Network Rail starts £8m crossover and resignalling scheme at Dalwhinnie

Network Rail has started an £8m scheme at Dalwhinnie on the Highland Main Line, installing a new crossover so northbound trains can use the station's step-free platform and replacing ageing signalling with colour light signals.

The infrastructure owner said the crossover, which lets trains move between tracks, will allow northbound services to call at Platform 1 when passengers need step-free access. It said the work will also improve the reliability and resilience of the line and give freight services extra flexibility.

Gary Hopkirk, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said: "It's great to see this work progressing and we're looking forward to delivering a better, more accessible railway for passengers at Dalwhinnie."

The closures

The line will be closed at Dalwhinnie over two weekends, from Friday 30 October to Monday 2 November and from Friday 6 November to Monday 9 November. Network Rail said engineers will use the closures to install and commission the new infrastructure, including renewed track and signalling.

About 400 yards of track will be renewed and the old signalling equipment replaced with new colour light signals. Network Rail said the improvements will allow trains to run faster through the area.

Work will then continue at nights and weekends until the end of the year as engineers remove old equipment from the site. Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check with their train operator for alternative travel options during the closures.

The announcement did not name a contractor or a funder for the scheme.

Why a crossover

National Rail Enquiries lists Dalwhinnie, which is managed by ScotRail, as step-free category B3. That means there is some step-free access to platforms, but possibly in one direction only. The Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership says the station has double track and two platforms, and describes it as the highest mainline station in the UK.

Network Rail said the new crossover will let northbound services use Platform 1 when passengers require step-free access.

Hopkirk said: "We really appreciate everyone's patience while the work continues and look forward to passengers and freight customers feeling the benefits once it's complete."

Previous investment

The scheme follows the Highland Main Line improvement programme overseen by Transport Scotland. According to the agency, phase one increased services from nine to 11 trains a day in each direction and cut journey times by an average of six minutes.

Phase two, completed in March 2019, delivered signalling upgrades at Aviemore and Pitlochry stations. Network Rail said at the time that the programme, which had been running since summer 2018 and focused mainly on those two stations, would help deliver an hourly service with average journey times reduced by about 10 minutes.

The Highland Main Line opened in 1863 as the Inverness & Perth Junction Railway, according to the community rail partnership. It crosses Druimuachdar Pass at 1,484 feet, the highest point on a British main line.

Network Rail's Scotland route, led by managing director Liam Sumpter, covers 2,668 miles of track. The first of the two Dalwhinnie closures begins on Friday 30 October.