A section of the West Highland railway line between Crianlarich and Fort William is to close for nine days in March to allow for ‘essential’ upgrade work to take place at the Rannoch Viaduct.
The work comes as part of a £1.6 million investment to extend the operational lifespan of the structure, with new timbers to be installed and its metal girders repaired, cleaned, and repainted.
In total, 50 longitudinal timbers – which run the length of the 208m structure and support the rail going over the steel bridge – will be replaced, with Network Rail explaining that the softwood timbers are life-expired and will be replaced with hardwood alternatives.
In addition to the work at the viaduct, ‘multiple’ sections of the track between Tyndrum and Roy Bridge and between Spean Bridge and Arisaig will be improved, as well as signalling upgrades between Fort William and Spean Bridge.
Network Rail said that engineers will work ‘around-the-clock’ from March 16 to complete the project before the line reopens for service on March 25.
Zoe Monkhouse, Network Rail’s project manager for the Rannoch Viaduct project, said, “The work we are undertaking in March is essential and cannot be delivered without closing the railway.
“We know that closing the railway at any time is never ideal, however we always endeavour to plan our work for when fewer people are travelling on the railway and at a time which reduces overall inconvenience for the travelling public.
“We understand that this is not great news for those making plans to travel to visit family or friends or for leisure purposes, but our team will be working around the clock to deliver these works safely and on time.
“We thank passengers for their patience and understanding and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
