Leven rail link: Network Rail’s footbridge plan over £116m rail line

It would be a substitution for the section of existing core path which crosses this site, and would enable the trail to be “renewed and improved” at this location.

“The proposal seeks to improve existing infrastructure by providing access over the railway corridor for the communities of Kirkland and Mountfleurie. The footbridge will provide step free access and is an improvement over the existing ‘unmade’ path over rough ground,” Network Rail said in a planning statement.

“It will improve an existing community resource through the provision of step free footbridge over the railway, maintaining community connections.”

The bridge has specifically been designed for Active Travel - walking, wheeling and cycling.

The proposal is for a 108 metres long steel footbridge with approach ramps on either side and steps going down to the existing core path at ground level.

At its highest point, the bridge would be approximately 8.8 metres tall from floor to the top of the parapet, and the deck would measure about four metres wide.

The footbridge proposals are all part of the Levenmouth Rail Link programme - a £116m Scottish Government investment to link Leven to the mainline rail network after more than five decades. It will reinstate the passenger rail connection from Thornton Junction to Leven, and it is anticipated to open in Spring 2024. The site of the potential footbridge is between Mountfleurie, Leven and Kirkland. Fife Council will consider the proposals in due course.