Services should operate via Glenrothes in a loop

[AlbertBeale]

Moderator note: Split from

Levenmouth rail link to reopen: project updates

Does anyone know what type of junction will be installed for car access into Cameron Bridge Station? Sorry if I didn't quite get what your looking for - but if you're asking for the road junction at the entrance to the car park, it's going to be a simple T-junction off the A915. Here's the...

www.railforums.co.uk

Not any more from this Sunday, 2nd June the service via Kirkcaldy now goes to Leven rather than Glenrothes. The Glenrothes via Dunfermline now terminates at Glenrothes and returns same route.

So does that mean the end of regular services round the top of the loop?

Surely it would have been better to run the services from the western side of the loop to the new Leven line, and keep the Kirkcaldy ones going to Glenrothes.

That way, all connections are maintained - and it would give from places on the western side a link to Leven they otherwise won't have.

 

[lachlan]

Moderator note: Split from

Levenmouth rail link to reopen: project updates

Does anyone know what type of junction will be installed for car access into Cameron Bridge Station? Sorry if I didn't quite get what your looking for - but if you're asking for the road junction at the entrance to the car park, it's going to be a simple T-junction off the A915. Here's the...

www.railforums.co.uk

So does that mean the end of regular services round the top of the loop?

Surely it would have been better to run the services from the western side of the loop to the new Leven line, and keep the Kirkcaldy ones going to Glenrothes.

That way, all connections are maintained - and it would give from places on the western side a link to Leven they otherwise won't have.

I don't think there has been services around the loop for a while now.

The plan is indeed to run the services from the west through to Leven, but also running the Kirkcaldy trains to Leven, giving 2tph Leven-Edinburgh.

Presumably the number of people travelling from Kirkcaldy to stations on the Fife Circle line is sufficiently small that it's better to run the service to Level (or Dundee) instead. I had a look earlier and there are several bus services from Kirkcaldy to Glenrothes, though the service on Sundays looks sparse.

 

[30907]

Presumably the number of people travelling from Kirkcaldy to stations on the Fife Circle line is sufficiently small that it's better to run the service to Level (or Dundee) instead. I had a look earlier and there are several bus services from Kirkcaldy to Glenrothes, though the service on Sundays looks sparse.

On the one occasion I did the route (admittedly between lockdowns) the midday train was very quiet between K and G (and indeed onwards to Cowdenbeath).

 

[edwin_m]

Markinch station looks slightly closer to the centre of Glenrothes and has regular services from Kirkcaldy, so I don't think the loss of service between Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes with Thornton is a major loss. With hindsight, opening a station on the site of Thornton Junction might have been better than putting one on the Cowdenbeath line to the west, as it would have allowed connections between Kirkcaldy-Dundee and Dunfermline-Leven routes. But in the days the Fife Circle ran, it would have missed that station completely.

 

[lachlan]

On the one occasion I did the route (admittedly between lockdowns) the midday train was very quiet between K and G (and indeed onwards to Cowdenbeath).

I did the journey once, purely to ride that bit of track, and the train was pretty quiet.

 

[Tayway]

An ideal timetable for the Fife Circle would probably be 2tph Edinburgh to Leven via Kirkcaldy, 1tph Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy via Dunfermline, and 1tph Edinburgh to Markinch via Dunfermline.

That way Leven gets a half-hourly Edinburgh service via the fastest route, Kirkcaldy keeps its connection to the Circle stations, and it becomes much easier to travel northwards towards Dundee/Perth from Circle stations as doubling back via Inverkeithing is no longer required.

However you'd probably need a few extra turnback sidings/crossovers to prevent terminating trains at Kirkcaldy and Markinch getting in the way of mainline services.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Isn't one of the problems that, while Glenrothes is the largest settlement near at least the northern part of the loop line, the station is anything but conveniently located for the town centre (or much of the town), and there are many frequent bus services linking the town centre (and numerous residential areas) with Kirkcaldy and numerous other towns nearby. Going by train from Kirkcaldy to Glenrothes would strike me as unlikely to be a means of transport of first choice for many.

Point taken that other journey useful opportunities might be created, although I wonder how much use would be made of direct trains from most of the places on the loop line to Leven.

 

[Leven Railuser]

Isn't one of the problems that, while Glenrothes is the largest settlement near at least the northern part of the loop line, the station is anything but conveniently located for the town centre (or much of the town), and there are many frequent bus services linking the town centre (and numerous residential areas) with Kirkcaldy and numerous other towns nearby. Going by train from Kirkcaldy to Glenrothes would strike me as unlikely to be a means of transport of first choice for many.

Point taken that other journey useful opportunities might be created, although I wonder how much use would be made of direct trains from most of the places on the loop line to Leven.

You are spot on. The location is not even close to convenient. The locals call the station "Thornton station". It's akin to some of the obscure Ryanair airports the way they name them.

You'll find much easier rail access at Markinch. There's a good bus service to the station and a fair sized car park for commuters.

Likewise regular buses serve Kirkcaldy from Glenrothes

 

[lachlan]

The breaking of the Fife circle does mean a loss of direct Kirkcaldy to Dunfermline services and the interchange opportunities that came with it. Although many journeys would likely be just as quick changing at Inverkeithing instead.