DUNFERMLINE Town rail station is on track for a name change after city status was conferred officially by King Charles on Monday.
ScotRail has confirmed the station will now be called Dunfermline City.
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth was keen that the station’s name reflected the importance of Dunfermline’s status and approved the process to make this happen.
The authorities didn't appear so keen back in June, however, when the Press first asked if there would be a name change following the news that Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth had conferred city status on Dunfermline.
Then, ScotRail's head of customer operations had told the Press changing the station's name was a "complicated and costly process".
He explained: "We need to change not only the physical signs but also every mention of the station in all the databases used by the rail industry across the UK. Therefore, it’s impossible to offer any concrete timeline as to when, or if, the name of the station will be changed.”
This week, Gilruth said: “I am delighted that Dunfermline’s significant historic status and importance to Scotland is being properly recognised as a city today.
"I am pleased that Dunfermline Town station will be renamed by ScotRail as Dunfermline City so that everyone arriving and leaving by rail knows that Dunfermline is now a city again.
"I am sure this decision will be warmly welcomed by the city’s residents as they celebrate this momentous occasion.”
While the name change has been confirmed, ScotRail say it will take some time to complete the logistics of the change.
All references to the station across the many databases throughout the rail industry, including those used by Network Rail for signalling, timetabling and operational purposes, will require to be altered.
The train operators say this process is under way and the change to Dunfermline City will be completed formally "as soon as possible".
Alex Hynes, managing director of Scotland’s Railway, said: “We are thrilled that Dunfermline has been awarded city status and it is fantastic to see the King and the Queen Consort visit the newly-named city.
“It is appropriate that we play our part in this change and we have started the process of changing the name of the station.
“It will take some time to formally complete but we are doing everything we can to make this exciting change as soon as we can in recognition of Dunfermline as Scotland’s eighth city.”
