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TRAINS BETWEEN ABERDEEN and Inverness remain out of service this evening although some services have resumed in other parts of the country following disruption caused by Storm Caroline today.
Following a safety inspection of the tracks took place earlier this afternoon, a limited number of services have resumed on the West Highland line (Glasgow Queen Street-Fort William/Oban/Mallaig).
Services between Inverness and Wick/Thurso, and Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh, remain suspended until further notice due to high winds. It remains unsafe to run services on those routes due to the weather.
However, further safety checks are being undertaken on the Aberdeen-Inverness line. Services are expected to return to normal tomorrow, however, with snow and ice now expected overnight and into the services could face further disruption over the coming days.
The ScotRail Alliance urged customers to check the ScotRail app or visit http://www.journeycheck.com/scotrail for the most up to date information.
Mark Ilderton, Head of Integrated Control at the ScotRail Alliance, said: “The safety of our staff and customers remains our top priority, and it’s on that basis that we take decisions about services during extreme weather.
“Following a reduction in wind speeds in some areas of the country, services between Glasgow Queen Street and Fort William, Oban and Mallaig have now resumed. There will continue to be disruption as we work to get things back to normal.
“Wind speeds remain too high in the very north of Scotland, which is why services to Wick, Thurso and Kyle of Lochalsh remain suspended. It is not safe for services to resume in that part of the country.
“We are carrying out safety checks on the Aberdeen-Inverness line to determine if it is safe to resume services there.
“We know it has been a difficult time for customers. We really appreciate their patience while our dedicated staff do everything possible to keep people safe and keep them moving, where possible, in very challenging circumstances.”
Meanwhile Moray Council teams were delivering a pallet of sandbags each to Stewart Street, Portgordon, and Great Eastern Street, Portessie. These are freely available for residents whose homes are at risk from waves over-topping the harbour.
A further visit was made later this afternoon to ensure sufficient bags are available.
Gritters will be on the road any moment treating all routes other than coastal roads, and will carry out a second treatment in the early evening.
The forecast for Friday is dominated by snow and ice – temperatures will fall to bellow zero this evening and will not rise above 3c on Friday, with snow falls overnight before clearing and returning again on Friday night into Saturday.