A helicopter is being used to deliver railway fencing materials to a hard-to-reach location in the West Highlands of Scotland.

More than 20 tons of material are being delivered in this way to help renew five kilometres of fencing between Craggan and Arrochar.

The helicopter is a single-engine Eurocopter AS350 Single Squirrel, which, because it is lighter without the weight of a second engine, has a greater lifting capability than a twin-engine one.

New fencing is needed to cut down the chance of livestock gaining access to the line. The fencing is standard stock fencing using wooden posts and wire.

It was decided to use a helicopter as it was deemed to be the safest and most efficient way to deliver materials to site because of the challenging topography of the land either side of the railway, which includes a near-vertical embankment.

The helicopter will perform 21 lifts to move the materials to the site from a staging point south of the work area on the West Highland line. After someone has airlifted the materials to site, contractors QTS will start work renewing the fencing. That work is planned to last three months and, weather permitting, is scheduled to be complete by the end of next January.

WATCH; video of helicopter delivering fencing materials on the West Highland Line.

Sam McIlvaney, Network Rail’s project manager for the fencing renewal, said: “Inadequate fencing means that livestock keeps getting onto the track at this location which leads to a regular call on staff-time to safely remove the animals and return them to the farmer. This creates a safety risk for both staff and passengers and can cause disruption to services.

“The challenge of renewing the fencing at this location means that we have had to look at different ways to plan and deliver this work. The helicopter has offered a great solution to reduce the time and risk involved and to get materials to site in a way that is time-efficient and cost-effective.

“We are grateful for the support of Scotland’s Air Operations team and neighbouring landowners, who have worked with us to make this possible.”

Mark Watt, fencing manager for QTS, added: “The location of this site is incredibly challenging to access, due to its remote nature, but our team is experienced in working within the constraints of this type of landscape.

“We have worked closely alongside the team at Network Rail to devise a plan that allows the materials to be pre-bundled and then air lifted into position, helping us to ensure that Scotland’s Railway remains safe and secure for freight and passenger travel.”