Major festive rail works set to affect Scotland’s Christmas travel
Rail travellers across Scotland are being urged to plan ahead over the Christmas and New Year break as major engineering work takes place across the network. Network Rail will be carrying out upgrades and maintenance between 24 December and 2 January, with further work continuing into mid-January on some routes. The works are part of ongoing efforts to modernise infrastructure, strengthen reliability and improve performance for future passengers.
Key projects include signalling upgrades at Portobello in Edinburgh from 24 to 27 December, which will affect services to North Berwick, Dunbar and Tweedbank. At Bowling in West Dunbartonshire, work to install a replacement railway bridge will run from 24 December to 2 January, suspending services between Dalmuir and Balloch or Helensburgh Central, and between Glasgow Queen Street and Crianlarich during the works.
Track renewals between Motherwell and Cumbernauld will take place from Christmas Day through to 2 January, bringing smoother running in the long term but requiring bus replacements and amended timetables on routes via Whifflet and Bellshill. On the West Coast Main Line, a worn junction at Hanslope will be replaced between 25 December and 5 January, closing the line between Milton Keynes and Rugby for Glasgow–Euston services. Further north, work to renew a 1960s bridge over the M6 will affect services between Preston and Carlisle from 31 December to 15 January, while new signalling at Kingmoor, just north of Carlisle, will halt trains between Carlisle and Lockerbie from 1 to 7 January.
Network Rail says the Christmas period offers a valuable window for large-scale improvements when passenger numbers are traditionally lower. Replacement buses and timetable changes will operate on affected routes, and travellers are advised to check ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.
Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said:
“Christmas and New Year give us a unique opportunity to deliver major improvements while fewer people are travelling. By using this time wisely, we can carry out essential work that will make Scotland’s railway safer and more reliable for years to come. I’m incredibly thankful to the teams who will be working through the festive period to make these upgrades happen. Their commitment behind the scenes is what keeps the railway moving. For anyone planning a journey, I’d encourage you to check your plans in advance and allow a little extra time.”
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said:
“Whenever Network Rail carries out essential improvement work, our priority is to ensure customers can continue to travel with confidence. While these upgrades mean journeys will be different for some customers over the Christmas period, we’ll have reliable alternative transport in place and clear, timely information to help keep people moving. We understand that this work will cause inconvenience for some customers, but it is crucial to maintaining and improving the reliability of the railway. We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding and encourage everyone to check their journey before travelling.”
Image: Network Rail