PASSENGER REMINDER: MAJOR MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT WORKS FOR HIGHLAND LINES

Friday 2 Nov 2007

PASSENGER REMINDER: MAJOR MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT WORKS FOR HIGHLAND LINES

Region & Route:: Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Passengers are reminded that Network Rail’s Highland maintenance programme – targeted at reducing the potential impact of severe weather on lines in the north – will enter its next phase on Friday, November 9, when works begin between Crianlarich and Oban. Part of more than GBP 6million-worth of investment in the rail infrastructure in the Highlands this autumn, the project will include earthwork strengthening and rock stabilisation to help guard against rockfalls and landslips on the West Highland line. Network Rail will also be undertaking earthwork and rock stabilisation projects on the Highland line between Perth and Inverness and renewing sections of track at Muirton, Dalanraoch and Almond Viaduct from Saturday, November 10. In order to deliver these improvements as quickly as possible, the works will require the suspension of services between Crianlarich and Oban from November 9 to November 26 and between Perth and Inverness from November 10 to November 19. Replacement bus services will be provided on both routes during these periods and Network Rail is working closely with First ScotRail and other operators to minimise disruption for passengers. David Simpson, Network Rail Route Director for Scotland, said: "This investment and maintenance programme is essential to ensure the continued running of a reliable rail network in the Highlands. "Closing the lines will allow us to complete this work quickly and efficiently and means less long-term disruption to services. The works have also been timed to ensure they cause the minimum of disruption to the valuable Highland tourist trade."

Steve Montgomery, First ScotRail's Operations and Safety Director, said: "These works will involve a high number of replacement buses. We have done everything possible to keep inconvenience to an absolute minimum. Clearly, some journeys will take longer than normal and passengers should allow more time for travel." A full timetable of revised train and replacement bus services has been announced and information is available from national Rail Enquiries on 0845 7484950 http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

Contact information

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We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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