Busy railway line used by West Lothian commuters closed due to massive sinkhole

Part of a busy West Lothian train route will be closed until the end of the month after a massive sinkhole appeared.

The railway line between Airdrie and Bathgate is expected to remain shut after the sinkhole was found on Sunday.

The line between Airdrie and Bathgate is expected to remain closed at Caldercruix until Monday 29 April, due to the potentially complex nature of the repairs needed to the railway.

Network Rail and its contractors are working to establish the sinkhole’s size and depth, and the presence of an underground spring is being looked at as a potential cause.

Once investigations are complete, engineers will be able to put together a repair plan, as well as give a clearer indication of when the line can reopen.

In the meantime, ScotRail services between Helensburgh Central and Edinburgh Waverley will terminate at Airdrie. A replacement bus service will connect Airdrie and Bathgate, calling at all intermediate stations, with a train shuttle service running between Bathgate and Edinburgh Waverley.

Ross Moran, Interim Route Director for Network Rail Scotland, said: “Sinkholes like this are very unusual on the railway, and our specialist geotechnical engineers are working tirelessly to identify the cause, as well as planning the repairs.”

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