Three bridges along the Highland mainline have avoided serious damage after being struck by a freight train.
Rail services ground to a halt on Thursday after a freight train collided with three arch railway bridges along the route.
The train was travelling between the central belt and Inverness when it struck the underside of the archways between Perth and Dunkeld.
The railway line was closed for some time as Network Rail engineers carried out inspections of the structures.
The bridges carry Glasgow Road, Long Causeway and Crieff Road, all located in Perth.
Officials have now confirmed no significant damage has been caused to the bridges – merely superficial scrapes to the stonework.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “Our engineers were on-site to inspect the bridges as quickly as possible and no significant damage was found on the structures.
“We understand the inconvenience this incident caused passengers and apologise for the disruption to their journeys.”
A number of Inverness bound rail services were cancelled or delayed as engineers raced to examine the damage.
ScotRail services from both Glasgow and Edinburgh were terminated at Perth and Pitlochry.
After several hours of disruption, the southbound lane was reopened.
The disruption arose amidst an ongoing reduction of rail services across the country due to strikes.
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