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Friday 6 Nov 2026

This weekend: Major upgrades for West Highland Line get underway

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Major upgrades to the West Highland Line will get underway this weekend, as Network Rail prepares to deliver essential improvements aimed at making the railway more reliable. 

As well as providing a vital link for communities across the Highlands and Central Belt, the West Highland Line carries thousands of visitors to some of Scotland’s most popular tourist destinations. Investment in the route will help keep it reliable for years to come, supporting local communities, businesses and tourism. 

Engineers will carry out track renewals and essential maintenance to railway infrastructure between Helensburgh, Fort William and Mallaig.

The project includes renewing more than 4km of track at locations between Helensburgh and Mallaig, including near Arisaig, Corrour, in the Loch nan Uamh and Beasdale tunnels, at Arrochar & Tarbet station and on Gleann Mama Viaduct, improving reliability and reducing the risk of delays. The Fassfern Bridge near Spean Bridge will be refurbished and a redundant bridge removed near Loch Eil. Vegetation will also be cleared between Fort William and Arisaig to reduce the risk of disruption. 

To allow the work to take place safely and efficiently, buses will replace trains between Crianlarich and Fort William / Mallaig from Monday 9 to Tuesday 17 November. 

Gerry McQuade, capital delivery director at Network Rail Scotland, said: "This weekend marks the start of a significant programme of work across the West Highland Line, with our teams ready to deliver improvements at a number of locations along the route. 

"By bringing this work together over nine days, we can renew track, improve drainage and carry out essential maintenance that will help make the railway more reliable and resilient for passengers. 

"We know there’s never a good time to close the railway, and we’d like to thank passengers and local communities for their patience while we complete these important improvements.” 

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “We know these works will mean changes to journeys for customers travelling on the West Highland Line, and we want to thank everyone for their patience while this important investment takes place. 

“The improvements being delivered by Network Rail will help make the railway more reliable and resilient, helping to protect this vital route for the communities, businesses, and visitors who depend on it. 

“We’ll be doing everything we can to keep people moving during the works with a robust rail replacement plan in place. This includes buses replacing trains between Crianlarich and Fort William and Mallaig from Monday until Tuesday, 17 November. Customers should plan ahead and check their journey before travelling.”