Funicular fails to meet New Year deadline with works set to roll on
HIE say the line will remain out of action for this Winter
Further delays to the funicular railway at Cairngorm Mountain will see the line remain out of action this Winter.
Owner Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) say the current phase of engineering works to strengthen the viaduct supporting the railway began in April, with the aim of returning the funicular in the New Year.
However the timescale means that the deadline now needs to extend into the second half of 2022.
The mountain resort will stay open throughout Winter, with access using the nine ski tows that will run every day when weather conditions are suitable.
According to HIE, several factors have combined to lengthen the funicular reinstatement programme, including technical challenges with the structure design and weather conditions.
Extra effort has also been required to source vital construction materials that are currently in short supply across the UK.
HIE interim chief executive Carroll Buxton said this combination of challenges had made rescheduling the works inevitable.
“The funicular has been a key element of what draws people to Cairngorm and it will be again, once these works are completed.
“We’ve always been upfront in describing the reinstatement programme as one of the most complex and difficult civil engineering projects in Scotland.
“The original schedule was very ambitious, even without the impacts of the pandemic lasting as long as they have and before the more recent problems in sourcing construction materials of suitable quality"
The funicular opened in 2001 but was taken out of service in 2018 after an engineers’ inspection identified structural defects that raised safety concerns.
More detailed inspection and design work followed before the decision to reinstate the funicular was announced last October by the Scottish Government, as part of a £20.5 million pound business case, alongside other investments to strengthen the location's year-round appeal.
Confirming its commitment to the mountain resort, HIE has also approved up to £780,000 for an extensive refurbishment of the Ptarmigan building that sits on the plateau and includes the UK’s highest restaurant, a shop, exhibition space and viewing platforms.