Landslip closes busy railway line

Network Rail said services could return to normal by the weekend

A landslip in West Dunbartonshire has forced the closure of one of Scotland's busiest passenger railway lines.

The line between Helensburgh and Dumbarton has been closed to passenger services after the landslip west of Dalreoch Station on Tuesday.

The incident happened at a point where a wall holds up a 20-metre slope, leaving debris strewn along the track.

Network Rail said crews were working to repair the wall, and it hoped services would return to normal by the weekend.

But a spokesman said the line would not reopen to passenger trains until the area was cleared and engineers were completely satisfied there was no risk to services.

Replacement buses

The landslip has also forced the closure of the West Highland line from Dumbarton to Crainlarich.

First ScotRail said replacement buses had been arranged for the affected routes.

The closure is understood to be affecting about 3,000 passengers a day, and travellers have been advised to leave more time for their journeys.

It comes as an investigation gets under way after several passengers were injured when a train crashed into stationary carriages at Glasgow Central Station on Wednesday.