This line is open between Dunfermline and the former Kincardine Pier.
The line's origins, at its west end, were in the Kincardine Branch (North British Railway) which ran from Kincardine Junction, on the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway, to Kincardine station and pier. At its east end the line struck off from the considerably older Charlestown Railway. Its opening closed a gap between these two lines and created a secondary route between Alloa and Dunfermline serving the small coastal villages.
For much of the length, from Torryburn to Kincardine, the line was built on an embankment south of the original shoreline. The land between the line and coastline was reclaimed using infill.
The railway gained more importance in time with the opening of Crombie Pier and Rosyth Dockyard and a depot at Kincardine. In particular, for many years, it served Kincardine Power Station and Longannet Power Station carrying huge tonnages of coal, especially after the line west of Kincardine Power Station closed and Longannet Mine.
Today the line sees infrequent use. A train building factory may be opened by Talgo at Longannet.
/ /1898 | Kincardine and Dunfermline Railway (North British Railway) Line authorised between Kincardine and Elbowend Junction. |
01/07/1906 | Kincardine and Dunfermline Railway (North British Railway) Line opened between Kincardine and Elbowbend Junction, contractor Robert McAlpine. |
07/07/1930 | Kincardine Branch (North British Railway) Kincardine and Dunfermline Railway (North British Railway) West of Fife Railway and Harbour Alloa [1st] (Kincardine Junction) to Dunfermline Lower via Culross closed to passengers. |
/02/2003 | Kincardine and Dunfermline Railway (North British Railway) Coal import terminal near Longannet Power Station for Scottish Power proposed (Longannet Mine had closed the previous year). |
/05/2008 | Longannet Mine Kincardine and Dunfermline Railway (North British Railway) Consideration of re-opening of the mine which is estimated to still have 40 years of workable coal and could be served by the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine line. |
These locations are along the line.
This junction allowed trains from the west (Alloa and Kincardine Junction direction) to enter the loops which served Longannet Power Station's Longannet Bunkers. Control was from Longannet Signal Box located at Longannet East Departure. The junction was location on a sea wall alongside the Firth of Forth.
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Longannet siding was a loop and sidings at Longannet Point. It was later the site of the eastern arrival for the bunkers for Longannet Power Station.
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More detailsThis was a short lived single platform station next to the car park at the west end of Culross. It was used for a passenger service into the Longannet Power Station site in 1992.
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Culross was a two platform station with a passing loop on a single track line. It was around a third of a mile east of the town. This section of line was built on the shore, with the land between the high water mark and railway embankment being reclaimed.
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This colliery was sunk by the Fife Coal Co Ltd at a site between Culross [1st] to the west and Torryburn to the east. The mine was on the north side of the line. It was laid out with an exchange yard to the west, accessed from the east from the main line. The mine sidings were to the east of the exchange yard. To the south of the main railway were tip sidings, approached from the ...
More detailsA single platform station on the south side of a loop. A goods yard was to the west, on the south side of the line and served from the west.
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More detailsThis junction was formed when the Charlestown and Dunfermline Railway was met by the 1866 West of Fife Railway and Harbour. Both lines were single track and the signal box (dating from 1894) was in the 'V' of the junction.
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Mining from Kirkintilloch to Clackmannan and Stirling to Slamannan | Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire's Lost Railways |