Media centre

Friday 10 Feb 2006

HIGH INVESTMENT AROUND BRITAIN’S PEAK STATION

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

A major stretch of railway around the UK’s highest station will be completely upgraded over the next two weekends. Approximately 100 members of staff will remove and replace 3,000 yards of track at Corrour in the Highlands, as part of a £1 million investment by Network Rail. Corrour station is the highest station on the UK railway network, at 1,350 feet above sea level. David Simpson, Route Director, said: “Once this work is complete, passengers and neighbours will benefit from smoother, quieter and faster train journeys to and from Corrour.  The West Highland Line is an important route for tourists and the remote communities it connects, and we believe it’s important to invest in its future. This is a major job for us in lots of ways; it’s big in terms of investment, the area we’re covering, the number of staff involved and the logistics of delivering and replacing over 4,000 new steel sleepers and almost 26,000 rails around the UK’s highest railway station.” Rail engineers have made the most of Corrour’s exposed location by installing environmentally-friendly wind turbines to power the station lighting. First ScotRail has organised alternative transport for affected services on Saturdays 11 and 18 February and Sundays 12 and 19 February:

• Glasgow Queen St, Fort William and Mallaig services will start and terminate at Bridge of Orchy
• A replacement bus services will operate between Bridge of Orchy and Tulloch calling at Fort William, Spean Bridge and Roy Bridge
• A train service will operate between Tulloch and Mallaig. The Fort William Caledonian Sleeper service is retimed to start from and terminate at Oban
• A connecting bus will operate between Crianlarich and Tulloch calling at Upper Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy, Fort William, Spean Bridge and Roy Bridge