It's 50 years ago this month that the last passenger train ran on the East Neuk line. On Sunday 5th September 1965 hundreds of people caught the final scheduled service - the 18:20 from Crail to Leven. The East Fife Mail of 8 September, under the headline "No Tickets Left for Last East Neuk Train to Leven Station" reported that such were the numbers of people who travelled to Crail, that...
"...the booking office there ran out of tickets. And crowds greeted the train at every station along the line, with more passengers boarding at practically every stop. Cameras clicked and whirred as the diesel made its way round the coast with visitors, locals, enthusiasts and ex-railwaymen taking their last look at the East Neuk countryside from inside a British Rail train."
Provost James Braid captured the sentiment of the day in his comment that "This closure is a tragedy. Every single person here feels it is a tragedy." He had spear-headed the fight to try to keep the line open and even at this point clung to the hope that the line may resume as a private enterprise. This would prove not to be, however, making the 18:20 service, driven by Jimmy Dobson, the last passenger train after all.
"...the booking office there ran out of tickets. And crowds greeted the train at every station along the line, with more passengers boarding at practically every stop. Cameras clicked and whirred as the diesel made its way round the coast with visitors, locals, enthusiasts and ex-railwaymen taking their last look at the East Neuk countryside from inside a British Rail train."
Provost James Braid captured the sentiment of the day in his comment that "This closure is a tragedy. Every single person here feels it is a tragedy." He had spear-headed the fight to try to keep the line open and even at this point clung to the hope that the line may resume as a private enterprise. This would prove not to be, however, making the 18:20 service, driven by Jimmy Dobson, the last passenger train after all.
Two ladies from Lundin LInks were on board for the final journey (which was their first) and were quoted as saying "we had never been on it before, so we thought we had better take the chance now". Despite the sadness of the occasion, the crowds that waited at Crail, Anstruther, St Monance, Pittenweem, Elie, Kilconquhar, Largo, Lundin Links and Leven were upbeat. There were balloons and even detonators on the track to ensure the day went with a bang! But festivities were short-lived and the day ended on a melancholy note:
"As the train made its last run into Leven station, the clouds opened and the rain came down, as if weeping in sympathy....And then it was all over and the only sound left was the splattering of rain on the lines which had carried the last train from the East Neuk...."
If you recall the closure of the line and have memories or images of its final days - please do comment or get in touch using the 'contact' link.
"As the train made its last run into Leven station, the clouds opened and the rain came down, as if weeping in sympathy....And then it was all over and the only sound left was the splattering of rain on the lines which had carried the last train from the East Neuk...."
If you recall the closure of the line and have memories or images of its final days - please do comment or get in touch using the 'contact' link.
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