Friday, March 29, 2024
- Advertisement -
Home Network Rail West Highland upgrade works set to begin

West Highland upgrade works set to begin

Network Rail engineers will be delivering upgrade and refurbishment works on the West Highland Line from this weekend.

The line will be closed between Crianlarich and Fort William from Saturday, October 5, until start of service on Monday, October 14, to allow the vital engineering works to take place.

During the week-long line closure, engineers will be working around-the-clock to refurbish bridges and renew under-track drainage systems on the line.

Advertisement

Bridges near Spean Bridge and Corrour will be refurbished and repainted, while the Auch Viaduct near Bridge of Orchy will have its timber deck renewed and its metalwork repaired and repainted.

Drainage culverts beneath the track between Tyndrum Upper and Bridge of Orchy will also be upgraded.

Due to the complexity and volume of the engineering work and the heavy machinery involved, these upgrades cannot be delivered without the short-term closure of the line.

Buses will replace trains between Crianlarich and Fort William during this time and will call at the majority of stations along the route, except Corrour and Rannoch.

Lindsay Saddler, head of maintenance for Network Rail Scotland, said: “We need to carry out vital works at several points on the West Highland Line during this time.

“One of these jobs will be refurbishing the Auch Viaduct which involves lifting the track so we can replace the wooden deck underneath. The metalwork on the structure will also be repaired and repainted.

“Elsewhere, we’ll be renewing and rebuilding drainage culverts under the line, which given the recent weather, is an important task.

“These are significant and complex pieces of work and it is simply not possible to complete them without closing the line for a short time.

“We understand the inconvenience engineering works can cause to some customers and always try to deliver significant projects like these outwith the peak tourist seasons. We do though apologise to anyone whose plans are impacted by this closure.”

image_pdfDownload article

Most Popular

DRS takes delivery of 25 new JNA-Z box wagons from VTG Rail UK

Direct Rail Services (DRS) has taken delivery of a fleet of 25 brand new JNA-Z box wagons from VTG Rail UK, the country’s leading...

SYSTRA employee named one of Planner Magazine’s Women of Influence 2024

The Planner Magazine has selected Jenny Jefferies, Technical Expert - Consents at SYSTRA, as one of its Women of Influence for 2024. Jenny, who is...

ORR review leads to 50 per cent reduction in maximum fees for ticket refunds

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has announced that, thanks to new rules, the maximum fee that train operators and ticket retailers can...

East West Rail to hold drop-in events ahead of statutory consultation

East West Railway Company (EWR) will hold a series of information events in May, helping people to understand how the formal application process to...
- Advertisement -