ScotRail customers are reminded that they should only travel if their journey is essential on routes affected during the Network Rail safety-critical engineering works which begin on Monday 29 January and are due to last until Thursday 1 February.
This work will install specialist netting system on a rock cutting above the railway near Ratho on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line, which will help to prevent potential rockfall from a cutting on the line – improving safety for colleagues and customers.
The project will mean significant disruption with advice to customers that they should only travel on the following routes if their journey is essential:
- Glasgow – Edinburgh via Falkirk High services will terminate at Linlithgow.
- There will be no train service between Edinburgh Waverley and Linlithgow.
- A limited number of replacement buses will be available between Linlithgow and Edinburgh Park station, with ticket acceptance in place with Edinburgh Trams for travel between Edinburgh Park and Haymarket and Waverley.
- Dunblane – 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 ticket acceptance in place with 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 ticket acceptance in place with Edinburgh Trams for travel between Edinburgh Park and Haymarket and Waverley.
Customers should note that the replacement bus options will be limited and journey times will be significantly longer. Full details of the arrangements can be found on the ScotRail website here.
There are also local bus services available although capacity may be limited and rail ticket acceptance is not in place.
Customers wishing to use these services should purchase tickets directly from the relevant bus operator:
- McGill’s – X38 service between Stirling-Falkirk-Polmont-Linlithgow-Edinburgh.
- Citylink:
- 900 service between Glasgow-Edinburgh.
- 902 service Glasgow-Livingston-Edinburgh Airport.
- 909 service Dunblane-Stirling-Edinburgh.
- Lothian Country:
- X18 service between Armadale-Bathgate-Uphall-Edinburgh.
- X27 Bathgate-Livingston-Edinburgh.
- X28 Bathgate-Livingston-Edinburgh via Kirknewton.
For timetable and other information on these bus services, please visit www.travelinescotland.com
Customers looking to travel directly between Edinburgh and Glasgow can use the following routes which depart and terminate at Glasgow Central. There will be limited additional capacity and journey times are around 30 to 50 minutes longer compared to services via Falkirk High:
- Edinburgh – Glasgow via Shotts.
- Edinburgh – Glasgow via Carstairs.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail Customer Operations Director, said: “These safety critical engineering works will bring significant disruption to the services ScotRail can operate between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Stirling, and Inverness.
“Our 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.”
Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “The improvements we’re making on the route are vital to the safe and reliable running of the railway.
“While we appreciate that this work will cause some inconvenience to our customers, we’ll deliver this project as quickly as possible to minimise disruption.
“Our thanks go to passengers for their patience while we complete this essential safety project.”
