Maintenance work has commenced on the Cairngorm Funicular Railway, with staff carrying out essential checks on the electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic systems that govern the movement of the carriages.

An engineer from Swiss funicular specialist Garaventa will join the team this week to conduct scheduled annual inspections of the mechanical systems.

"The trains are expected to complete frequent trial runs on the mountainside over the next week or so," a spokesperson for Cairngorm Mountain said.

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Remediation works on the viaduct structure, led by Balfour Beatty on behalf of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), are also continuing. While the main phase of the remediation programme was completed before Christmas, further inspections identified areas requiring additional work.

"HIE says it continues to aim for the funicular to be safely back in service as soon as possible within the current winter season and will provide a firm date for relaunch once this can be confirmed," the spokesperson added.

The Cairngorm Funicular has faced significant challenges in recent years, with closures due to safety concerns. The current maintenance and testing phase is a crucial step towards its full operational return.