Signalling hope to end Stromeferry works misery
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ROADWORK misery on the Stromeferry bypass could be eased after it emerged that temporary changes may be made to railway signalling on the Kyle of Lochalsh line in efforts to improve a road-rail diversion system.
Contractors are busy working to stabilise the rock face above the A890 near Stromeferry after decades of motoring woes caused by repeated landslips.
But the work, which is not due to end until late November, requires numerous road closures every day, and has caused significant tailbacks – with reports of queues of up to 100 vehicles at particularly busy times.
A road-rail diversion, which takes traffic onto the adjacent Kyle Line rail track for a short distance, has helped to keep the road open for at least some parts of the day.
But, in a bid to ease congestion further, it is understood that new fixed signals and a magnet warning system could be installed closer to the site of the works – reducing the length of time that the track is off limits to cars.
The new system would see trains stop at an agreed point near to the site, where the driver would communicate with a signaller to close the road-rail diversion while they pass through. The diversion could then reopen to traffic shortly after a train clears the other side.
Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP, Ian Blackford has been campaigning for the revised system with support from Scottish Transport Secretary, Michael Matheson.
Mr Blackford said: "This has the potential to be great news and work now must be put in place to make these plans a reality. I would like to put on record my gratitude to Network Rail for listening to concerns of the local community and of representatives like myself.
"Despite matters relating to Network Rail being reserved to Westminster, I knew the best hope was for the Scottish Government to try and make clear that the sorry state of affairs that we have all witnessed, couldn’t be allowed to continue. Let me be frank, these changes would not have been possible without the intervention of the Scottish Government’s Transport Secretary, Michael Matheson MSP.
"The local communities deserve a huge amount of credit as well. Local representatives have campaigned tirelessly and have sought to keep people informed when information wasn’t always forthcoming from Highland Council.
"I hope now that we can move forward from what has been an extremely trying situation for local communities."
Network Rail confirmed the new system is something it is actively looking into, but that it was not yet in a position to proceed and had no specific start date for its introduction.
But a spokesman added that the system was similar to one that was introduced on the same stretch of track in 2012 after another serious landslide, so the idea is feasible.
