Along the railway between Wemyss Bay and Inverkip, Network Rail is planning for its essential vegetation management work.

The work is part of a £2 million project and will begin on the 6th July and run until August.

This is the first phase of the project, which will continue into April 2026 and will continue to cover Inverkip to Branchton, Branchton to Whinhill and Whinhill to Port Glasgow.

Network Rail will be on site on Sundays from 9:30 pm until 6:30 am and Monday to Thursday from 11:30 pm until 6:30 am.

There will be some requirements for daytime work, which will take place between 7 am and 4:30 pm on Monday to Thursday.

Vegetation management work is essential to prevent overhanging branches and loose greenery from causing safety issues, such as damaging overhead power lines.

There will be detailed assessments carried out by Network Rail to identify problem areas and manage them before they become a problem.

There will be a community drop-in session at Wemyss Bay Community Centre on the 30th June (4 pm – 7 pm) for people to find out more about the work and ask any questions.

“Managing the trees and plants along the railway between Wemyss Bay and Inverkip is vital to keeping services running reliably and ensuring the line remains safe for everyone who uses it. This stretch of railway runs through a scenic and well-loved part of the west coast, so we’ve planned the work carefully to balance the need for maintenance while caring for the local environment and habitats. 

“Some of the work needs to be carried out at night to protect our teams and avoid disruption to daytime train services. We’d like to apologise in advance for any disturbance and are grateful to the local community for their patience and support while we carry out this important work.” 

Gemma Dallas, Scheme Project Manager at Network Rail Scotland