Landslip at Dunrobin cleared but Far North Line remains shut
Progress is being made by teams attempting to clear the Far North Line after the railway was impacted by several floods and landslips on Hogmanay.
Network Rail said it had cleared a landslip at Dunrobin in Sutherland, while they were also dealing with a separate incident between Brora and Helmsdale.
A landslip at Bunchrew, near Inverness, was also having an impact on services.
The Far North Line has been closed all day, with services to and from Wick and Thurso cancelled, with no bus replacement service available.
Flooding between Muir of Ord and Dingwall has now been cleared from the tracks, but there were reports of at least 10 separate floods along the route earlier in the day.
Network Rail posted on social media: “Our team have cleared the debris from the tracks at Dunrobin. They’re working hard to inspect all reported flood sites along the Far North Line.
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“We’re also dealing with a landslip between Brora and Helmsdale, and another at Bunchrew near Inverness.
“We’ve also cleared the flooding between Muir of Ord and Dingwall, with the team confirming it’s safe for trains to run there. Work continues at other sites across the Far North Line.”
ScotRail said the Wick/Thurso line would be closed for at least the remainder of the day on Tuesday.
It added: “As bus companies have stated that road conditions are too hazardous here, we’re unable to supply bus replacements along this route.
“Tickets dated for travel today, will be valid for use on either Thursday, 2 or Friday, 3 January 2025.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this, but safety must come first. Please note this only impacts services along the Wick/Thurso route.”
Earlier, flooding had blocked both the Far North and Kyle of Lochalsh lines as torrential rain caused travel chaos. Numerous ScotRail services had already been cancelled on north Highland routes heading into Tuesday amid amber and yellow warnings for rain, snow and ice.
Passengers re urged to check which services are operating with ScotRail before travelling.