More Trains For Fife As ScotRail Enhance Leven Services In May 2025 Timetable
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from ScotRail.
This is the sub-heading.
ScotRail is set to introduce significant timetable improvements from Sunday, 18 May 2025, with a major focus on enhancing rail connections for Fife.
This first paragraph gives more details of the improvements to services.
The new timetable will include more frequent services to and from Leven, improving access to and from Edinburgh, and better connecting communities throughout Fife. Additional carriages are also being added to some trains at the busiest times to provide more seats for customers.
It sounds to me, that services to Leven have got a bad case of London Overground Syndrome, which I define in this post, which unsurprisingly is called London Overground Syndrome. I define it like this.
This benign disease, which is probably a modern version of the Victorian railway mania, was first identified in East London in 2011, when it was found that the newly-refurbished East London Line and North London Line were inadequate due to high passenger satisfaction and much increased usage. It has now spread across other parts of the capital, despite various eradication programs.
It keeps appearing across the UK and I suspect it happens in other countries too!
As ScotRail had a severe dose of London Overground Syndrome, when they reopened the Borders Railway, you’d have think that they’d have been prepared this time.
The Anonymous Widower 
They didn’t have enough trains and this is being achieved by jugglings things around. They should have bought BEMUs or would ahve been a great route to trial some BEMUs on.
Comment by Nicholas Lewis | April 28, 2025 |
The route could be electrified by putting perhaps fifty metres of wires up at Leven station.
I’m also fairly certain that Hitachi could cobble together a four-car Class 385 BEMU, as they are similar under the skin to a Class 800/801/802. I suspect one of the ROSCOs would have even funded it too.
But I suspect, all three bunches of politicians mascarading as governments turned it down, as everybody would want a fleet.
Comment by AnonW | April 28, 2025 |
After a hiatus due to funding disappearing when HS2 was cancelled, electrification and tendering for BEMUs is under way again. https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/scotrail-battery-electric-train-procurement-plan-confirmed/69541.article
They won’t be electrifying the Forth Bridge though. AIUI, this is more to do with physical problems installing the hardware.
Comment by Peter Robins | September 9, 2025 |