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Monday 5 Jan 2026

Efforts continue to restore train services in northern Scotland after heavy snow

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail’s snowploughs are continuing to clear tracks blocked by heavy snow following severe winter weather across the north of Scotland.

A yellow Met Office weather warning remains in place for frequent heavy snow showers across northern Scotland today, with the alert extending to cover the whole country tomorrow.

Currently, due to heavy snow drifts on the tracks, the following lines remain closed:

• Inverness - Wick/Thurso
• Inverness – Kyle
• Inverness - Aberdeen
• Aberdeen - Dundee

Multiple snowploughs have been deployed across the affected lines, with specialist teams working around the clock to remove snow and ice from key lines and restore services.

Network Rail’s team of meteorologists are closely monitoring the forecast and supporting the response.

Gary Hopkirk, route programme director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “Careful planning for the winter months means we have measures in place to help keep trains and passengers moving during cold snaps where it’s safe to do so.

“Deep snow can pose a serious risk to the railway, and when snow depth exceeds 30cm, trains can’t run safely unless fitted with snow ploughs.

“Our teams are working as hard as they can, however, in some parts the snowdrifts are forming as quickly as we’re clearing them.

“We’ll only reopen lines and return to normal operations once we’re confident it’s safe to do so. We appreciate the patience of passengers while we manage the impact of this heavy snowfall.”

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “Despite the challenging weather conditions in the north of the country, the majority of the ScotRail network remains open, and we’re working closely with our Network Rail colleagues as efforts continue to safely restore services where heavy snow is impacting the railway.

“The Met Office yellow weather warning for snow and ice has been extended until Tuesday, 6 January, covering the entire country. Conditions can change quickly, so we’d encourage customers to plan ahead and check their journey before travelling.

“We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding while this vital work continues, and we’re doing everything we can to keep people moving safely.”

Passengers are advised to check before they travel and allow extra time for journeys.

Follow @NetworkRailScot on X for live updates.

For more information on any changes to services, check www.nationalrail.co.uk or with your train operator.