Residents plan mass drop-in at Network Rail event in backlash over 14-month road closure
Residents of a Fife town are set to turn out in number at the first community engagement event on controversial plans to close their main street for 14 months.
Network Rail has come under fire for its lack of engagement over plans to shut Main Street in Thornton while the major work is carried out at the Glenrothes with Thornton station as part of the electrification of the Fife line.
Network Rail has told locals that an “all vehicle” diversion will be in place using the A92 as an alternative route. The initial phase will involve several months of diverting a number of utilities from the existing bridge to safely house them on the temporary services bridge.
The closure will see all vehicles diverted, sparking fears for businesses in the town - and the disruption facing residents.
The company has two community engagement sessions, starting with one today (Thursday, April 9) at Thornton Town Hall from 3:30pm to 6:00pm.
But, after a standing-room only meeting of Thornton Community Council earlier this week, a call for a “mass drop-in” has gone out to the community to rally at the event at 5:00pm.
Network Rail has faced a major backlash from the town and local politicians since its plans - and the timescale proposed - were published a week ago.
A spokesperson for the company said: “ This work is essential to enable future electrification of the line. The existing bridge next to Glenrothes with Thornton station needs to be replaced to create the required height clearance for new overhead line equipment.
“We recognise that the temporary closure of the bridge will cause disruption and apologise for the inconvenience this will create for the local community.
“To help keep people informed, details are being shared ahead of the work beginning, and two public drop‑in events will be held on April 9 and 22nd. We welcome discussions with stakeholders and will explore any additional steps that could help minimise the local impact.”
Over 1000 locals have now signed an online petition launched by the community council calling on Network Rail to halt the closure, and on Fife Council to rescind the order which gave it the go-ahead.
Councillor Lynda Holton (Glenrothes Central and Thornton, SNP) said the turn out at the community meeting “showed the strength of feeling among the villagers about the planned road closure.”
She added: “We heard some really serious concerns from business owners who will be forced to use the planned diversion multiple times a day, costing them thousands of pounds over the 14 months. There are still a lot of unanswered questions so residents are planning to attend the Network Rail community drop-in session on Thursday to get answers and ensure their voices are heard. “ Along with ward councillor, Daniel Wilson, she has written to Fife’s transport chief and called for the work to be paused - a call also made by Richard Baker, MP for Mid Glenrothes, who branded Network Rail’s communication as “appalling” and “a breach of responsibility.”
Thornton is the second major closure for work to be done on the electrification project. Bennochy Road in Kirkcaldy, one of the key routes into town, will close for 12 months in May for the bridge to be demolished and rebuilt. The work is required at both to ensure the structures meet the required height clearance for an electrified railway and allow the installation of the new overhead line equipment underneath.