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Wednesday 21 Oct 2026

Making a list and checking it twice for festive upgrades across Scotland’s railway

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Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Passengers will be able to travel across the majority of Scotland’s railway this festive season, while engineers carry out important work at key locations to make journeys more reliable. 

More than £15m is being invested in upgrades around Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Fife over Christmas and New Year. 

The engineering work is being planned for the festive period, when fewer people typically use the railway. While most of the network will be open, passengers are being encouraged to check their journeys well in advance. 

Upgrading Scotland’s original electrified railway: 

The biggest piece of work will take place on the North Clyde lines in Glasgow, which run from Helensburgh, Balloch and Milngavie through Glasgow’s west end and low‑level stations.  

Over Christmas and New Year, engineers will renew ageing overhead wires and equipment that power electric trains. Teams will work between Hyndland and Yoker from 25-29 December, followed by Partick to Westerton from 1-4 January.  

Much of the equipment is now more than 65 years old and nearing the end of its working life, meaning renewal is essential to keep trains running safely and reliably. 

The work is part of a three-year, £20m investment to modernise the overhead infrastructure. Engineers will work across the Christmas and New Year periods in 2026, 2027 and 2028.  

Gary Hopkirk, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “For many people, the festive period means time off work and the chance to catch up with family and friends. The railway is generally quieter too, so it makes sense to use that opportunity to carry out some of the bigger jobs that are harder to do when the network is at its busiest. 
 
“Most of the railway will still be open and we want people to get out and enjoy Christmas and New Year. We’d just ask passengers to check their journey before travelling, particularly if they’re heading through an area where we’re working. I’d also like to thank our teams who’ll be giving up part of their festive season to keep improving Scotland’s railway.” 

Other festive work includes: 

• In Edinburgh, around 1.5km of track will be renewed at Murrayfield and Haymarket on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, replacing older sections of the railway. 
• On Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, teams will clear vegetation along the railway between Dalmeny, Ladybank and the Tay Bridge. 

• Engineers will carry out significant track work in Dundee on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, replacing life-expired equipment that allows trains to move from one track to another. 

• On New Year’s Day, engineers will inspect the roof and various structures at Glasgow Queen Street station and carry out any necessary repairs. 

• Between 3 and 4 January, engineers will replace life-expired parts of the track at Finnieston in Glasgow. 

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: “We know that this essential engineering work will mean changes to journeys for some customers over Christmas and New Year, and we appreciate their patience and understanding while the improvements are carried out. 

“We’ll be doing everything we can to keep customers moving and minimise the impact of the works, helping people continue to travel with confidence throughout the festive period. 

“We’d encourage everyone planning to travel over the Christmas and New Year period to check their journey in advance through the ScotRail website or app and allow extra time where necessary.”  

Journey planners, including National Rail, will be updated with travel information well in advance. Passengers are encouraged to check before they travel and allow extra time where their journey is affected.