Cairngorm funicular still on track for return later this month

The funicular railway at Cairngorm Mountain is still expected to be back in service by the end of this month.

The popular two kilometre ride between the Cairngorm base station and the UK’s highest restaurant was withdrawn on Friday 25 August to enable a series of snagging works to be carried out.

This followed an inspection showing that some of the ‘scarf joint assemblies’ that link the beams at the top of the piers did not meet the required tension.

There has been concern locally that the return date keeps getting pushed back.

But a spokesman for Highlands and Islands Enterprise told the Strathy: "Teams from the specialist contractor are currently active on the mountain, focussing on strengthening the tension of the scarf joint assemblies that link the beams to the tops of the piers.

"A key element of the project is continual testing and inspection to ensure quality and safety before the funicular is up and running again.

"As stated before, the timescale for these works is being kept under close review.

"At present, the target date for completion remains the end of September."

The funicular had been relaunched in January this year, following a two-year programme of works to strengthen the viaduct that supports the railway track.

A 12-month snagging and inspection programme has been running since the relaunch, which HIE said is usual practice with complex engineering projects.

The mountain railway had been out of operation since Autumn 2018.

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