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Friday 6 Oct 2023

Passengers urged to check their journeys as extreme weather hits Scotland

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

• West Highland Line, Highland Mainline and Helensburgh / Balloch services to be severely affected
• Speed restrictions also being introduced elsewhere across the network due to risk of flooding and landslips

Scotland’s Railway will close some lines and introduce speed restrictions across much of the rest of the network on Saturday as extreme rainfall sweeps across the country.

The West Highland Line, Highland Mainline north of Perth and the lines to Balloch and Helensburgh west of Dalmuir will be closed on Saturday.

A revised timetable will be in place across the majority of the rest of Scotland’s railway on Saturday due to the extended journey times that speed restrictions will bring.

These changes are being made after the Met Office issued an amber rain warning due to the heavy and slow-moving rain that will impact much of Scotland from late Friday through to Sunday morning.   

Parts of the Highlands are expected to see between 150 and 180mm of rain in just 48 hours, with heavy rainfall also forecast for central and western areas.

Engineers will inspect the closed lines on Sunday morning for any damage and reopen them for customers as soon as possible. No replacement bus services will be available on the closed routes on Saturday.

ScotRail is advising customers that they should travel only when necessary, to expect delays, and to check their journey before travelling.

Heavy rain poses a serious risk to the railway and can cause landslips onto the tracks or wash the stone ballast away from beneath the rails.  

Extra engineers are being deployed across Scotland’s railway to inspect lines, repair damage, and reopen routes as quickly as possible for passengers and freight customers once the weather clears on Sunday.   

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “The safety of our passengers and railway staff is our top priority and we’ll be withdrawing some services and introducing speed restrictions as a precaution until the worst of the weather has passed.  

“We will not run services in these areas until our engineers have thoroughly inspected the network for any damage.  

“Our weather specialists will monitor conditions closely throughout the day on Saturday and we’ve got specialist teams ready to deploy quickly to deal with any issues.”  

David Simpson, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for heavy rain for parts of Scotland, which could see over a month’s worth expected to fall on areas of the Highlands and central Scotland, as well as Glasgow, Perth, and Stirling.

“We know the impact that the withdrawal of train services between Glasgow and Oban, Fort William, and Mallaig will have on customers but it’s a necessary step to ensure the safety of our staff and customers due to the severe rainfall.

“As a precautionary measure in order to keep our customers and staff safe, speed restrictions will also be in place across most routes in Scotland, which will result in extended journey times.

“We ask customers who are planning to travel to check their journey before travelling, and keep an eye on our website, app or social media feeds for live updates.”

Given the severity of the weather expected, passengers should check their journeys before they travel at National Rail Enquiries, and listen to advice from train operators.