By Craig Smith

TWO FIFE MSPs were on opposite sides of the tracks over the Leven to Thornton rail link yesterday after it emerged Network Rail is to declare the route formally “out of use.”

Claire Baker, Labour member for Mid-Scotland and Fife, described the plans as a blow to hopes of bringing passenger services back to Levenmouth and urged the Scottish Government to step in to get more freight on the line.

But Tricia Marwick, of the SNP and Central Fife, rubbished her comments, insisting nothing has changed and the move can be easily reversed.

The stretch of track has been kept up to standard since regular traffic ceased in 2001, being labelled “temporarily out of use.”

Network Rail said putting it “out of use” is an “administrative change.”

However, Ms Baker said, “This development is really worrying as it shows Network Rail don’t think the Leven-Thornton rail line will be in use anytime soon, even for freight, never mind the passenger services we all want to see brought back to Levenmouth.

“Improving transport links in and out of Levenmouth has to be a priority as better links would bring needed jobs and investment into the area.

“This news will come as a real blow to those who have campaigned for the return of a passenger train service.

“It’s clear that under this government, moves to bring a passenger rail link to Leven are going backwards.

“Putting the line out of use, even if reversible, is a direct consequence of the lack of commitment that this SNP Government has to seeing a full rail link reinstated to Levenmouth, and will be seen by many as a betrayal of the promises made to the area.”

But Mrs Marwick said Network Rail’s move would have no effect on plans to reinstate freight or passenger services on the Leven-Thornton line.

She told The Courier, “I sought and got assurances that if anybody wants to run freight or anything else on that line, it will be brought up to standard at Network Rail’s expense and will be operational in two months.

“Essentially it’s an administrative change and it’s exactly the same situation we’ve got at the moment. If anybody wants to run freight on it, Network Rail are obliged to bring it up to standard—nothing’s changed.”

Mrs Marwick also criticised Labour for supporting the £500 million Edinburgh tram project, suggesting some of that money could have already paid to reinstate the Leven link.

She added, “We’ve come further in the last year with the Levenmouth rail link than we have in the last 40 years.”

A Network Rail spokesman said the short-term change would have no effect on any future proposals for the Methil branch, with the branch’s current infrastructure to remain in situ.

“Network Rail has no intention of permanently removing this branch from the network,” the company stressed.

“Network Rail has an obligation under our network licence to make sure that all routes considered ‘open to traffic’ can be immediately accessed by our customers.

“Any breaches of the network licence can lead to enforcement action being taken by the Office of Rail Regulation.

“As there has been no regular traffic on this branch line since early 2001 and there has been slippage in the timescales for the two freight terminal projects that had been originally programmed for delivery this year, Network Rail are undertaking an administrative exercise to comply with our network licence which will permit the branch to be shown as ‘out of use.’

“The temporary network change process puts the onus on Network Rail to return the branch line to an agreed specification at our cost when there is a requirement for its use,” the spokesman added.

“In this instance, our commitment is to return the branch to an operational standard that would permit two freight trains a day to run as far as the proposed new Diageo facility,” the spokesman went on.

“I would reiterate that, although the line will be shown as ‘out of use’ in contractual documentation, it is purely an administrative measure and there is no intention to remove the existing infrastructure.”