The Edinburgh to Glasgow railway line and five others in Scotland have been affected by landslides and flooding, leading to delays and cancellations.

Landslides took place on Wednesday along two commuter lines, including the main route between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh, plus Glasgow Central to Carlisle and the Newcastle line via Dumfries.

The latest landslip led to the closure of the heavily used Edinburgh to Glasgow line near Winchburgh in West Lothian, forcing ScotRail to lay on replacement buses.

The incidents followed the closure of the West Highland line north of Fort William, after a train to Mallaig became stuck in a heavy landslide on Monday.

Trains from Glasgow Central to Carlisle and Newcastle via Dumfries were delayed on Wednesday morning after a landslide affected services and the A76 near Kirkconnel, south-east of Kilmarnock.

Flooding near Edinburgh earlier in the day had already delayed trains to and from Glasgow Queen Street, as well as services from Edinburgh to Dunblane and Stirling, while flooding and debris affected signals for trains near Livingston North, affecting services to Helensburgh and Glasgow Central.

The problems led to delays during the morning commute. The Scottish Green party said it highlighted the urgent need to prepare for worsening weather brought by climate change.

John Finnie, the Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands, said: “Without action, climate change will continue to bring increased risks of this sort, not just to rail lines but also to other infrastructure.”

Network Rail, which maintains infrastructure, said it was spending £25m-£30m a year in Scotland on reinforcing hillsides and rock faces, bolstering bridges and strengthening tracks to prepare for extreme weather.

Meanwhile, high wind warnings have been extended as Storm Georgina batters the UK, with gusts of up to 90mph (145km/h) possible around the Western Isles.

Met Office yellow warnings for high winds across northern Scotland were extended to 5pm.



A gust of 85mph was recorded on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides on Wednesday morning, while there were 75mph winds at The Needles on the Isle of Wight and on Anglesey.

Forecasters said gusts of 70mph-80mph were likely in northern and western parts of the Highlands.