The Friends of the Far North Line
Cairdean Na Loine Tuath
the campaign group for rail north of
Inverness - lobbying for improved services for the local user, tourist and freight
operator
As we reported in the January edition of Far North Express, the railway north of Dingwall is to be completely closed from 8 to 30 June to allow an £11.5m maintenance and improvement project on the track.
Network Rail will refurbish almost five miles of track between Brora and Helmsdale, replacing old or worn components and ensuring that the rails, sleepers and ballast are fit for purpose. Nearly nine miles track between Invergordon and Fearn is to be replaced, as well as other vital work to inspect bridges and culverts, clear lineside drainage and ditches, and repair the surfaces of level crossings.
This kind of work needs full continuous possession while it is carried out. A decision was required about how to achieve the shortest possible line closure and likely weather and daylight hours pointed to June, even though this is the beginning of the main tourist season.
Network Rail and ScotRail are well aware that lengthy line closures are not popular. As Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said, "There's never an easy time to close the line, but we know the majority of passengers prefer one continuous period like this, rather than overnight and weekend closures across a much longer timeframe".
He pointed out that some components on the track are nearly 100 years old and that once the work is complete journeys will be much smoother and more reliable.
FoFNL is delighted that this essential work is being done and hopes that renewed focus on the line will speed up decisions to invest in some much-needed extra infrastructure, such as a new passing loop at Delmore, along with consideration of where else to do this to break up what are currently among the UK's longest stretches between loops.
Network Rail has promised to contribute a feature article for our next issue showing what this project involved.
Of course, whatever decisions railway operators take, reactions from the public will vary. The Ross-shire Journal published a selection of comments posted on social media by its readers after it reported the line closure:
"Why don't they do this in the winter when the number of passengers is presumably less?"
"Clearly you know very little about the construction industry, or you would know that mild weather is essential to many elements of work and longer hours of daylight enable more work to be done each day thus reducing the timescale required to complete the works. Traditionally June is one of the driest and least storm prone months. The planning makes perfect sense."
And... "There's too many 'railway maintenance experts' live down south who understand diddly squat about life north of Perth."
"Summer? Why? Tourists travel by train! WAKE UP!"
"Tourists?! That's your concern? I'm more concerned about people who LIVE here getting to work etc. Common sense says you do the work in the days with longest daylight."
And... "As far as people saying waste of money, do you live up here? We need this line and the essential works, so mind your own business.
Pretty typical social media exchanges really, but it’s good to see uninformed comments challenged.