Disruption for travellers as two rail lines closed

Car crashes into level crossing after broken track found

Engineers are investigating the cause of a damaged railway in Highland Perthshire which caused chaos for commuters.

It is not yet known what caused the broken track, which was discovered in Dunkeld and saw all trains between Perthshire and the north cancelled.

Passengers were decanted on to buses to travel between Perth and Pitlochry yesterday while repairs were carried out. Normal service is expected to resume today.

The disruption was exacerbated when a car crashed into a level crossing in Bridge of Allan yesterday morning, causing trains travelling between the central belt and Perth to be cancelled until 1pm.

Eilidh Fretwell had to board a replacement bus in Perth to visit family in Inverness, after connecting from Dundee.

She said: “It is a hassle but if they hadn’t found the damage it doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened.

“I can get off the bus at Pitlochry and get the train from there to Inverness but people have been advising me just to stay on the bus because otherwise I’ll have to hang around in Pitlochry for the next train. It will make my journey longer but hopefully it won’t be too bad.”

Another commuter had to abandon a management course in Stirling early to tackle the long journey back to Inverness.

She said: “I wasn’t supposed to be getting the train until 5.30 but I had to leave at lunchtime because of all of the disruption.

“If I didn’t leave when I did who knows what time I would get home.”

The passenger also had to use a bus replacement service between Perth and Stirling on Sunday, due to engineering works which will cause disruption from Falkirk, through Perth and up the Highland Main Line to Inverness until the end of November.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “The broken rail was identified following

Investigat– ions into the exact cause of the damage are ongoing. NETWORK RAIL SPOKESMAN

the passage of an engineering train over the line at around 10.30pm on Monday. Investigations into the exact cause of the damage are ongoing.

“Our engineers are on-site, working to repair and reopen the railway for customers.

“We understand the inconvenience this incident has caused passengers and are working as quickly as possible to restore services.”

British Transport Police are appealing for witnesses who may have dashcam footage of the driver who crashed into the level crossing.

Anyone with information or footage is asked to call 0800 405040 or text 61016, quoting reference 177 and yesterday’s date.

Picture: Dougie Nicolson. Passengers being directed on to the replacement buses outside Perth Railway Station.

The damaged track near Dunkeld.