A number of timetable improvements for customers in and around Fife and the Tay Cities are set to be introduced in June this year after more than 700 responses to a public consultation.
ScotRail held the consultation in September last year on a series of proposed improvements for services between Edinburgh, Fife, Perth, and Dundee and for the historic return of rail services to communities in Levenmouth.
Customers were asked for their preference of two possible interim timetable options, to be introduced in June this year, and for detailed feedback on how well the planned timetable for introduction in 2025 will meet local travel needs.
The options were:
Option A – providing Leven with two trains per hour to Edinburgh via Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline as an extension of existing services.
Option B – providing Leven with an hourly service to Edinburgh via Kirkcaldy, reducing journey times between Edinburgh and north Fife and Dundee, and providing more evening services across Fife.
Option B will be introduced, with 42 per cent of those responding opting for that, compared to 22 per cent for Option A – the remainder of the responses said either both, or neither, would improve their journey.
The new timetable will include services to the new stations at Cameron Bridge and Leven which form part of the reopening of the Levenmouth rail link, delivering a major boost to economic sustainability and transport connectivity.
It means customers will see the following benefits:
36 more services for Kirkcaldy every day.
7 additional services for Dunfermline every day.
Journey times from North Fife to Edinburgh reduced by an average of three minutes.
An increase in the number of seats provided between Fife and Edinburgh from just under 16,000 in each direction each day to more than 19,000.
Commuters will see eight per cent more seats from Fife to Edinburgh in the morning peak and 12 per cent more from Edinburgh to Fife in the evening peak.
It will deliver opportunities for local people, unlocking access to education, culture, entertainment, and employment options, as well attracting new business and investment.
Further improvements will be in introduced in 2025, when a second train per hour to Leven is added as an extension of the Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton via Dunfermline service.
Of those responding, 59 per cent said the proposed 2025 timetable would have a positive impact on their journey, with a further 26 per cent stating a neutral impact.
The consultation generated some good suggestions on how the 2025 timetable could be further improved, and the consultation report summarises those which ScotRail is working to incorporate.
Full details of the consultation response is available at https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/future-timetables/fife-and-tay-cities-timetable-consultation
Scott Prentice, ScotRail Strategic Planning Director, said: “We are delighted that so many people took the time to submit responses in the public consultation and play an active part in helping to decide what future timetables will look like.
“ScotRail is absolutely committed to making improvements, and while we know there is some way to go, this phased approach will ensure that we operate a reliable train service across all of Fife when the Levenmouth line reopens.
“Rail travel remains one of the easiest and sustainable ways to get around Scotland, and we will continue to look at ways of making it an even more attractive mode of transport.”
