Media centre

Tuesday 7 Oct 2025

Recovering Scotland’s railway: Storm Amy in numbers

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

• 480 incidents across Scotland’s Railway as a result of Storm Amy 
• 550 staff deployed across affected routes 
• 40,000 hours worked to inspect, repair and reopen lines  

Storm Amy brought significant disruption to Scotland’s railway over the weekend, causing more than 480 separate incidents across the network. 

The Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Perthshire were among the worst affected, with wind gusts reaching up to 96mph in places. A combination of the powerful winds and heavy rain caused widespread damage, from flooding and fallen trees on the tracks to overhead lines impacted by debris and local power outages. 

Forecasts predicted the worst of the weather would hit the north and lines in this part of the country were proactively closed on Friday evening to protect passengers and staff. As the storm developed, other parts of the network around Glasgow, Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway were also impacted, requiring further closures.  

Network Rail teams worked around the clock to assess damage, carry out emergency repairs and safely reopen lines. Around 550 staff were deployed across the affected routes, with more than 40,000 hours worked in extremely challenging conditions. 

Ross Moran, route director for Network Rail Scotland, said: “Storm Amy was a significant weather event that created some real challenges. From the first reports of damage on Friday night to the final inspections on Monday, our teams worked tirelessly to get the railway back up and running safely and as quickly as possible. 

“Everyone played their part including engineers on the ground, control room staff and our partners at ScotRail and other operators. Teamwork across Scotland’s railway was absolutely essential as we responded to the storm’s impacts. 

“We’re hugely grateful to passengers for their patience and understanding while we worked to restore the network. We know how frustrating disruption can be and we appreciated the public’s support throughout.” 

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: “After an exceptionally challenging few days, it’s great to see trains running again. 

“The damage caused by Storm Amy, particularly on routes in the north of the country, has been significant, and it’s taken a massive joint effort with our colleagues at Network Rail to get services moving. 

“I’d like to thank our customers for their patience while lines were inspected for damage, debris was cleared, and essential repairs were completed to make sure the network was safe to reopen. 

“This storm has once again shown the resilience of Scotland’s Railway and the dedication of the people who keep it running.”