A major £15m upgrade to the West Highland Line has been completed, strengthening one of Scotland’s most iconic railway routes and improving its long-term reliability, Network Rail has confirmed. The work took place between Crianlarich and Fort William, a stretch of line that serves remote communities and attracts visitors from across the world.

The improvements form part of Network Rail’s wider strategy to reinforce rail infrastructure across the Highlands and better protect services from increasingly severe weather conditions. Engineers worked through a nine-day closure to carry out essential enhancements, including track renewals, drainage upgrades and the clearance of hazardous vegetation to reduce the risk of disruption during storms and heavy rainfall.

Among the key elements of the project were the replacement of around 10km of rail and more than 9,000 sleepers, the renewal of a railway bridge near Corrour, upgraded drainage through the renewal of five culverts, and improvements to the Feith footbridge. Many of these works took place in isolated areas only accessible via rough terrain.

Jeremy Spence, route delivery director at Network Rail Scotland, said:

“The West Highland Line is a vital transport link for communities and businesses across the Highlands, as well as a world-renowned destination for tourists. These upgrades will help keep services running smoothly and reduce the risk of disruption on a route exposed to some of the harshest conditions on the rail network. Delivering this work was no small task. Our teams operated in remote, hard-to-reach locations and faced challenging terrain and unpredictable weather throughout the nine-day closure. Their commitment and expertise ensured the project was completed safely and on time. We’d also like to thank passengers and local communities for their patience and understanding while the work took place. This investment will make the line more resilient, helping us provide a more reliable railway for everyone who uses it.”

The West Highland upgrade is one of a series of multi-million-pound investments in rail infrastructure across the region. It follows an £11.5m improvement project on the Far North Line completed in June, and a further £4.5m upgrade to the Kyle Line delivered earlier this month. Both involved renewing ageing sections of track, some almost 100 years old, as part of efforts to deliver smoother journeys, cut delay risks and extend the lifespan of the network.

Image: Network Rail