THE female arriving at platform 1 ... can take the rest of the day off to enjoy her golden wedding anniversary.

That was the pleasant surprise for Linda Mullen, who works for Scotrail Alliance in the booking office at Inverkeithing railway station.

There was also a photo of her and husband John from their wedding day on July 8, 1967 on the notice board.

And the surprises didn't end there.

As well as her manager giving her the day off to start the celebrations early, friends presented the West Fife couple with flowers and champagne.

Linda said: "It's such a wonderful surprise, we're really lucky to work with such lovely people."

The couple's marriage has stayed on track for half a century, almost as long as their combined 44 years of experience working on the railway.

Linda started working at Kinghorn station in 1989 before moving to Inverkeithing while John had a number of stops before ending up at Kinghorn, where they can often be seen tending the garden together.

To mark 50 years of marriage, the pair enjoyed a Mediterranean cruise earlier this year, before opting for the cooler climes of the Borders on their anniversary.

John laughed: "They said we were too young to get married, but we proved them wrong!"

ScotRail Alliance communications director Rob Shorthouse said: “Linda and John are well known across Fife for the fabulous work that they do, both in our ticket offices and in the station gardens.

“Fifty years together is amazing achievement, and we all send them our heartiest congratulations.”