Railways on the level again at Kingussie
Kingussie’s troublesome “unlevel crossing” is now level - but only after another weekend of upheaval for local rail services.
Network Rail got to work as scheduled over the weekend following complaints over the hump which had been left on the crossing following recent repair works.
It involved a temporary closure of the B970 Kingussie-Speybridge road, with diversions and alternative routes for vehicles signposted, and a five mile-an-hour limit had already been imposed over the crossing.
By Monday the job was done, even if the white markings on it were soon being worn and washed away.
But the omens for the weekend could not have been worse, with Friday (November 14) proving another day of strife for the rail providers.
A train on the Highland main line struck a tree near Dalwhinnie causing major travell disruption.
The 9.43am Inverness-Edinburgh train was travelling between Kingussie and Dalwhinnie on the single track section when the incident occurred.
The train was able to carry on with its journey, arriving at Dalwhinnie some 13 minutes later than scheduled before being terminated upon arrival at Perth.
The next scheduled train on the section was the 8.34 Edinburgh to Inverness service, due to arrive in Kingussie at 11.07 - it finally got to the Badenoch capital some 175 minutes late at 2.02pm.
A further three trains from the south arrived in Kingussie between 2.20pm and 3.10pm, with a combined delay of 251 minutes.
The 10.45am Inverness to Edinburgh service made Kingussie by 11.38 but was cancelled at 11.59.
Buses were organised and they started to arrive and depart Kingussie for Perth for onward travel from about 1.30pm.
As one passenger told the “Strathy”: “This was rather a busy train as a number of us were travelling towards Glasgow for the football international later that evening.”
