Railsigns]

On Google there appears to be a train at Levenmouth. Is it stranded?

That, I believe, is the stock which is in the hands of The Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society. When I was in the area in 2005, it was stored in the former Kirkland Yard, a little further to the west, but their website says it was once kept at Methil Power Station.