Kilmarnock to Dumfries rail line repairs to take four weeks

The line has been shut since Monday due to the damage caused in the wake of Storm Ciara

Emergency work to repair a landslip beneath the railway between Kilmarnock and Dumfries will take a further four weeks.

The line has been shut near Holywood in Dumfries and Galloway since Monday in the wake of Storm Ciara.

Heavy rainfall has caused the nearby River Nith to erode an embankment beneath the railway.

Following detailed examination Network Rail said the line would need to stay shut until 16 March.

Engineers are currently working to repair the 1,700-tonne landslip beneath the 50m (160ft) stretch of track.

They will first have to construct a new road and compound to bring material to the site before they can stabilise and rebuild the embankment.

ScotRail services between Dumfries and Carlisle and between Kilmarnock and Glasgow will continue to run with replacement buses operating between Dumfries and Kilmarnock.

Passengers with ScotRail tickets may also travel on Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express services between Carlisle and Glasgow Central, via Lockerbie.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "Our engineers are working hard to reopen the line as quickly as possible for customers.

"Storm Ciara has caused significant damage beneath the track and we will need to rebuild the track-bed and supporting embankment before we can reopen the line.

"The landslip is located in a challenging location above the river and will also require our engineers to construct a haul road to bring equipment and materials to the site."