Leven and East of Fife Railway

Introduction

This line closed in 1966. It was formed by the merger of the Leven Railway with the East of Fife Railway in 1861, forming a line reaching from Thornton Junction to Kilconquhar.

It was extended east to Anstruther [1st] in 1863. The line became part of the Fife Coast Line in 1883 when the Anstruther and St Andrews Railway joined railways in the north and south of the east of Fife.

A single track but scenic line, popular with tourists, it is missed.






Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Kilconquhar to Anstruther

This line extended from Thornton to Kilconquhar, these portions being built by earlier companies, and was extended east to Anstruther.

This station was built to a design commonly used on this line. A loop, with a passenger platform on one side (north) and a loading bank (south) which was an island served on both sides. A siding to the south was served from the east. Unlike most of the other stations it was not altered from this. There was a level crossing at the west end.
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See also
East of Fife Railway
Entrance to the modified former station house at Kilconquhar in Fife, photographed looking south from the A917 road in the summer of 2007. The station ...
John Furnevel 26/07/2007
Looking west at Kilconquhar, over the site of the level crossing, in September 2021. The ramp at the west end of the surviving brick platform can be ...
Mark Bartlett 16/09/2021
A view east from the west end of Kilconquhar platform in September 2021. It is still there, below the extensive vegetation growth, but was much more ...
Mark Bartlett 16/09/2021
Kilconquhar station, photographed in June 1964 from a departing eastbound DMU. Post closure the building is still in use as a private residence ...
Brian Haslehust 24/06/1964
4 of 7 images. more


This station is closed. This was originally a single platform station with a loop. To the north of the loop was the passenger platform and to the south a loading bank, which was an island with a track down either side. To the south again was a siding, approached from the east.
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Elie station, photographed in 1964 from a departing eastbound DMU. It closed the following year and the site is now built over. ...
Brian Haslehust 24/06/1964
View of Elie station, from an eastbound DMU, on Saturday 4th September 1965. The line closed to regular passenger traffic two days later. ...
Brian Haslehust 04/09/1965
Elie station in 1967, taken after track-lifting. I placed the sign to make it show. How I wish I had kept that sign but it would never have fitted ...
Jim Scott //1967
Arrival at Elie station on the Fife coast, shortly before the 6th September 1964 withdrawal of passenger services between Leven and St Andrews. ...
Frank Spaven Collection (Courtesy David Spaven) /09/1964
4 of 6 images. more


This was a two platform station with a loop. The main station building was on the eastbound platform.
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St Monance station, seen from a departing Edinburgh-Dundee DMU on a misty autumn morning in 1964. ...
Brian Haslehust 04/09/1964
St Monance, taken from an eastbound DMU. The photograph dates from 4th September 1965, just two days before closure of the line to regular passenger ...
Brian Haslehust 04/09/1965
Evidence of the Fife coastal route along the Forth is sparse where agriculture has reclaimed the trackbed in many places. This is evident just west ...
Malcolm Chattwood 19/05/2019
Part of an old loading bank that once stood alongside St Monance station on the Fife coast, photographed looking south west towards Elie in 2007. The ...
John Furnevel 01/07/2007
4 of 6 images. more


This was a two platform station on a single track line. There was a goods yard to the south - a siding looped from the line served the second face of the westbound platform and there was a siding from this, served from the east. The centre of Pittenweem itself is under half a mile to the south of the former station.
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Pittenweem station, seen from an eastbound DMU in 1964. ...
Brian Haslehust 04/09/1964
A view of the former station building from Yard entrance. ...
Brian Adam 23/07/2015
A view of the former station building from the yard entrance. ...
Brian Adam 23/07/2015
The former station building at Pittenweem viewed from the bridge. The view looks east. ...
Brian Adam //2016
4 of 5 images. more


This was the junction between the Leven and East of Fife Railway of 1863 and the Anstruther and St Andrews Railway of 1883, both single track lines. With the extension the original Anstruther [1st] station became a goods yard on a short branch, replaced by Anstruther [2nd] which was to the north and a little further east. The signal box was on the north side of the junction.
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More details

See also
Anstruther and St Andrews Railway
Looking east from the bridge at Anstruther Junction in 2015 towards the sites of the two stations. Straight ahead then slightly left for New, to the ...
Colin Miller 14/06/2015
1 of 1 images.


This was the terminus of the Leven and East of Fife Railway in Anstruther Wester. After extension of the line to St Andrews [2nd] it became a goods only station, replaced by Anstruther [2nd] just to the north. The original line and new line met at Anstruther Junction, just to the west.
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Ex-LNER Thompson B1 No 61132 stands in the yard at Anstruther in August 1965. Photograph taken from the passing RCTS Fife Coast Railtour. ...
G W Robin 28/08/1965
1 of 1 images.