The line will remain closed between Fort William and Crianlarich until early next week while engineers work to carry-out repairs at three sites.

The repairs will include rebuilding a section of the line where over 400 tons of material has been washed away from beneath the track. Engineers will need to rebuild the embankment beneath the line and relay the track before the railway can reopen.

Due to the complexity of the repairs and the need to wait for the flooding to subside before beginning work, exact timescales for the reopening of the line cannot be confirmed at this time.

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “Flash-flooding has caused significant damage to the railway and we are working hard to repair and reopen the line as quickly as we can for our customers.

“The damage to the line is extensive and it will take several days for our engineers to complete repairs.

“We understand the difficulties this incident will cause for our customers and local residents and will reopen the line as soon as we can.”