News - Highland main line
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Themes ScotRail Strike Caledonian MacBrayne Conductors Dalwhinnie RMT Derailment Weather Lanark COVID-19 Cancellations Bridge replacement New station Cove Ullapool Ticket examiners Northern Stornoway Kincardine Picturesque Caledonian Sleeper Highland Main Line Ribblehead Viaduct Pitlochry Eurostar
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The Highland Mainline railway line between Inverness and Perth remains shut today following a train derailment at the weekend.
(Permalink) Dalwhinnie Derailment Highland Main Line |
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ScotRail has released an impressive video of the view from the drivers seat of a train travelling along the Highland Mainline from Inverness to Pitlochry.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line |
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Rail passengers in the Highlands were facing a third day of disruption on Tuesday after sustained rainfall sparked further cancellations and delays.
(Permalink) Flooding Highland Main Line Kyle Line Weather West Highland Line |
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Rail passengers in the Highlands have been warned to expect disruption today after several trains were cancelled amid a yellow weather warning.
(Permalink) Cancellations Flooding Highland Main Line Kyle Line Weather |
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Highland motorists have been warned of a minor road closure tonight to enable engineers to inspect a rail bridge on the Highland mainline.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line Moy |
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Rail passengers face disruption on the Highland mainline this weekend.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line |
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Around two thirds of the 118-mile line is still single track and has not been electrified
(Permalink) Doubling Highland Main Line  Dalnaspidal: Track redoubling work underway north of Dalnaspidal in the winter of 1976.  Dalwhinnie: A permanent way gang welding rails south of Dalwhinnie as part of the track redoubling work to Blair Atholl in the summer of 1976. |
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ScotRail services travelling from Inverness to the central belt have been cancelled for a fourth consecutive day.
(Permalink) Flooding Highland Main Line Weather |
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Rail commuters are experiencing cancellations to services travelling to and from Inverness this morning.
(Permalink) Flooding Highland Main Line ScotRail Weather |
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Major weather disruption was continuing to hit Highland railway lines on Friday, amid continued snow warnings from the Met Office.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line Weather |
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Highland mainline closed at Dalwhinnie due to deep snow, Network Rail Scotland confirms; snow also causing issues at Slochd, Tomatin and Moy passing loops; disruption comes amid yellow and amber snow warnings from the Met Office.
(Permalink) Dalwhinnie Highland Main Line Moy Slochd Snow Tomatin Weather |
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The Highland main rail line is currently closed at Dalwhinnie because it is blocked by drifting snow.
Customers are being advised to postpone their journey if they can and there are no coaches services running from Badenoch and Strathspey or Inverness. Network Rail has said it is trying to secure a locomotive to clear the snowdrifts on the route between Drummochter and Inverness.
(Permalink) Dalwhinnie Highland Main Line Inerness and Perth Junction Railway  Dalwhinnie: Dalwhinnie station's south end in early 1995. The snow revealed a surprising number of footprints across the track between the platforms. |
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Trains to the north of Scotland have been delayed after a train hit deer, including a stag, near Blair Atholl.
(Permalink) Blair Atholl Deer Highland Main Line animals on line stag |
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Rail services on the Highland mainline have been disrupted by a signal fault.
(Permalink) Aviemore Highland Main Line Kincraig Kingussie |
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Heavy snow on the Highland mainline was causing delays for railway passengers on Friday morning.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line Inverness and Perth Junction Railway Snow |
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Rail passengers are being reminded of some engineering disruption to some Highland mainline services this weekend.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line Inverness and Perth Junction Railway |
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A second weekend of disruption is set to affect railway passengers on some Highland mainline services.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line |
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Rail passengers face disruption on Highland mainline journeys when engineering work closes the route this weekend.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line |
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A Highland train was forced into an emergency stop this morning after a woman was spotted on the tracks.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line |
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Rail users across the north are being urged to pressure the government into making good on a mothballed pledge to upgrade the tracks between Inverness and Perth.
(Permalink) Doubling Highland Main Line Inverness and Perth Junction Railway |
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Commitment to decarbonise passenger rail services by 2035. Plans to decarbonise Scotland's rail passenger services by 2035 have been launched by Transport Secretary Michael Matheson today.
Railscot note - PDF page 8 shows electrification of lines by 2035: - Glasgow - Aberdeen - Inverurie - All lines in Fife including Levenmouth - Highland Main Line - Borders line - Glasgow - Barrhead - Dumfries - Carlisle - East Kilbride - Kilmarnock - Ayr - Anniesland - Maryhill Partial electrification or alternative technology: - Ayr- Girvan - Inverurie - Inverness - Tain Battery or alternative technology: - West Highland Lines - Far North Line - Kyle Line - Girvan - Stranraer (Permalink) Aberdeen Barrhead Battery train Borders line Dumfries East Kilbride Electrification Far North Line Fife Girvan Highland Main Line Inverurie Kilmarnock Kyle Line Levenmouth Maryhill Stranraer Tain West Highland Lines  Scotland: Transport Scotland - Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan for 2035. Lines shown in red are to be electrified. Those in yellow to be alternative traction, possibly prior to electrification. Those ... |
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Business Development Manager Scott Prentice will be meeting the Cairngorms National Park Authority and local residents to discuss the proposed new timetable and service improvements for the Highland Mainline.
A total of £57 million is being invested in improving the Highland Mainline, which will allow more and faster journeys between Inverness and the Central Belt. The entire timetable for this vital route is being completely redrawn, and will see average journey times reduced and an extra eight journeys between Inverness and the Central Belt each day. By the end of 2019: Services will become faster and more reliable as Aviemore and Pitlochry stations receive upgraded signalling. Arriving trains will no longer have to stop and wait for services going in the opposite direction. All services between Inverness and Glasgow and Edinburgh will be operated by our refurbished InterCity trains. These trains will provide more than 2,500 extra seats each day, increasing seating capacity by 50%. Customers will also benefit from extra luggage space, greater comfort and an enhanced food and drink service. There will be an hourly service between Inverness, Aviemore and Pitlochry to Perth and Edinburgh or Glasgow. All stations on the route will benefit from the enhanced timetable. (Permalink) Highland Main Line Inverness and Perth Junction Railway  Aviemore: 170415 with the 1431 service to Inverness departing Aviemore past the semaphore signals at the north end.  Pitlochry: One train in each direction daily between Edinburgh and Inverness is worked by a pair of Class 158s, and they pass at Pitlochry.  Aberdour: Dawn of a new era as ScotRail HST (power cars 43132 and 43021) nears Aberdour, heading from Craigentinny to Aberdeen on 10 September 2017.
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Transport Scotland has appointed WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff to produce a business case for improvements to the Highland Main Line between Perth and Inverness.
The project will establish the business case for reducing journey times, increasing capacity and enhancing freight operations on the route, which links the Highlands with Scotlands Central Belt and the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. (Permalink) Highland Main Line Transport Scotland  Inchmagranachan Crossing: The East Coast Kings Cross - Inverness 'Highland Chieftain' HST heading north near Dunkeld on 30 June 2011.  Buchanan Street: The 10.15am to Inverness leaves Buchanan Street on 11 July 1955 behind B1 4-6-0 61180.  Millburn Junction: A triple-headed southbound train takes a run at the 1 in 60 gradient shortly after passing Millburn Junction, Inverness, in the summer of 1971. With 11 coaches, a restaurant car third from the front, ... |
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The new Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership (HML CRP) celebrates its launch at an event at Pitlochry Station today (Monday 9 November 2015).
More than 40 guests– including Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance - were welcomed by Sally Spaven, Chair of the HML CRP. CRPs are designed to form a bridge between the railway and local communities and to work with community groups, businesses and organisations in the area - as well as the rail industry - to encourage more local people and visitors to use trains. The HML CRP includes the rail route from Dunkeld and Birnam to Carrbridge, taking in Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie, Newtonmore, Kingussie, and Aviemore. (Permalink) Highland Main Line Phil Verster ScotRail  Pitlochry: Photograph taken at the launch of the Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership. [See news item] |
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Donations to charities from the
Pitlochry Station bookshop have now exceeded £75,000. The shop - opened in 2005 under ScotRail’s Adopt a Station scheme – sells second hand books, with the proceeds going to six charities. They include the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) - which is also ScotRail’s charity partner. And this month, the bookshop made its first payment to a sixth charity – Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance. Ken Nichol, chairman of the Pitlochry Station Bookshop, said: “We simply opened the shop to give customers the chance to buy a book for their train journey and hand it back on return to re-sell. “We are now open six days a week, and are so grateful to ScotRail for its continuing support – without which we would not have raised so much money, which benefits a number of charities.” John Yellowlees, ScotRail’s external relations manager, said: 'Pitlochry is the doyen of our adopted stations. We are delighted at the bookshop's continuing success, and note next year marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the original Highland Main Line from Perth to Inverness.' The accommodation that houses the bookshop was recently improved with new secondary glazing, with assistance from the Railway Heritage Trust, and funding for painting was given by Perth & Kinross Council. (Permalink) Bookshop Highland Main Line ScotRail Station Adoption  Pitlochry: Welcome to the Station Bookshop - Pitlochry, July 2012. [See adjacent news item]  Pitlochry: Having called on the way from Inverness to Glasgow, 170414 is ready to depart south from Pitlochry. The station buildings are in good condition as are other pieces of infrastructure such as the signa ... |
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A HIGHLAND Perthshire bookshop celebrated a major milestone at the weekend – raising more than £50,000 for charity. The Pitlochry Station venture has sold more than 100,000 books at 50p a time since opening in 2005.
(Permalink) Bookshop Highland Main Line  Pitlochry: The northbound platform wooden building at Pitlochry in September 2006.  Pitlochry: A Glasgow to Inverness service, formed by 170403, calls at Pitlochry in this view from the station footbridge looking south towards Dunkeld and Birnam. |
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Nearly eight years after the re-opening of the original Highland Main line between Boat of Garten and Broomhill and eighteen months after reaching the River Dulnain, the Strathspey Railway Charitable Trust launched the 'Rails to Grantown' appeal at Broomhill Station, near Dulnain Bridge yesterday. Local and national politicians as well as leaders of the many organisations that are giving support to the project attended. The intention of the appeal is to raise at least £182,000 in the current year, part of the estimated £5M it will cost to restore a train service to Grantown-on-Spey.
Braeriach, a 0-6-0 tank locomotive formerly on the Weymss Private Railway, pulling the LMS Inspection Officers Saloon heralded the launch of the appeal event at noon. During the afternoon, this train took guests down some of the new track already laid towards Grantown. [With thanks to Sue Davies] (Permalink) Highland Main Line Strathspey Railway [Preserved]  Broomhill: Strathspey Railway No.17 is seen nearing Broomhill. Nicely turned out in lined green and named Braeriach. A huge improvement on last year.  Broomhill: Reinstatement of passenger railway service. A delightful poster at Broomhill.  River Dulnain Viaduct: Drivers eye view of the approach to the site of Dulnain Bridge on 10 October 2008. [With kind permission of the Strathspey Railway.] |
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Very stong winds and rain impacted on most of Scotland's rail services in this period. The heaviest rain since 1822 fell in Carlisle causing widespread flooding when the River Eden burst its banks, a P&O ferry was blown onto the shore at Cairnryan and passengers and crew spent 30 hours aboard before re-floating. The Highland Main line was closed repeatedly due to flooding at Dalguise and Kingussie. Both the Forth and Tay bridges were closed. On the 12th the entire ScotRail network was closed as winds gusts reached 124mph. Routes were re-opened once proved safe. The Edinburgh - Glasgow line re-opened at 0715 with trains running at a restricted 50mph. Most lines re-opened although the Glasgow-Paisley line closed with an overhead line fault at Ibrox. The Highland Main Line, Carlisle-Lockerbie/Dumfries, Mallaig, Kyle and Wick lines remained closed. The front cover of the Scotsman featured a spectacular photograph of a train being engulfed by a wave at Saltcoats. The Highland Main Line re-opened on the 13th.
(Permalink) Forth Bridge Highland Main Line Kyle Line ScotRail Tay Bridge West Highland Lines |
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The Highland Main Line is closed for works which will take a week.
- Replacement of central track section of the 'A' listed timber 5-span Moy viaduct over the Alit Craeg Bheithin, north of Moy, at a cost of £2.6m - Partial replacement of the Dalnaspidal bridge over the Altavaich Burn, between Struan and Dalnaspidal, at a cost of £500,000 - Reinforcement of Kingswood Tunnel, south of Dunkeld, with a concrete lining and other works at a cost of £420,000 - Installation of new drainage, renewal of cesses and repairs to embankments damaged by heavy rainfall in September, between Culloden and Cradlehall, at a cost of £1m - Maintenance to signalling at Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie, Kingussie and Aviemore The work will involve 150 engineers and contractors and should be complete on Sunday the 3rd of November at 10am. (Permalink) Highland Main Line |
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The Highland Main Line will be closed between Inverness and Aviemore throughout the week commencing 27 October while Railtrack build a modern structure within the timber Allt na Slanaich Viaduct, just north of Moy, which will eliminate the speed restriction there. The bridge will be retained as a timber viaduct.
The viaduct is the last remaining timber viaduct on the railway network. (Permalink) Highland Main Line Railtrack |
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The Highland Main Line re-opens after repairs to an embankment near Moulinearn washed out on the 6th of August.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line |
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30 July saw monsoon conditions, with over a month's rainfall in a day over much of Scotland. All three routes between Glasgow and Edinburgh were closed until after end of service by flooding or landslips. Through most of 31 July Edinburgh and Glasgow services were diverted to Springburn, which remained the terminus for local services from Stirling and Cumbernauld for over a week while the Maryhill route was suspended. Glasgow Queen Street's trackbed was flooded to 15 inches and track circuits damaged.
On Sunday 4 August Edinburgh and Aberdeen services were diverted to Central, taking Turbostars there for the first time so that engineers could repair the track circuits in the Queen Street Tunnel. Monday 5 August saw the reopening of the Highland Main Line at Slochd after repairs to a damaged embankment near Slochd viaduct. Barrhead locals went half-hourly for the first time since introduction of the special timetable on 7 January. However the reintroduction of the 15-minute interval service between Edinburgh and Glasgow (which had been announced for 5 August before the flood damage) had to be deferred, and the Argyle Line remained closed due to damage to track circuits associated with flooding at Dalmarnock where the track was submerged between the platforms. (Permalink) Highland Main Line Landslide Slochd Viaduct |
KML version
