Fife communities lay the tracks for new railway projects

Communities in Fife are preparing to bid for up to £2 million of funding to build the case for new rail lines and stations in the kingdom.

Groups in St Andrews, Newburgh and Kincardine are hoping to benefit from Transport Scotland’s Local Rail Development Fund, which could help them complete the early stages of the rail projects’ approval process.

The fund was a result of a budget deal struck between the Scottish Greens and the SNP in February.

Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Mark Ruskell said it could be “transformational” for local communities currently cut off from the rail network.

Speaking after a meeting with local campaign groups this week, Mr Ruskell said: “I’m delighted to see a strong set of applications will be submitted from Fife to this new fund.

“It really shows how important it is for local communities to be reconnected to the rail network.

“This could be transformational for people from Kincardine to St Andrews, helping them access work, training and education opportunities, as well as bringing in new businesses and boosting tourism.”

Mr Ruskell said the rail fund was a direct result of working closely with campaigns in Newburgh, Levenmouth, St Andrews and Kincardine and hearing of their frustration with the process and the lack of funding for new rail projects.

“Often, local people are best placed to identify the challenges and gaps they face in their transport needs so I hope this fund will put communities back at the heart of deciding how we invest in rail in the future,” he added.

The local rail development fund is open to community groups and transport partnerships across Fife which want to develop plans for new rail connections. The deadline for applications is June 8.

The Scottish Greens helped to launch a Fife-wide rail enhancement strategy, Breaking the Circle, in December, laying out the case for five new rail lines and stations in Fife.