Rail lines across north Scotland to remain closed into Monday amid heavy snow

Several rail routes in the north and north-east of Scotland are set to remain closed until at least midday on Monday, 5 January, as snowploughs are deployed to clear tracks following heavy snowfall and strong winds forecast overnight.

Passengers have been warned that services on the Aberdeen to Dundee, Aberdeen to Inverness, Inverness to Wick/Thurso and Kyle of Lochalsh lines are likely to be affected. Customers are being urged to check their journeys carefully before travelling.

The Met Office has issued updated amber warnings for snow covering northern and north-east parts of Scotland, coming into force tonight and lasting until Monday morning. Yellow warnings for snow and ice are also in place elsewhere, highlighting the wider impact of the weather system.

Heavy snowfall presents serious challenges for the railway. When snow depth exceeds 30cm, trains cannot operate safely unless they are equipped with snowploughs. Low temperatures also increase the risk of snow and ice clogging points, the mechanisms that allow trains to switch between tracks, which can further disrupt services.

Network Rail said its snowploughs have been running continuously across affected routes, although drifting snow is continuing to form rapidly in some areas. Railway meteorologists are closely monitoring conditions, with engineering and response teams on standby to deal with any emerging issues.

Passengers are being advised to plan ahead and check the latest travel information with their train operators or via nationalrail.co.uk before travelling.

Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said:

“The heavy snow across the north of Scotland is causing disruption to services, though our teams are working hard to keep the railway running and passengers informed, with the aim of minimising disruption as far as possible. We’re ready to respond quickly to any issues that arise. Our weather experts are monitoring conditions closely from our control room. Safety of our passengers and our colleagues is our top priority. We’ll only reopen lines and return to normal operations once we’re confident it’s safe to do so. We appreciate the patience of passengers while we manage the impact of this heavy snowfall.”

ScotRail Service Delivery Director Mark Ilderton said:

“Safety is our number one priority so it’s very important we make sure all routes that have been affected by the heavy snowfall and low temperatures are safe before we run any passenger services. We estimate trains between Aberdeen and Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness, and Inverness and Wick will be unable to run until at least midday tomorrow (Monday, 5 January), and while I know this will inconvenience some people trying to get to work or to school, we don’t want any trains getting stranded in snow drifts and low temperatures. Our advice to customers is to check your journey before you travel on the ScotRail website, app, or by following us across our social media channels. We thank customers for their patience and understanding if they have been affected by cancellations or delays caused by the weather and we look forward to welcoming passengers as the new week and new year begins.”

Image: Network Rail