Extreme weather in the north of Scotland expected to arrive as a result of Storm Caroline means some train services will be suspended from the start of service on Thursday.

With the Met Office predicting wind speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, the following services will be suspended:

– Aberdeen to Inverness
– Inverness to Wick
– Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh
– Glasgow Queen Street to Oban/Fort William/Mallaig

A safety inspection will be carried out on these routes in the morning, and a further decision will be taken about when to resume services.

Speed restrictions will also be in place for services between Perth-Aberdeen and Perth-Inverness due to expected winds of up to 60 miles per hour. This means trains will be slower and services will be disrupted.

Tickets already purchased for a cancelled service will be eligible for use from today up to, and including, Monday. Customers who do not wish to travel, but have already purchased a ticket for an affected route, will be given a full refund.

Customers who wish to travel are advised to check their service in advance via @ScotRail on Twitter, or on the ScotRail app.

David Lister, Safety and Sustainability Director at the ScotRail Alliance, said:

“With the Met Office predicting wind speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, we have taken the decision to suspend some services from the start of service on Thursday. This isn’t a decision that we have taken lightly, but the safety and security of our staff and customers must come first.

“Our staff will be working round the clock to get services back to normal and get customers moving as soon as possible.

“Customers should keep up to date with the latest information by checking @ScotRail, the ScotRail app or the website.”