The Far North Line linking Inverness to Thurso and Wick has reopened to trains once more, just in time for the summer season, following an £11.5m upgrade to parts of the line.

The line is one of Scotland’s most scenic railway journeys and carries many hundreds of tourists every year to the far reaches of northern Scotland through the highlands.

Over the past three weeks, a bus replacement service has been in operation linking the stations along the line, while work on the route, which links some of Scotland’s remotest communities, has included relaying nine miles of track between Invergordon and Fearn and five miles of track between Brora and Helmsdale.

Due to the light usage of trains running on the line, most of the rails still have service life in them and were able to be reused, though three and three-quarters miles of new rails were needed to replace some life-expired sections.

Over 2,500 sleepers were replaced, with Network Rail staff volunteering to turn some of the life-expired wooden sleepers into boarders and planters at Brora station, while also holding ecology and STEM talks at Both Brora Youth Group and Golspie High School.

Work on improving the drainage systems was also undertaken by Network Rail, which saw them work 24/7 shift patterns, amounting to 6720 hours of work over the three-week closure to get the line ready for reopening.

“The Far North Line is such an important transport link for many communities in the Highlands, and this investment will help ensure it continues to serve passengers safely and reliably.  

The project was a significant undertaking, involving complex engineering in a remote and challenging environment. Closing the line for the duration was essential, ensuring the safety of our teams and the public, while minimising the length of disruption. 

We’re grateful to residents and businesses for their patience and support and know they’ll continue to benefit from this significantly improved route for decades to come.”

Scott McMurchie, Scheme Project Manager at Network Rail

“We’re pleased to welcome customers back to the Far North Line following this major upgrade. The work carried out by Network Rail will make a real difference to the long-term reliability of services, which are a lifeline for communities across the north Highlands. 

Our priority throughout the work was to keep people moving, and we’re grateful to customers for their understanding and patience while these improvements were delivered.” 

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director