This Saturday (27th March) the railway line between West Kilbride and Largs will reopen after repair work on a steep slope next to the railway.

The railway line has been closed since 5th February when a landslip blocked the line near Fairlie.

Heavy rain caused more than 7,000 tonnes of debris to fall down on to the tracks.

While the line was closed for repairs, a rail replacement bus service has been running between Ardrossan South Beach and Largs.

The slope has been rebuilt using specialist diggers which have moved over 27,000 tonnes of stone to help strengthen the area along the 100m stretch.

The rebuilding is complete and new tracks have been laid. The line will reopen once repairs to signalling and overhead lines have been completed.

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “Our engineers have worked as quickly as possible to complete these repairs and get services back on the move for customers.”

“This was a challenging and complex project, with thousands of tons of material having to be removed before we could begin to assess the damage to the line and make our repairs.”

“We appreciate the inconvenience the closure of the railway has caused to passengers, and our lineside neighbours, and we thank them for their understanding during the recovery works.”

David Simpson, ScotRail operations director, said: “It has been a challenging time for customers and we did everything we could to keep them moving, with replacement buses helping those making essential journeys while these vital repairs were carried out.”

“Our colleagues in Network Rail have worked hard to allow services to return to normal, and we have worked closely with them to help ensure the line has been reopened as quickly, and safely, as possible.”

Where Next?

RAILADVENT NEWS
The latest railway news
FREE NEWSLETTERS
Signup to our daily and weekly newsletters
RAILADVENT SHOP
Prints, DVD’s, Clocks, Mouse Mats and more!
LOCOSTOP COMMUNITY
Come and share your railway pictures
UK STEAM INFO
Upcoming mainline steam tours/loco movements
Network Rail
Visit their website