Part of the West Highland Railway Line is set to reopen after more than 100 tonnes of falling debris caused damage to the tracks. The Oban railway was closed on Monday following a landslide near Falls of Cruachan on Loch Awe.
Debris including boulders, trees and waterlogged soil covered the tracks and landed on the nearby A85 road from privately-owned land above the railway. The road was then closed for a period of time in both directions for safety reasons.
Network Rail said engineers have now removed more than 200 tonnes of landslip material and installed a barrier system to protect the railway while more extensive work is carried out. The rail company said the Oban line will reopen on Tuesday with its engineers working around the clock over the Christmas period to fix the tracks and signalling system damage by the landslip.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “The Oban line will reopen on Tuesday, December 27 following work to repair landslip-damaged tracks near Falls of Cruachan. Temporary repairs to the slope above the railway are complete. We’ll work 24/7 over Christmas to fix the track and damaged signalling system.”
Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “Our engineers have worked as quickly as possible to complete these repairs and restore the road and rail links. This is a very challenging and complex project, with hundreds of tons of material having to be removed and significant repairs made to over 30 feet of the railway track.
“While we will be able to reopen the line for customers next week, our engineers will remain on-site into the new year working to further stabilise the slope above the railway at this location. We appreciate the inconvenience the closure of the railway has caused to passengers, and local communities, and we thank everyone for their understanding during these recovery works.”
It comes as trains in Scotland have stopped running until after Christmas as the latest round of railway workers’ industrial action gets under way. ScotRail warned no trains north of the border will run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, with services expected to resume on December 27.
The strike by RMT union members at Network Rail is part of a long-running dispute over pay. ScotRail said trains stopped running in the UK from 6pm on Saturday, when the strike started, with services winding down from 3pm earlier in the day – much earlier than normal.
The train operator said services do not normally run on Christmas Day. Passengers have been warned in advance to travel only if “absolutely necessary”.
David Simpson, ScotRail Service delivery director, said: “We’re reminding customers that ScotRail services will be disrupted over the Christmas period as a result of the dispute between Network Rail and the RMT.
“Services will be stopping earlier than usual on Christmas Eve, there will be no services on Boxing Day, and the first trains will start later than normal on Tuesday December 27.
“We know this is really frustrating for everyone impacted and we’re urging customers to plan ahead and check their entire journey in advance.
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