Railway upgrade at Garve level crossing

Network Rail are to undertake essential maintenance work at Garve level crossing on the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line, which will require an overnight closure of the main A835 trunk road.

Immediately adjacent to Garve railway station, the upgrade is scheduled over one weekend from Saturday 30 to Sunday 31 October. The existing level crossing is becoming life expired and will be lifted out then replaced with new rails.

The work is part of Network Rail’s commitment to maintain and renew over 20,000 miles of track and 6,000 level crossings across its portfolio.

Natalie Montgomery, Infrastructure Maintenance Delivery Manager for Scotland’s Railway said: “The planned work at Garve level crossing is necessary as this is a key route for passenger rail services between Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness.

“The existing track is nearing expiry and we must ensure replacement in advance of the winter weather, which can be particularly challenging in the Highlands.

“We understand that working close to properties overnight may cause inconvenience for residents and would like to thank them in advance for their patience.

“We also acknowledge this will cause disruption to road users as a full closure of the main road will be required.  We are working closely with BEAR Scotland (Transport Scotland’s trunk road Operating Company) to communicate the situation to key users and intend to keep the duration of closure to an absolute minimum.

“While we do appreciate the short-term impact the delivery of this work will have, the long-term benefit is that that we won’t need undertake activity of this type for many years to come.”

To complete the required work in the safest and most efficient way, the level crossing will be closed as follows:

Half Road closure       19:30hrs until 22:00hrs on Saturday 30 October

Full Road closure        22:00hrs on Saturday 30 until 08:00hrs on Sunday 31 October

Half Road closure       08:00hrs until 16:00hrs on Sunday 31 October 2021

During the full road closure there will be no vehicular access over the crossing, except for emergency vehicles. 

During periods of half road closure vehicles will be able to cross over the railway in either direction under the control of temporary traffic lights.

For any questions on the work, please call our 24-hr helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or email via our website www.networkrail.co.uk/contactus

Photo credit: Network Rail

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