A key Lochaber rail route is expected to reopen this morning after work to clear a massive landslide.
Network Rail confirmed last night that repairs on the line between Fort William and Mallaig was “progressing as expected”.
The railway had been closed after torrential rain caused a landslide near Lochailort, bringing around 100 tonnes of mud, stones and debris down over about 230ft of the line on Thursday evening.
Engineers have worked around the clock to bring the line back into use.
A major concern had been that the landslide could have caused damage to the tracks which wouldn’t be found until the mud had been cleared.
But last night a spokesman for Network Rail confirmed that assessments showed the line had escaped major damage and would be ready for services to resume this morning.
Work has also been ongoing to make the hillside above the lines safe again after the massive landslide.
He said: “The work on site has been going as planned and is on course to reopen on Monday.
“There has been various elements on site. Obviously they had to clear the debris and it appears that the track underneath is OK after being checked over.
“There are also various catch fences being put around the slope and that is all progressing as planned.”
The line carries trains running from Glasgow Queen Street north into Lochaber.
On Friday and over the weekend, trains have been stopping at Fort William with passengers making the onward journey by bus.
The line is also popular as a tourist attraction as it carries the Jacobite steam train, which was made famous by its appearance in the Harry Potter films.
The nearby A830 Fort William to Mallaig road was also affected by the landslide and had to close for around 20 hours from Thursday evening into Friday.
It is currently open with one lane running under the control of temporary traffic lights.
Bear Scotland teams are continuing to work to clear the remaining debris, as well as culverts and ditches next to the route.
