ScotRail: Storm Amy was significant’ weather event that created real challenges

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ScotRail says Storm Amy created “real challenges” for Scotland’s railway operator, bosses have said.

According to ScotRail, the heavy rain and high winds caused more than 480 incidents across its network.

The operator said the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Perthshire were the worst-affected, with winds of up to 96mph in places.

Flooding on tracks, fallen trees, damage to overhead lines and other debris, led to significant cancelations and delays across Scotland on Friday.

Trains in the north of Scotland were initially hit hardest but, as the storm developed, parts of Glasgow, Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway were also impacted.

About 550 Network Rail staff worked around the clock to rectify the damage.

Ross Moran, route director for Network Rail Scotland, said: “Storm Amy was a significant weather event that created some real challenges.

“From the first reports of damage on Friday night, to the final inspections on Monday, our teams worked tirelessly to get the railway back up and running safely and as quickly as possible.

“Everyone played their part including engineers on the ground, control room staff and our partners at ScotRail and other operators. Teamwork across Scotland’s railway was absolutely essential as we responded to the storm’s impacts.

“We’re hugely grateful to passengers for their patience and understanding while we worked to restore the network. We know how frustrating disruption can be and we appreciated the public’s support throughout.”

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service delivery director, added: “After an exceptionally challenging few days, it’s great to see trains running again.

“The damage caused by Storm Amy, particularly on routes in the north of the country, has been significant, and it’s taken a massive joint effort with our colleagues at Network Rail to get services moving.

“I’d like to thank our customers for their patience while lines were inspected for damage, debris was cleared, and essential repairs were completed to make sure the network was safe to reopen.

“This storm has once again shown the resilience of Scotland’s Railway and the dedication of the people who keep it running.”

SSEN said that as of 4.30pm on Tuesday, about 1,400 households remained without power.

Most of the households still disconnected are in the Highlands, and about 400 SSEN engineers are still working to address the outage.

About 700 sections of the energy provider’s network were damaged.

SSEN said more than 20,000 free meals have been given to customers who have experienced long power outages, and customers who have been without power for 12 hours and have not been able to receive food are entitled to £30 per person, per day to cover the cost of food and drink.

SSEN says it expects the majority of customers still offline to be reconnected at some point on Tuesday evening.

Full information on the locations and opening times of food and drink provision can be found via SSEN’s Facebook page, through local resilience partners and at ssen.co.uk/stormsupport.