Growing anger at Fife rail service failings

There is growing resentment among commuters using ScotRail's Fife coastal route who claim they have been left stranded because of cancellations and scheduled stops being scrapped.
ScotRail say services will improve.ScotRail say services will improve.
ScotRail say services will improve.

Many have taken to social media to vent their frustration at the number of cancelled services, overcrowding and missed stops on the Fife coastal route in recent weeks.

Community representatives in Aberdour, one of the station stops being scrapped to allow for late running trains to get back on schedule, discussed the impact on the village.

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Ian Flemming, Aberdour Community Council chairman told the Press they have now written to ScotRail seeking reassurances that the public’s concerns are being taken seriously.

A spokesman for ScotRail confirmed that a small fire was responsible for the termination at Inverkeithing of a late-night Fife coastal route service on December 22.

It’s claimed some taxi drivers were asking for as much as £50 to take stranded passengers as far as Kirkcaldy. However ScotRail says it did provide two buses half an hour later.

Commuters heading back to work after the Christmas brake, as well as shoppers heading into the capital have been further impacted this week with the cancellation of the 7.41am, 8.21 and 8.27am services from Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh on Wednesday.

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Commenting on Facebook following the Press story regarding cancellations, Catrina Teasdale said: “I have travelled almost exclusively by train to work in Edinburgh for 41 years. The service now is by far the worst I’ve experienced.

“Four times in a week a peak commuter train (from Kinghorn and before) has been cancelled. It’s an extortionate cost to travel on the Fife Circle, it’s nothing short of disgraceful.”

Fellow commuter Neil Galloway added: “It’s more than just cancellations – it’s the price, inflexibility of their tickets, over crowding and the regular practice of skipping stops if their service is delayed.”

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