Scotland's First Minister John Swinney officially opens Levenmouth rail line.
Six-mile line reconnects most populous area of Scotland without a rail link
It may only be a nine-minute journey off the main line, but the branch to Leven that was officially opened on Wednesday is likely to transform one of the most deprived areas of Scotland for decades.
Indeed, the warm, bright spring morning that greeted the first special preview train as it hugged the Fife coast from Edinburgh brought to mind the railway’s past in bringing holidaymakers from the cities to Leven’s mile-long beach.
Six-mile line reconnects most populous area of Scotland without a rail link
It may only be a nine-minute journey off the main line, but the branch to Leven that was officially opened on Wednesday is likely to transform one of the most deprived areas of Scotland for decades.
Indeed, the warm, bright spring morning that greeted the first special preview train as it hugged the Fife coast from Edinburgh brought to mind the railway’s past in bringing holidaymakers from the cities to Leven’s mile-long beach.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:14 I'm Alistair Dalton, the transport correspondent for the Scotsman.
00:19 I'm on an official train to mark the launch of the Levenmouth Rail Link in Fife.
00:25 It opens on Sunday 2nd June, reconnecting the most populous part of Scotland with the rail network, Levenmethel-Buckhaven.
00:34 Good morning ladies and gentlemen, it's my enormous pleasure as First Minister to be part of the ceremony today to open the Levenmouth Rail Link
00:44 and to take part in what I think can only be described as a day of unbridled joy for the communities of Levenmouth and the Kingdom of Fife.
00:55 I am absolutely delighted that after 50 years of this community being excluded from the rail network, that we have resolved that today.
01:09 This area has a proud history of connection with the rail industry and rail lines would have traversed this area in the past,
01:19 but for 50 years the rail industry was absent.
01:24 But from Sunday that comes to an end with the opening to the public of the Levenmouth Rail Link.
01:31 [Music]