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Torrential rain in Scotland leaves legacy of disruption

TRAIN services on several lines in Scotland are still disrupted after Wednesday’s severe weather.

Although the derailment near Stonehaven has had the most publicity, with no trains running between Dundee and Aberdeen until further notice, there are other gaps on the ScotRail network as well.

One major blockage has occurred at Falkirk, where the Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street electric service has been interrupted by flooding. The source of the water is the nearby Union Canal, where the bank was breached during the severe weather, leaving a 30m hole. Engineers have attempted to control the water with sandbags and clay dams, but repairing the damage could be a long job. Scottish Canals director of infrastructure Richard Millar said: ‘It is very challenging. The water is heading across a number of fields and down on to the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway, where there is significant damage. We’re getting on top of the situation, but it is going to take us time to get it repaired. It’s probably looking at three to four months and a considerable amount of investment.’ An alternative train service is running between Queen Street and Falkirk Grahamston, with buses from there onwards to Edinburgh. The line is not expected to reopen until 3 September.

A little further east and across the Forth, services from Edinburgh around the Fife Circle are being disrupted between Glenrothes and Cowdenbeath, while there is more disruption between Edinburgh and Dunblane, with no trains running for now. Passengers from Dunblane and Bridge of Allan are being advised to use Larbert, from where rail replacement coaches are running to Edinburgh Park.

ScotRail said: ‘Heavy rain and severe flooding has affected a number of areas across the network, including on the main line between Glasgow and Edinburgh. We’re advising customers to check before they travel via our app or visit the journey check page to see the latest information for your journey.’

Meanwhile, as the task of clearing the crash scene near Stonehaven continues, the UK transport secretary Grant Shapps has told Network Rail he must have an interim report on his desk by 1 September, to be followed by a full report later in the autumn.

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