Railway line linking Glasgow and Carlisle closes as repair works begin on embankment near Carstairs

A portion of the railway line linking Glasgow with Carlisle has closed as emergency engineering works get under way to fix damage to an embankment caused by recent flooding.

Network Rail said the West Coast Mainline near Carstairs will be closed until at least January 6 after extreme weather on December 30 caused “extensive” damage.

Engineers are working round-the-clock to remove landslip material affecting a 40m long section of the line before the area is reinforced with over 200 tonnes of new stones.

Once works to strengthen the embankment have been completed, engineers will relay the track above and check signalling systems in the affected area.

As a result, the line is not expected to reopen for passengers and freight services until at least Friday, January 6.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Flooding has caused significant damage beneath the track and we will need to rebuild the supporting embankment before re-opening the line.

“This is a very challenging project, but we understand the inconvenience closing the line will cause to customers and are working hard to reopen the railway as quickly as we can.”

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: “While our colleagues at Network Rail are working hard to reopen the affected parts of the line damaged by the landslip caused by extreme weather, our advice to customers is do not to travel to and from Scotland on the West Coast Mainline.

“Customers are being advised not to travel north of Carlisle as there are no services. An amended timetable is in place between Carlisle and London Euston. Customers travelling south of Carlisle are being strongly advised to check their journey before they travel.

“We thank our customers for their patience in what are very challenging circumstances. If you are no longer able to travel, you can claim a full fee-free refund from where you bought your ticket. For further travel information please visit www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk.”