Train passengers advised to plan ahead as extreme weather set to hit Highlands and Moray
Extreme rainfall and high winds may disrupt rail services across the Highlands and Moray from tomorrow.
Up to 70mm of rain is forecast to fall on both Monday and Tuesday, with up to 140mm likely in the west.
In the north and east, this could fall as snow, with 15 to 20cm forecast above 150 metres.
High winds could also bring down trees as they strengthen through Monday and Tuesday.
Trains on following lines will need to be slowed down with speed restrictions set to be in place from tomorrow (Monday, December 30), until Thursday, January 2.
· Far North Line
· Kyle of Lochalsh – Inverness
· Aberdeen - Inverness
· Highland Main Line
Simon Constable, operations director, Network Rail Scotland, said: “In the lead up to Hogmanay, heavy rain, snow and high winds may cause disruption to some rail services.
“To keep passengers and colleagues safe, we need to slow trains down on several lines across Scotland from this afternoon.
“Ahead of the bad weather, our engineers are carrying out extra checks on our pumps and in areas known to be at risk from the elements, particularly flooding. We’ll have more staff than normal on duty to remove fallen trees and debris from the track, as well as to tackle flooding.
“Some journeys will take longer than normal, and we advise passengers to plan ahead. We will, of course, remove any speed restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so and we thank passengers for their patience.”
Ahead of the extreme weather, Network Rail’s maintenance teams are carrying out additional checks in areas known to be at risk of flooding and will have additional staff on hand throughout the next few days to respond to any weather-related incidents.
Locomotives with mini snowploughs are on standby at strategic locations across the country to deal with any snowfall. Network Rail’s helicopter will also inspect tracks for any damage or obstructions.
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “With a Met Office yellow weather warning for snow and rain across most of Scotland tomorrow and through New Year, teams from Scotland’s Railway will be working around the clock to deal with any weather-related incidents that occur. Our first priority is always to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to get customers where they need to be, but ask those who are planning to travel over the next few days to keep an eye on our website, app, or social media feeds for live updates.”
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