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Monday 10 Jul 2017

Kilmarnock-Carlisle line to close for nine day infrastructure upgrade

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Engineers will be working around-the-clock to deliver a multi-million pound programme of upgrade and refurbishment projects along the route from Saturday, July 15, to Sunday, July 23.

Replacement bus services will operate between Kilmarnock and Carlisle during this period to help minimise disruption for passengers while we deliver this vital investment in Scotland’s railway.

Our engineers will be renewing over four miles of track at locations along the line from Mauchline in the north to Dumfries in the south.

In Mauchline, work to repair and strengthen the two railway bridges over Ayr Road will also be taking place with further bridgeworks in the south, at Annan Viaduct, where specialists have been working since May to carry out masonry repairs and strengthening works.

Due to the complexity of the engineering work and the heavy machinery involved, these projects cannot be delivered without the short-term closure of the line.

Buses will replace trains between Kilmarnock and Carlisle from start of service on Saturday July 15 until Monday July 24, when train services will resume.

Additional track works will also be delivered on Sundays into August with buses replacing trains between Kilmarnock and Dumfries on July 30 and August 6,13,20,27.

Lindsay Saddler, head of maintenance delivery for the ScotRail Alliance, said: “The work we are undertaking is vital for the long-term future reliability of the line and part of our commitment to delivering the best railway Scotland has ever had.

“Our engineers will be working around-the-clock to complete this complex programme as quickly as possible. We understand the inconvenience these works will cause to some passengers, residents and motorists and we are working hard to keep disruption to a minimum.”