Cameron Bridge railway station

Cameron Bridge
Cameron Bridge station platforms in June 2024
General information
LocationCameron Bridge, Fife
Scotland
Coordinates56°11′23″N 3°02′49″W / 56.189693°N 3.046855°W / 56.189693; -3.046855
Grid referenceNO3517800215 (new)
NO347001 (old - razed)
Platforms2 (reopened)
Train operatorsScotRail
Construction
AccessibleYes
Other information
StatusOpen
Station codeCBX
History
Original companyLeven Railway
Pre-groupingNorth British Railway
Post-groupingLNER
Key dates
10 August 1854 (1854-08-10)Opened
6 October 1969Closed to passengers
1990s (1990s)Closed completely
2 June 2024Resited and reopened
Location

Cameron Bridge railway station serves the village of Cameron Bridge, Fife, Scotland. The station is on the Levenmouth rail link branch of the Fife Circle Line. It also serves Windygates, Buckhaven and Methil.

The present station was opened on 2 June 2024 as part of the Levenmouth rail link, a £116 million project funded by the Scottish Government.[1][2] The new station is situated to the east of where the original station stood, on the other side of the main A915 road, and has two platforms.[3]

History

Original station

The station was opened on 10 August 1854 by the Leven Railway. It was situated near Cameronbridge Distillery, for which there were many sidings, and to the east of a level crossing on the road to Kirkcaldy and Cupar. The Muiredge Branch to the south also served a few collieries and Muiredge Goods. The station closed to passengers on 6 October 1969[4] but the distillery sidings operated until the 1990s.[5] The remains of the station were demolished in 2022 as part of works to reopen the line.[6]

New station

The site of the original station and distillery in July 2007

In December 2020, the site for the new station was confirmed.[3] It was not possible to site a new station in the same location as the original due to the need to position it a minimum safe distance from Cameronbridge Distillery, under COMAH regulations. Instead, a greenfield site further east was chosen.[7]

New Cameron Bridge station under construction in June 2023

Construction started in January 2023[8] and finished in January 2024. Driver training then commenced and in March, it was announced the station was expected to reopen on 2 June.[9]

The station has two 196 m (643 ft) platforms connected by lifts and a footbridge. Facilities at the station include 16 cycle spaces and a 125 space car park, with space for an extra 300 spaces in future if needed as the station serves as a railhead for the local area.[10]

A 140 m (460 ft) footbridge over the River Leven is also to connect the station to Methilhill area of Methil in a separate active travel project.[10] However, this has now been delayed as the contractor for the bridge went into administration in April 2024 and whilst an interim solution is being sought, the bridge is not expected to be open until autumn 2024.[11]

Moffat & Williamson have been awarded the daytime contract by Fife Council to provide the bus link. Stagecoach East Scotland have diverted services to call at the station during the evening and on Sundays

Services

All services at Cameron Bridge are operated by ScotRail. The typical service on all days of the week is one train per hour in each direction between Leven and Edinburgh Waverley via Kirkcaldy.[12]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Kirkcaldy   ScotRail
  Leven
Historical railways
Thornton Junction
Line open, station closed
  Fife Coast Railway   Leven
Line and station reopened

References

  1. ^ "Disused Fife rail line to be reopened". BBC News. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Levenmouth Rail Link | The railway has returned to Levenmouth". ScotRail. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Levenmouth Reconnected". Scotlands Railway. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  4. ^ M E Quick, Railway Passenger Stations in England Scotland and Wales—A Chronology, The Railway and Canal Historical Society, 2002, p. 105
  5. ^ "Cameron Bridge station and distillery". Geograph. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Platform removal clears way for double tracking at Cameron Bridge". Network Rail Media Centre. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  7. ^ DEM, David Shirres BSc CEng MIMechE (22 August 2022). "Reconnecting Levenmouth". Rail Engineer. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Construction of new Cameron Bridge Station begins". Network Rail. 23 January 2023. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  9. ^ Piper, Laura (27 March 2024). "Trains set to service Fife area for first time in more than five decades". STV News. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  10. ^ a b David Shirres (19 December 2023). "Levenmouth Almost Reconnected". Rail Engineer. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  11. ^ Allan Crow (29 April 2024). "Leven Rail Link: major delay installing new bridge as contractor goes into administration". Fife Today. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Train Times: Edinburgh to Fife, Perth and Dundee". ScotRail. Retrieved 5 June 2024.