THE aftermath of Storm Eowyn is continuing to cause disruption to travel and power supplies in Scotland, with nearly 20,000 Scots still without power.
In an update on Sunday afternoon, ScotRail confirmed the following lines had reopened:
- Aberdeen to Edinburgh
- Edinburgh to Glasgow Express
- Leven to Edinburgh
- Fife Circle
- North Berwick line
- Tweedbank line
- Inverness to Aberdeen line
- Far North line, Kyle line all open
ScotRail said the Inverness route will run to Perth, with some of the Inverness to Edinburgh services running in both directions via Fife.
Meanwhile, the West Highland line remains closed between Crianlarich and Glasgow.
Other routes remain closed while Network Rail continues to carry out inspections and repair work.
ℹ️Our teams @NetworkRailSCOT have worked hard and we now have the following lines reopened for services. ⤵️ Aberdeen to Edinburgh Edinburgh to Glasgow Express Leven to Edinburgh Fife Circle North Berwick line Tweedbank line Inverness to Aberdeen line Far North line, Kyle line… pic.twitter.com/WbZ9pkpvfK
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) January 26, 2025
Network Rail said it had received around 400 individual incidents across the network as a result of the storm, from trees on tracks, damaged overhead wires, power supply failures and other objects on the line.
Disruption is expected to continue into Sunday, as ScotRail urged people to check their journey before travelling.
Customers who have been disrupted due to the weather can use their ticket up until the end of Tuesday and can also apply for a refund on any unused tickets.
Ferry services are also continuing to face disruption. Sailings between Gourock and Dunoon have been cancelled for Sunday, with a replacement shuttle bus being provided.
Several other CalMac services are also disrupted and replacement timetables have been issued for a number of routes.
Nearly 22,000 people still without power
Scottish Power is continuing to restore power to homes across the country, as the company said nearly 200,000 properties have been affected since the storm began and had taken more than 52,000 calls.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Show, Justice Secretary Angela Constance (below) said almost 22,000 people were still without power as a result of the storm as of Sunday morning.
We previously reported how the Met Office said that Storm Eowyn has been “pretty exceptional” and was “probably the strongest storm” to hit the UK in at least 10 years.
Scotland recorded 100mph gusts of wind as Storm Eowyn swept across the country.
A gust of 100mph was recorded in Drumalbin, South Lanarkshire, at around 2pm on Friday while the red weather warning was in place.
In Islay, a gust of 91mph was recorded around 2pm, with 90mph recorded in North Lanarkshire.
First Minister attends emergency meeting
John Swinney has taken part in a COBR meeting where he spoke to Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the ongoing impact of the storm on Scotland.
The First Minister warned that the severity of the storm would continue into next week with yellow warnings impacting the speed at which services can fully resume.
He said: “I want to thank people for their continued patience and encourage them to take extra care and look out for each other, particularly those who are supporting vulnerable neighbours and family members.
“As we look ahead to Monday, partners are working at pace to ensure services can resume next week. Local authorities – who are responsible for school closures – will be working to ensure all buildings meet the required safety standards to reopen safely to pupils.
“We would expect decisions on schools to be clearly communicated by local authorities to parents, pupils and staff, with as much advance warning as possible, and would encourage all parents to follow that advice.
“People should prepare for continued disruption, especially in areas that have been impacted by a loss of power, and I encourage everyone to follow advice being issued by local authorities, as well as continuing to follow updates from national agencies.”
