Repair work starts on historic 'Harry Potter' viaduct

A £3.4m project to carry out repairs on the 123-year-old Glenfinnan viaduct has started. 

Network Rail, along with principal contractor AmcoGiffen, have set up a compound at the foot of the landmark, which sits 100ft above the River Finnan on the West Highland Line, 17 miles from Fort William.

The viaduct has gained fame in more recent years as a film location for the Harry Potter movies. One of the more famous scenes involving the Glenfinnan Viaduct comes in the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The work is part of Network Rail’s ongoing maintenance programme and will help futureproof the viaduct.

It’s expected to take just under 12 months to complete and will see engineers assessing the condition and strength of the viaduct and making improvements beneath the track to keep the stone ballast in place.

Laura Craig, scheme project manager at Network Rail, said: "The main works to the viaduct will be concrete repairs. We’ll also be doing some repairs to the pier that sits in the River Finnan.

“Years of planning have gone into this project. The work will not have a massive visual impact on the way the viaduct looks and that’s very deliberate, with it being grade A listed.

“We won’t be scaffolding the structure at all but in the coming weeks, you’ll start to see the rope access technicians on the viaduct as they begin work.”

There will be no disruption to rail services during the work on the structure.