Workers have launched a mammoth effort to plough several feet of “deep, drifting” snow from the railway line between Perthshire and the Highlands.
Severe winter weather has been battering Scotland all week, with white-out conditions forcing the Highland Main Line connecting Perth and Inverness to close on Thursday morning.
The route has been shut from Blair Atholl right through to Carrbridge due to a huge amount of snowfall.
Rail workers are battling difficult conditions to get trains moving to the north again.
Journeys from Inverness to Perth, Glasgow and Edinburgh have been cancelled.
Network Rail sent teams out to assess the scale of the weather problems on the Highland Main Line on Thursday morning.
A locomotive has been dispatched and is working to plough snow from the tracks.
Network Rail posted footage of the mammoth effort to clear snow, which was 2ft deep in places.
‘Deep, drifting snow’
A spokesman for the organisation said: “We’ve closed the Highland Main Line at Dalwhinnie, due to deep, drifting snow.
“Our integrated control team working on a plan to reopen the line as soon as possible, but disruption’s expected until at least lunchtime.
“We’re arranging our track team for the area to attend initially to assess the depth, and what we’ll need to do to reopen the line.”
Another video, this time passing through Dalnaspidal on the Highland Mainline. Much more snow! @ScotRail @LNER @DRSgovuk @ColasRailUK @transcotland pic.twitter.com/DSfxKuL9zW
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) February 4, 2021
He added: “Heavy snow is affecting the passing loops at Slochd, Tomatin and Moy on the Highland Main Line, and we’re seeing it drift into the railway at other points along the route too.”
The view from the rear of our first patrol locomotive, ploughing through snow at Slochd on the Highland Mainline a few minutes ago. pic.twitter.com/6OwQQP2N7R
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) February 4, 2021
ScotRail posted: “Due to heavy snow between Carrbridge and Blair Atholl the line is closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.”
UPDATE: The first of @NetworkRailScot's locomotives are now patrolling the Highland Mainline departing from Inverness. It remains closed for now, as they work to clear and reopen the line. ^CThttps://t.co/H9NQOZBpSl
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) February 4, 2021
An amber weather warning has been put in place for Angus, Perthshire, Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands as forecasters warn of a further three days of drifting snow and blizzards.
Up to 2oin of the white stuff could land in the highest regions with 6in possible even at lower levels.
When the snow is higher than your Hilux 😍!!#snowfall #cawdorestate #scottishhighlands #hilux #winter2021 #gamekeeping #estatelife pic.twitter.com/hq3jZYL5aK
— Cawdor Estate (@CawdorEstate) February 2, 2021
A number of Met Office weather warnings will be in place across Scotland until Monday.
