West Highland Line reopens after flood repair work

The line had been closed due to damaged tracks at Lochailort after extreme rainfall caused a nearby stream to overflow.

West Highland Line reopens after flood repair work Network Rail

The West Highland railway line has reopened for passengers following the completion of repair works between Fort William and Mallaig.

The line had been closed by damaged tracks at Lochailort after extreme rainfall caused a nearby stream to overflow and wash away a section of the railway embankment.

Damage: The line was closed following a flash-flood in June.

Engineers worked around-the-clock to replace more than 1600 tons of material washed away by the flash-flood on June 25 and to install new under-track drainage systems and relay over 80m of track.

Work was carried out to improve drainage on third-party land to reduce future risk to the railway and the project team also improved the flood defences of a nearby lineside neighbour affected by the extreme weather.

The line reopened on Monday morning.

Repair: Engineers worked round-the-clock.

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “With the easing of lockdown and the reopening of the tourism sector, it was vital that we completed these repairs quickly to help support the local economy in the West Highlands.

“The line had been extensively damaged and our engineers have been working around-the-clock to reopen the railway for our customers.

“I’d also thank our contractors – QTS and Story – for their close collaboration during this project, which has been vital to getting passengers moving again.”

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