Storm Boelo: all but two Scottish rail lines reopen, Oban and Wick shut

Lead

On 26 October 2026 in Scotland, most train services had resumed after Storm Boelo, with all routes reopened except Crianlarich–Oban and Inverness–Wick/Thurso, where replacement transport was requested. Network Rail and ScotRail conducted recovery operations through the weekend and into Monday, reporting cleared trees and debris, repaired overhead wires, and work to address flooding and power failures across the network.

Verified facts

- Date and timing: Network Rail’s recovery updates were issued over the weekend, with a National Rail update published at 06:53 on Monday, 26 October 2026. Times referenced in source material are local times.

- Lines affected: By early Monday, 26 October 2026, all lines had reopened except Crianlarich–Oban and Inverness–Wick/Thurso, where replacement transport was requested. Earlier on Sunday (26 October) five ScotRail routes had been suspended: Ayr–Stranraer; Glasgow Queen Street–Oban and Mallaig; Glasgow Queen Street–Fort William; Inverness–Kyle of Lochalsh; and Inverness–Wick/Thurso. The closures stepped up from Saturday night into Sunday.

- Recovery activities: Crews cleared fallen trees and debris, repaired damaged overhead wires, and dealt with flooding and power failures. A photograph in Network Rail’s Sunday recovery update showed flooding at Barrhill. Recovery work continued through Sunday night, and overnight inspections were planned using specialist equipment and, where needed, Network Rail’s helicopter.

- Passenger arrangements: National Rail stated that tickets dated Saturday, 24 October, or Sunday, 25 October, for journeys postponed over the weekend could be used on Monday, 26 October, at no extra cost. National Rail advised passengers to check journeys before traveling and to allow extra time because replacement vehicles may be busier than usual.

- Disclosures not present: Specific incident counts, staff deployment numbers and hours worked for Storm Boelo are Not publicly disclosed in the cited article. Any contractual, financial or supplier details are Not publicly disclosed.

Organizations and responsibilities

- Network Rail: Provided recovery updates, coordinated track inspections and recovery work, planned overnight inspections with specialist equipment and a helicopter where required, and released photographs documenting flooding at Barrhill. Network Rail produced a closure plan dated 23 October referenced in the reporting.

- ScotRail: Responsible for passenger services and customer communications. ScotRail’s service delivery director, Mark Ilderton, communicated that most routes affected by the storm would be open on Monday and emphasised that services would resume only when safe.

- National Rail: Issued a public update at 06:53 on 26 October 2026 about the expected duration of disruption and the ticket acceptance arrangement for journeys postponed on 24–25 October.

- Other organisations: No additional organisations, contractors or suppliers are named in the cited source. Where the article references previous work after Storm Amy (October 2025), Network Rail’s post-Amy figures (more than 480 incidents, around 550 staff deployed and more than 40,000 hours worked) are presented as historical context from the earlier event; those specific Storm Amy figures are separate from Storm Boelo and are included in the source material as past comparison.

Operational and commercial context

- Reported operational impact: According to Network Rail and National Rail updates cited in the article, operational recovery focussed on clearing obstructions, repairing overhead wires and restoring power before lines could reopen. Overnight inspections and specialist equipment were required for safety assurance. The article reports that disruption to ScotRail services was expected to last until the end of Monday, 26 October 2026.

- Passenger commercial impact: National Rail’s ticket acceptance measure for 24–25 October journey tickets used on 26 October represents a short-term customer-facing operational mitigation. The article reports that replacement transport was required on the two still-closed sections and that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual; no further commercial or compensation measures are disclosed.

- Limits of reported information: The article does not disclose restoration cost, contractor names, precise times for reopening the two remaining sections, or detailed damage assessments and therefore those items are Not publicly disclosed.

Sources

- https://www.railway.supply/storm-boelo-all-but-two-scottish-rail-lines-reopen-oban-and-wick-shut/ (Railway Supply)

- Source organisations: Network Rail (closure plan 23 October; recovery update 25 October), National Rail (update 26 October). The article references those first-party updates as the basis for its reporting.

Disclosure

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