Network Rail Scotland has announced the damaged track near Portlethen has reopened.
Many trains heading north to Aberdeen or south to Dundee have been delayed or revised this afternoon after a broken rail was reported on the track.
After reports of damage on the southbound line between Aberdeen and Stonehaven, ScotRail announced earlier today that all services heading south to Dundee were suspended.
The incident has affected some northbound services as well as trains and crews as they will not be able to arrive south in time for their return trip.
A team of staff arrived at the place of the incident at 1.30pm on Thursday. They managed to temporarily fix the track and the line reopened around 3.30pm today.
UPDATE: The line through Portlethen is now open again. There's still going to be some changes to trains while we get trains and crews back where they need to be, so check your journey on our app. ^Angus https://t.co/pEkY0EDBLK
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) April 7, 2022
What is the problem?
Network Rail Scotland reported that the delays are being caused by a broken rail at Portlethen.
Broken rails can be caused where the track is overloaded or by a small defect in the rail itself.
A team was sent to temporarily fix the issue on the line until it can be properly addressed. The line has now been reopened for use with a speed restriction of 5mph in place.
🦺 We're responding to reports of a broken rail at Portlethen, affecting the southbound line.
Right now we're preparing to complete a temporary fix that will allow the line to reopen at 5mph.
What is a broken rail? More info 👇 @ScotRail @LNER @CrossCountryUK pic.twitter.com/UJnws23wuC
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) April 7, 2022
What journeys have been affected?
A couple of journeys from Aberdeen to Edinburgh Waverly and Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street have been cancelled.
Those travelling between Inverness or Aberdeen to Edinburgh Waverly or Glasgow Queen Street will face delays and changes in facilities. Many services will have less carriages which could lead to much busier trains.
Passengers who are worried about physical distancing are encouraged to perhaps plan to travel on an alternative service.
In the meantime, ScotRail has arranged for passengers with valid rail tickets to be able to travel on selected Stagecoach East buses between Dundee and Arbroath and Arbroath and Montrose.
CityLink buses between Aberdeen and Dundee are also accepting passengers travelling in both directions.
The Glasgow to Oban, Fort William and Mallaig route also has faced delays today due to an earlier speed restriction. This was in place between Falls of Cruachan and Taynuilt and was caused by extreme weather.
Passengers using any of these routes are encouraged to visit ScotRail’s Live Network Map for the latest updates.