A team of Network Rail volunteers have supported a project at Aberdour Heritage Centre and Station Gardens, which has seen trees and vegetation cut back from land adjacent to the railway and within the railway boundary. The successful project also saw volunteers work on general gardening and preparing planters with flowers, which will provide colourful blooms for the summer months.

The vegetation project saw 8.5 miles of line between Aberdour to Kirkcaldy cut back in a big to keep passengers safe and trains running on time whilst supporting line-side neighbours. Overgrown trees and vegetation near the railway can create safety issues for both trains, passengers, railway colleagues, line-side neighbours and adjacent land users and owners.

Now that the project is complete, Network Rail is undertaking an array of ecological procedures in order to reduce the impact of the cutting back process for local wildlife which includes the installation of bat and bird boxes and habitat piles that will help invertebrate and insect diversity along the line-side.

Prior to the project going ahead, several environmental-based surveys were completed with advice and input from ecologists. The area undergoing clearance has been inspected for nesting birds and protected species.

Ahead of the work, environmental surveys were carried out, with guidance from ecologists, and the area undergoing the clearance work was inspected for nesting birds and protected species.

Kirsty Armstrong, Scheme Project Manager for Network Rail said: “While our priority is the safety and performance of the railway, we have taken a number of proactive steps to mitigate the impact of removing trees and created a mixture of habitats supporting different species alongside the railway.”

“It was great that some of us could lend a hand at the station gardens at the end of our project to give something back to the community where we have been working for the last few months.”

“We also want to thank the local community for their understanding whilst we delivered the project.”

Bill Rennie from Aberdour Heritage Centre and Station Gardens commented: “It was a delight to have Network Rail volunteers here with them achieving so much.”

“Their contribution left the station gardens in really good shape and saved us at least one week’s work.”

“They prepared barrel planters for summer bedding plants, cleared two sets of steps from accumulated vegetation, weeded and tidied the stone borders on platform two, and watered our planters.”

“All-in-all a great success from our side.”