TRAVELLERS are facing further disruption after it emerged the world-renowned West Highland Line will not reopen for a further two weeks as engineers battle to deal with flood damage.

Network Rail Scotland, which is responsible for the infrastructure of the rail network, is dealing with problems caused after miles of track became submerged or washed away near Inverness, Carrbridge, Ardlui, Crianlarich and Oban, bringing ScotRail travel disruption to and from the area.

It raised concerns from Railfuture, the better rail services campaign group that the issues illustrated "the lack of resilience of the rail network" and how the nation is able to cope with climate change.

READ MORE: Concern over transport resilience as floods cripple parts of Scotland

On Tuesday night it emerged that 10 metres of the world famous West Highland Line have been swept away and there had been warnings the section between between Ardlui and Crianlarich and between Crianlarich and Oban would be shut till Monday.

But now it has emerged that the line will instead remain closed between Ardlui and Crianlarich until August 22.

Meanwhile ScotRail say some train services will be introduced between Crianlarich and Oban from Monday once engineers repair flood damage around Tyndrum.

Engineers have been working to repair the West Highland track at sites around Ardlui, Crianlarich and Tyndrum, where the heavy rain and flooding washed the track bed from under the railway.

The travel disruption hit the commemorations to celebrate the 125th anniverary of the first passenger train on the West Highland Line which ran out of Fort William at 6.10am on August 7, 1894.

Many did not make the trip earlier this week because of the concerns over train services running to the Scottish Highlands.

Network Rail Scotland said that geotechnical and aerial surveys of the damage between Ardlui and Crianlarich have now been completed, allowing engineers to fully understand the extent of the repairs needed to reopen the railway.

READ MORE: Scotland's weather: New 'danger to life' flood warnings issued

The line has been closed since Sunday after heavy rainfall caused the slope supporting the railway to give way at several points on a section of track in Glen Falloch.

Floodwater washed the track-bed out from beneath the line and engineers will have to replace thousands of tonnes of lost material to rebuild the supporting slope before they can repair the track itself.

The flooding also damaged ballast under the track on the Oban branch line, near Tyndrum.

Network Rail Scotland said that recovery works are further complicated by the remote location of the sites and the ongoing weather conditions.

Liam Sumpter, route director for Network Rail Scotland, said: “Our engineers will be working around-the-clock to reopen the line as quickly as possible for our customers.

“This is a very complex repair as we need to reconstruct the slope beneath the line – replacing thousands of tonnes of lost material – before we can repair the tracks above.

“We are keeping passengers on the move. ScotRail trains are running between Glasgow and Arrochar and Ardlui, and between Crianlarich and Mallaig. We also plan to reopen the line between Crianlarich and Oban on Monday.”

The floods affecting track in the Scottish Highlands meant that the Caledonian Sleeper service running to either Fort William or Inverness was having to stop up to 70 miles away from its destination.

ScotRail had been telling customers that services on the West Highland Line between Glasgow Queen Street and Mallaig and Oban were delayed and would terminate early.

It meant that the northbound train would have to terminate at Arrochar or Ardlui - about 60 miles away from Oban. Replacement buses were to be introduced along sections of the line which runs from Glasgow Queen Street to Oban and Mallaig.

But there were concerns that ScotRail have been telling some passengers that buses were limited.