Burntisland Station: access study must be priority Network Rail told
Network Rail has been told to make a study into tackling long-running accessibility issues at Burntisland Station a priority.
The call came from Melanie Ward MP who spoke in the House of Commons about the problems facing passengers.
The lack of step-free access has forced some passengers to travel to Kirkcaldy and back again – simply to access the platform which has a ramp - while parents with buggies have had to struggle up the stairs to get out.
Ms Ward said she was promised a feasibility report would be delivered by the end of summer - and she is still waiting to see the document.
Raising the matter with Ministers, she said: “This is causing many constituents a great deal of trouble. In June, Network Rail told me it would have the first stage of a feasibility study into how to make Burntisland Station accessible completed by end of summer.
“Despite repeated requests, I have still not been given a date when this will happen. Network Rail has to make this a priority.” She also called on the Leader Of The House to make time for a debate on accessible transport.
Sir Alan Campbell responded: “We are committed to improving the accessibility of Britain’s railway and I know that Ms Ward has raised this issue with the Transport Secretary. We will make announcements in due course, but I agree with her that Network Rail has a responsibility, as well as Government - it is a matter that needs to be addressed, and we are going to get on with it.”
A Network Rail spokesperson said work was already underway to deliver the document which could point the way ahead for improvements to the station..
They added: “We're undertaking an accessibility study at Burntisland Station to assess potential improvements that could be made to better support our customers.
“We remain committed to prioritising inclusive infrastructure wherever possible. Enhancing accessibility benefits all passengers, and we continue to make ongoing improvements across our stations and services to ensure the railway is open and welcoming to everyone.”
The lack of accessibility at Burntisland has been raised by a number of politicians over several years - each keeping the pressure on for improvements.
Calls for improvements date back to 2017, with meetings held and reports updated.
In 2023, Councillor Julie MacDougall (Reform UK) met with Network Rail along with representatives from Burntisland Harbour Access Trust after the last bid for upgrading was unsuccessful. She called then for “a rail station fit for purpose and a rail service which is affordable and reliable” to encourage people to use public transport, and support a busy seaside town.
A letter back from the then Transport Minister said the station was “far from unique” but he was committed to addressing the issues throughNetwork Rail’s ‘Access For All’ programme - only for it to miss out on the last round of improvements.
In 2024, the issue was put back on the agenda as part of the General Election campaign by Councillor Kathleen Leslie (Burntisland, Kinghorn & Western Kirkcaldy, Conservative) on the back of the successful opening of the new Levenmouth Rail Link.
Back then, she said: “It is great to see the new link open and with accessible stations but it once again reminds other Fife communities that they have been left behind.”
A feasibility study is seen as the first step required to get progress on accessibility - but it will need funding to fix the problems.
In her column for the Fife Free Press, Ms Ward said the station was still not fully accessible 30 years on from the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995.
She wrote: “This isn’t just an issue for disabled people, it affects a wide range of people in our community. Just the other day, while I was at Burntisland train station, two women with double buggies had to carry them up the stairs after getting off the train. It was a vivid reminder that our outdated infrastructure is holding people back from travelling freely and safely.
Stations like Burntisland, Cowdenbeath and Kinghorn continue to have serious barriers to step-free access, whether it’s wheelchair users, older residents, parents and carers with prams, or travellers with heavy luggage. In 2025, this is simply not acceptable.