Rail services between Perth and Inverness will be reinstated from tomorrow morning (Thursday). The railway line has been closed near Dalwhinnie since Saturday following the derailment of two rear vehicles on an overnight rail operations test train.
The derailment caused damage to the train and track. Scotland’s railway engineers have been on site since Saturday working to re-rail the train, repair the damage and get services reinstated for passengers and freight as soon as possible.
No passengers were on board and no-one was injured in the incident, which occurred on Saturday at around 3am.
The cause of the incident is under investigation and Network Rail is working with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to determine the cause. Network Rail is also conducting its own investigation.
Liam Sumpter, Network Rail’s Route Director for Scotland’s Railway, said: “Our engineers have been on site round the clock since Saturday, working tirelessly to re-rail the train and fix the track as quickly as possible so we can reopen the line on Thursday.
“I would like to thank our passengers and freight customers for bearing with us as we work to get services up and running again on the Highland Main Line.”
David Simpson, ScotRail Operations Director, said: “We know our customers making essential journeys were affected by the line closure, and we did everything possible to keep people moving with alternative arrangements.
“We have worked closely with our colleagues in Network Rail Scotland to prepare for the reopening of the line, and we look forward to returning services on Thursday.”
Travel information is available at www.scotrail.co.uk
Photo credit: Network Rail
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