Rail passengers in a Scottish city face travel disruption in the New Year after it was confirmed six routes will be impacted by engineering works. Three train stations in Edinburgh will effectively close down for a period in January as part of plans to electrify the line between Edinburgh Waverley and Fife.
Work will take place between January 17 and 25 with engineers installing overhead line equipment between Haymarket and Dalmeny. The line will be closed between the two stations, meaning no trains stopping at Dalmeny, as well as South Gyle and Edinburgh Gateway, which is an important route to Edinburgh Airport.
Network Rail said the work would impact on five ScotRail routes:
The Caledonian Sleeper, LNER and Cross Country service between Edinburgh and Dundee/Aberdeen will also be affected. Services may be diverted or replaced by buses on the routes.
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The work will involve demolishing and rebuilding several bridges at a higher height to create space for the new infrastructure. In places where bridges can't be raised, the track will be lowered.
Network Rail says the project is part of a £342m programme to electrify routes in Fife and the Borders. Catherine Hall, strategy and investment director at Network Rail Scotland said: "This work is about future proofing one of Scotland's busiest rail routes, paving the way for battery-electric trains.
"It will help increase capacity, improve reliability, and deliver more accessible, comfortable and sustainable journeys. We know there's never an ideal time to close any part of the railway, and we appreciate the patience of passengers and local residents while these improvements take place.
"Our teams have planned the work carefully to keep the impact to a minimum, and we'll continue to keep people informed every step of the way." Rail passengers are being urged to plan ahead.