MAJOR disruption is expected on the main Edinburgh to Glasgow railway line from January 29 until February 2 due to “safety works”.
Network Rail engineers will be installing netting and rock anchors to help prevent stones potentially falling from a 10 metre-high rock face above the line.
The project reportedly cannot be delivered without a short-term closure of the line as overhead powerlines will need to be switched off while engineers carry out the work.
The project will mean significant disruption to some services through Scotland’s Central Belt, including:
- Glasgow-Edinburgh, via Falkirk High, services will terminate at Linlithgow. There will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Linlithgow.
- Dunblane-Edinburgh services will terminate at Falkirk Grahamston. There will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Falkirk Grahamston.
- Edinburgh-Helensburgh/Milngavie services will terminate at Bathgate. There will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Bathgate.
- ScotRail Inverness-Edinburgh services will run via Fife and will not call at Stirling. Coaches will replace trains on the LNER route between Edinburgh and Stirling / Inverness.
Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “The work we are delivering is vital to the safe running of the railway and cannot be completed without a short closure of the line.
“We understand the inconvenience this project will cause to our customers and have put plans in place that deliver these improvements as quickly as possible. We thank passengers for their patience while we complete this safety-critical work.”
Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “Due to these engineering works, there will be significant disruption to the services ScotRail can operate between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Stirling, and Inverness.
“We understand the disruption this will cause to customers' journeys, but it is essential that Network Rail carries out these works.
“ScotRail’s advice to customers travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High or via Bathgate, and between Edinburgh and Dunblane, is that you should only travel if your journey is essential.
“Customers travelling between Inverness and Edinburgh should also be aware that journey times may be longer as those services are diverted via Fife.
“We are working hard to finalise plans to provide alternative travel and will communicate that to customers in the coming days.”
Journey times between Linlithgow and Bathgate and Edinburgh will be at least 40 minutes longer via a rail replacement bus to Edinburgh Park and onward journey via tram to the city centre.
Passengers looking to travel directly between Edinburgh and Glasgow can use the following routes which depart and terminate at Glasgow Central.
There will be limited additional capacity and journey times are around 30 to 50 minutes longer compared to services via Falkirk High:
- Edinburgh-Glasgow Central via Shotts.
- Edinburgh-Glasgow Central via Carstairs.
