Every Platform Episode 55: The Fife Circle

[@ClydebridgeStation]

Cardenden is my local station. I live just 10 minutes walk from it! And did you notice, Cardenden has recently had new station nameboards installed, without the gaelic translation. Other things about Cardenden, until the early 2000s, there was a childrens playpark in the grassy area of the car park, comprising two sets of swings! The playpark is now at the back field, a couple of minutes walk behind other houses. The station building was demolished after a fire in 1980, but the station had been unstaffed for many years. And, the brick building you saw, after you got off the train, is the infants (primary 1-3) building for Denend Primary School, which I attended from 1983-1990. There's a second building, of an older design, where primary 4-7 go to, along with the TV room, computer room, and school office.

[@KTVTransport]

It's got a bit of history then - I didn't spot the nameboards oddly but hey ho. Hope you enjoyed the video!

[@thomassmith839]

same Cardenden is my local too

[@philipsalmon2192]

Thank you for introducing me to stations new , although I’m unlikely to visit any of them.

[@KTVTransport]

No worries! Hope you enjoyed the video!

[@arnoldspottingvideos5269]

Great video Kieran. Is a 14 hour journey from Aberdeen to Penzance

[@KTVTransport]

Thanks bud, yep very long!

[@paulharvey9149]

Dalmeny station also has original North British Railway buildings on one side - as do North Queensferry, Inverkeithing (southbound) & Dunfermline Town (and also at Aberdour, Burntisland and Kinghorn, on the other side of the Fife Circle). Those on the opposite platforms were demolished (and replaced in the case of Inverkeithing's northbound side - in the mid 1980s if my memory serves me correctly!) Rosyth - which was Rosyth Halt until 1982, had only a lofty signal box - which also used to sell tickets! Dunfermline Town was previously known as Dunfermline Lower, incidentally - to differentiate it from Dunfermline Upper on the Stirling & Dunfermline Railway, which closed to passengers in 1968, but remained standing until after the remaining stub of the line to Comrie Colliery had closed in 1982. There was a curve permitting direct travel between the two Dunfermline stations (Upper Station having been much more convenient for the town centre) that was also closed around this time). It is of course still possible to access Stirling from Dunfermline on the single-track line that runs along the north shore of the Forth via Kincardine, but although maintained for almost immediate use, this has had no regular traffic for some years. Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly stations were rebuilt during the 1950s in the style that remains at Cowdenbeath - Lochgelly's main building was about half its size - but was also demolished during the 1980s when it and Cardenden had only four peak-time trains on weekdays only and were therefore unstaffed and a target for vandals. (Kirkcaldy was also rebuilt in this style, but only the northbound side remains as the main building on the southbound platform was destroyed by fire and replaced in the 1990s). I don't remember Cardenden having anything other than very basic shelters, although earlier photographs suggest it had very non-standard buildings dating from who-knows-when. Perhaps the original ones were also replaced for some reason? Glenrothes with Thornton dates from the 1992 inauguration of the Fife Circle Service as you note. There was no station here at the east side of the triangular junction with the ECML, as Thornton Junction was just beyond the northern apex - although a single line did run due east and under the main lines, to allow freight to leave/access the former Methil branch without fouling the main lines and the former station area! Between 1964 (when the last Fife Coast Expresses from Glasgow via Dunfermline and Leven ran) and 1992, the east to north curve had only a parliamentary service in the form of two early-morning DMUs that commenced their journeys at Markinch. There was no scheduled passenger service on the east to south curve - and at present, it has only a parliamentary service too! The good news is that it is planned to extend one Fife Circle train each way to to the new Levenmouth station, when it opens in 2024. Thanks for the clarification regarding the remote location of "Glenrothes" station by the way - which is at the southern end of Thornton and closer to the northern part of Kirkcaldy than most of Glenrothes (where I spent part of my childhood). I suspect more Glenrothes people continue to use Markinch station, actually! Lochgelly for St Andrews? No! I don't think so - and there's no direct bus service either, I assure you! Try Leuchars...

[@KTVTransport]

Loads of interesting facts to note about the area, did spot the North British Railway buildings on the three stations too! It's a railway with a lot of history!

[@SR_Scotland]

the closest railway station to st Andrews is leuchars

[@SR_Scotland]

🎉

[@thomassmith839]

I was talking to myself saying: lochgelly is nowhere near st andrews, What are you on?

[@andybar1749]

KTV do a chase line in about two days three days four days or one week

[@KTVTransport]

Patience.