Speed restrictions in place on parts of Highland mainline due to high winds and heavy rain
High winds and heavy rain are set to hit the east of Scotland over the next 48 hours and speed restrictions will be imposed on sections of the railway.
Speed restrictions will be in place on the railway across the east of Scotland as high winds and heavy rain move in this weekend.
Areas of the Highland Mainline, Fife and the East Coast Mainline will all be affected, with around 100mm of rain predicted to fall between Thursday (tonight) and Saturday.
Winds of 50-60mph are also expected and Network Rail is deploying additional frontline teams and control room operators to monitor the routes.
The speed restrictions will initially be in place from this afternoon until Friday mid-morning.
The changes are being made for safety reasons as high winds can blow trees and debris on to the tracks and cause damage to overhead power lines, while heavy rain can lead to flooding.
Liam Sumpter, Route Director, Network Rail Scotland, said: “As the heavy rain and strong winds arrive overnight on Thursday into Friday, there will be some disruption on Scotland’s Railway.
“For safety reasons, we need to impose speed restrictions on areas of the Highland Mainline, Fife and the East Coast Mainline.
“We will have additional frontline teams working to check flood pumps and remove any debris on or near the railway. Our control room team will also be monitoring the weather in real-time and if conditions improve, we’ll remove the speed restrictions sooner.”
Passengers are being urged to check their journey before travelling. For more information on any changes to services, check www.nationalrail.co.uk or with individual train operators.
