A campaign to reopen the Levenmouth rail link has taken a significant step forward.
Councillors have approved a key transport appraisal that backs reinstating the five-mile stretch of track between Leven and Thornton for passengers and freight.
The link would connect with the Fife circle line, a move seen as a vital step towards regenerating Levenmouth and pulling people out of poverty.
A suggestion to improve bus links between Levenmouth and Markinch Railway Station has also been backed as a short-term solution to the area’s transport problems, although it has been made clear this should not be seen as an alternative to the railway.
The Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (Stag) report will be presented to Transport Scotland before negotiations begin with Network Rail.
The council expects to hear by October 2018 whether the £78 million scheme will be approved and, if it is, the entire project should be completed between 2019 and 2026.
The Levenmouth rail link has been the local authority’s top transport priority for a number of years and £2m was set aside to complete the Stag.
At yesterday’s meeting of the council’s executive committee, where the recommendations were approved, praise was heaped on members of Levenmouth Rail Campaign, which has collected thousands of signatures and piled pressure on the Scottish Government as part of the bid to reopen the line.
Deputy council leader Lesley Laird said: “If you look at the campaign for the Borders railway, it’s not just about the Stag process. What worked for them was wider involvement by community groups.
“This is where the real work begins and we need everyone in this room to go out and be advocates for the Levenmouth rail campaign because, clearly, there are huge benefits to be gained from that.”
Administration leader David Ross stressed that Levenmouth was still the largest conurbation in Scotland without direct access to rail travel.
“This is a significant stage in the campaign,” he said. “Having a rail link gives a certain status to towns and Leven deserves that status.”