East Coast Main Line to close for £5.7m track and drainage improvement work

Credit: Network Rail

Scotland’s Railway is investing £5.7 million on vital improvements that will see the East Coast Main Line closed between Edinburgh and Berwick at specific hours each Saturday from 16 to 25 September. The North Berwick and Borders lines will be closed on 17 September and 24 September, with the North Berwick line also closing on 30 September and 1 October.

Cross border services will also be affected by unrelated work taking place in England throughout each of the four Saturdays & Sundays, with passengers advised to check with their service operator before travelling.

During the project 820 yards of drainage improvements at various locations between Reston and Drem will be completed to stabilise an embankment. Engineers will replace 3.8 miles of worn railway track with new stone ballast, sleepers and rails, and more than 30 engineering trains will be deployed. At the same time, de-vegetation works will be taking place with teams cutting back overhanging trees and bushes at various points on the line. When complete, the line be more resilient and reliable throughout the year.

 “The work we are undertaking is vital for the long-term future reliability of the line,” Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Route Director for Scotland, said. “Our engineers will be working around-the-clock to complete these complex projects as quickly as possible. We understand the inconvenience these works will cause to some passengers and residents and we thank them for their patience. We are committed to completing this work quickly and limiting disruption where possible.”