West Fife: Network Rail volunteers lend a hand in Aberdour

The project has been described as a 'great success' after workers helped to prepare the area for summer, focussing on general garden work and preparing planters.

Bill Rennie from Aberdour Heritage Centre and Station Gardens said: "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."

The team have already completed work to cut trees and vegetation on an 8.5 mile stretch of line between Aberdour and Kirkcaldy.

This work was needed to keep passengers safe and trains punctual while reducing the risk for lineside neighbours.

Following completion of the tree and vegetation management work, Network Rail has begun implementing a range of ecology measures to minimise the impact on local wildlife.

Bat and bird boxes have been installed and habitat piles built to support invertebrates and insects to improve the overall diversity of the lineside.

Ahead of the work, environmental surveys were carried out, with input from ecologists, and the area 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 were able to 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."