Media centre

Monday 21 Nov 2022

Scotland’s Railway set for multi-million-pound investment this Christmas

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail will upgrade key infrastructure across Scotland over the festive period.

A multi-million-pound programme of engineering works will take place across Scotland’s Railway over Christmas and New Year.

Network Rail is upgrading key infrastructure to improve reliability and punctuality on the railway for passengers and freight customers.

A range of track, drainage and signalling improvements will be completed in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Lanarkshire and Dundee.

Carstairs junction – a key route linking Glasgow and Edinburgh to London, will be closed on Boxing Day for signalling and overhead line improvement works.

It will be closed again on New Year's Day for signalling and drainage work, re-opening at 9am on 2 January.

Most work will be carried out while trains aren’t running, but significant activity in Dundee and track renewals at Slateford (in Edinburgh) over the New Year will mean that some passenger and freight services will be affected.

Kris Kinnear, Capital Delivery Director, Network Rail Scotland, said: “These essential works will help improve the passenger experience while protecting the railway infrastructure for years to come.

“Most of the festive period works are being completed when trains are not running. We are, however, urging passengers – especially those travelling in the east of the country - to plan ahead and check their journey in advance.”

On the East Coast Mainline, the track between Chester Hall and Penmansheil will be closed between 11pm on Christmas Eve until 5am on 27 December for rail replacement work.

Powderhill Junction on the East Coast Mainline will also be closed from 11.15pm on Christmas Eve until 9am on Boxing Day for drainage upgrade works.

In Glasgow, at Eglinton Street, drainage works will begin at 11.10pm on Christmas Eve and will be complete at 9am on Boxing Day.

On New Year’s Day, LNER and CrossCountry services won’t operate between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central. Avanti West Coast and Transpennine Express will only operate services to and from Glasgow Central and the south.

Passengers can check how their journey may be affected by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk or by checking individual operators’ websites.