Scotland’s Railway is carrying out preparatory work for the renewal of the bridge over the Neilston branch line, which will see a Sunday and Monday closure to support the work and also as part of a trial for the Scottish Network.

The bridge which connects Balgray Reservoir footpath to Springfield Road will see engineers replace abutments and the deck with work set to take place on the 13th and 14th of August and the 20th and 21st of August.

The work is being carried out as the bridge has now started to show signs of deterioration and, once complete, will see a weight restriction removed from the structure which has been in place for a long period. The project will involve a KIROW crane which is rail mounted and used to carry out the work, which will also see a disused bridge near Neilston station removed.

During the periods of work, no restrictions will be in place to the Dams to Darnley car park, which is located off of Balygraystone Road. Walkers and Cyclists will have a short, fully signposted diversionary route in place using the Balgray Reservoir footpath. The diversion will come into action from the 7th of August and remain in place until November.

Routine engineering work has historically been carried out over weekends and Bank Holidays, however since the pandemic, travel trends have changed, seeing increased rail usage at the weekend, with Saturday being revealed as the most popular travel day according to data. The trial being carried out by Scotlands Railway will reflect this, with the line closure taking place on Sunday and Monday in place of the usual Saturday and Sunday.

Susan Menmuir, Scheme Project Manager for Network Rail, said:

“We understand that diverting the Balgray Reservoir footpath may be inconvenient and we thank the local community in advance for bearing with us whilst we complete this essential work.”

“The new bridge will be both stronger and safer and will provide Dams to Darnley visitors with a walking route to Balgray Reservoir for years to come.”