RAIL company bosses have warned of the potential for disruption to services on the West Highland railway line - with "extreme" rainfall predicted in the area.

The route - which serves Helensburgh Upper, Garelochhead, Arrochar & Tarbet, and Ardlui - is one of several where speed restrictions will be imposed on Tuesday evening, with high winds and heavy rain expected in parts of the country.

ScotRail will operate an emergency timetable on the West Highland line, which links Glasgow with Oban, Fort William and Mallaig.

Caledonian Sleeper journey times will also be extended on services between Fort William and London Euston.

Specialist weather forecasters are predicting that 20-30mm of rain will fall across most of Scotland between Tuesday (tonight) and Wednesday, but most of the West Highland line will see up to 55mm of rain.  

Winds of up to 55mph are expected across the southern half of Scotland and additional frontline teams will be deployed across the railway to respond quickly if needed. 

The changes are being made for safety reasons as high winds can blow trees and debris on to the tracks and cause damage to overhead power lines, while heavy rain can lead to flooding. 

Other routes affected are the West Coast main line between Glasgow and London, Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh, and Kilmarnock-Carlisle via Dumfries.

Liam Sumpter, route director with Network Rail Scotland, said: “With extreme rainfall and strong winds arriving later today, there will be some disruption on Scotland’s railway. 

“For safety reasons, we need to impose speed restrictions on areas of the West Highland line, Kyle of Lochalsh line, West Coast main line and Kilmarnock-Carlisle. 

“We have additional frontline teams working to check flood pumps and remove any debris on or near the railway.

"Our control room team will also be monitoring the weather in real-time and if conditions improve, we’ll remove the speed restrictions sooner.” 

Passengers are being urged to check their journeys before travelling. For more information on any changes to services, check www.nationalrail.co.uk or with individual train operator.