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Sunday 3 Dec 2023

Scotland’s Railway working hard to beat big freeze

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Engineers will be working around-the-clock to keep Scotland’s Railway running as freezing conditions continue to grip the county.

With temperatures reaching -11 last night on the Far North line and a yellow Met Office warning for Monday (December 4), Scotland’s Railway has plans in place to keep trains moving.

Ahead of start of service tomorrow, engineers will be out applying de-icer to switches and crossings (movable rails that allow trains to swap tracks) and inspecting mechanical signalling to help keep systems free of snow and ice.

Special heaters will be used to help keep the rails from freezing at key junctions and engineers will be checking tunnels for icicles, which can damage passing trains or affect overhead power lines.

Liam Sumpter, Route Director for Network Rail Scotland, said: “Winter is a particularly challenging time for the railway - snow and ice can prevent track and signalling systems from working correctly and cause delays.

“Our engineers will be working flat out to keep our customers moving over the coming days and keeping our passengers and colleagues safe during the extreme weather is our number one priority.

“Passengers can keep up-to-date with the latest travel information on our social media feeds, or by checking individual train operator’s websites.”

David Simpson, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: "Everyone at ScotRail is working hard to make sure our services continue to run as normal during this adverse weather.

"We urge customers to check their journey on our website or app before they travel to keep up to date with any changes."