Eighteen days of intensive engineering begin this weekend in Fife as Network Rail advances electrification works that will bring widespread service changes and bus replacements.

From Saturday, engineers will undertake an 18-day programme tackling some of the most complex elements of the scheme, including bridge reconstructions, track modifications and signalling upgrades.

The activity is part of the Scottish Government's £311.5m plan to electrify 118km of railway in Fife and introduce battery-electric trains, cutting reliance on diesel and supporting quieter, more sustainable journeys in line with Scotland's net zero ambitions.

Ahead of installing overhead power lines, sections of the railway must be altered to create the necessary space for new equipment.

During this phase, the bridges at Bennochy Road in Kirkcaldy, Muriespot near Coaltown of Balgonie and Main Street in Thornton will be demolished and rebuilt, while the bridge at Cardenden Road in Cardenden will be upgraded.

Teams will also continue installing foundations for the masts that will support the overhead wires, alongside further improvements to track and signalling.

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To enable the work to take place safely, temporary service changes will apply:

- Saturday 10 to Friday 23 October – no trains will run via Kirkcaldy. Some CrossCountry, LNER and ScotRail services will be revised, with rail replacement buses operating. (Full details: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/service-alterations/key-stage-electrification-work-in-fife-no-trains-kirkcaldy)

- Saturday 24 to Tuesday 27 October – buses will replace ScotRail trains between Cowdenbeath and Leven. (Full details: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/service-alterations/buses-replace-trains-between-cowdenbeath-and-leven-saturday)

Michael McArthur, project manager at Network Rail, said: "This is a really significant stage of the project and an opportunity to complete a substantial amount of work in a relatively short space of time.

"Teams have spent months preparing for this closure, carefully planning every activity to make the best possible use of the time available. By the end of these 18 days, we'll have completed some of the largest and most important pieces of work needed to prepare the railway for the future.

"I'd like to thank passengers and local communities for their patience. We don't take the need for closures lightly, but making these changes now means we can move more quickly towards a quieter, greener and more dependable railway for Fife."

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: "This is the next important phase of the work to electrify the railway through Fife, and it will mean significant changes to services for customers travelling through the area.

"We'll keep people moving wherever possible, with trains running on alternative routes and replacement buses serving impacted stations.

"The travel arrangements change at different stages throughout the works, so we're asking customers to check their journey before setting off and allow some extra time to travel.

"We appreciate everyone's patience while this important investment in Scotland's Railway continues."

Separately, Main Street in Thornton will close from Monday 19 October 2026 until 31 March 2027 to allow bridge works to proceed.