Edinburgh trains: ScotRail urges 'essential travel only' for 4 days due to safety-critical engineering works

New specialist netting system to prevent rock falls

ScotRail has warned of major disruption to train services to and from Edinburgh for four days due to “safety-critical” engineering works.

The train operator is advising customers they should only travel on several routes in the central belt if it is essential, between Monday, January 29 and Thursday, February 1.

The work by Network Rail is to install a specialist netting system on a rock cutting above the railway near Ratho, which the company says will help to prevent potential rockfalls. SotRail said: “The project will mean significant disruption.”

ScotRail has warned of four days of major disruption to services to and from Edinburgh. Picture: Jane Barlow / PA.

During the four days, trains from Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk High will terminate at Linlithgow; there will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Linlithgow; and only a limited number of replacement buses will be available between Linlithgow and Edinburgh Park station, with tickets accepted by Edinburgh Trams for travel between Edinburgh Park and Haymarket and Waverley.

ScotRail said customers looking to travel directly between Edinburgh and Glasgow could go on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts route or Edinburgh to Glasgow via Carstairs route, both of which depart and terminate at Glasgow Central. But there would be only be limited additional capacity and journey times would be around 30 to 50 minutes longer than the normal services via Falkirk High.

Dunblane to Edinburgh services will terminate at Falkirk Grahamston; there will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Falkirk Grahamston. A limited number of replacement buses will be available between Falkirk Grahamston and Edinburgh Park station, with tickets accepted by Edinburgh Trams for travel between Edinburgh Park and Haymarket and Waverley.

Edinburgh - Helensburgh/Milngavie services will terminate at Bathgate; there will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Bathgate. A limited number of replacement buses will be available between Bathgate and Edinburgh Park, calling at Livingston North and Uphall, with tickets accepted by Edinburgh Trams for travel between Edinburgh Park and Haymarket and Waverley.

Inverness to Edinburgh services will run via Fife and will not call at Stirling.

ScotRail warned that journey times between Linlithgow and Bathgate to and from Edinburgh would be at least 40 minutes longer than usual, via a rail replacement bus to Edinburgh Park and an onward journey via Edinburgh Tram to the city centre. “There are also local bus services available. Please note capacity may be limited and rail ticket acceptance is not in place.”

Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “There will be significant disruption to the services ScotRail can operate between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Stirling, and Inverness.

“ScotRail’s advice to customers travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High or via Bathgate, and between Edinburgh and Dunblane, is that you should only travel if your journey is essential.

“Customers travelling between Inverness and Edinburgh should also be aware that journey times will may be longer as those services are diverted via Fife, and will not call at Stirling. We understand the disruption this will cause to customers journeys, but it is essential that Network Rail carries out these works. We thank customers for their patience.”

Network Rail said engineers would be working around the clock to install te specialist netting and rock anchors on the 100 metre-long rock cutting to the east of the old Ratho station. “The project will help to prevent stones potentially falling from a 10m-high rockface above the line. The work is being undertaken now as the sub-zero temperatures common in Scotland in winter could cause the condition of the cutting to deteriorate.

“The project is vital to the safe and reliable running of the railway and cannot be delivered without a short-term closure of the line as overhead powerlines will need to be switched off while engineers carry out the work."