Contact the news and picture editor. |
Highland Council said it had to act but local residents say closure has created new danger for them. [The bridge is east of Slochd Viaduct carrying the minor U2400, formerly the A9. -RS]
(Permalink) Slochd Slochd Viaduct U2400 Slochd Viaduct: A class 47 climbs towards Slochd summit with a northbound service in 1990, not long before the end of loco-hauled trains. Seen from the old A9 bridge east of Slochd Viaduct. Slochd Viaduct: Still in full EWS livery, 67007 hauls the late running Caledonian Sleeper through the winterscape near Slochd Summit on 2nd April 2018.
|
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 |