Nesting gulls trigger information blackout at Highland ScotRail station Tulloch

Passengers at a Highland station have been left in the dark over train times after gulls nesting on a mast knocked out communications.

The roosting seabirds blocked both the link to Tulloch station’s train information screens and the 4G signal to mobile phones in the area.

Tulloch station in 2002, which has subsequently been repainted in ScotRail blue | Norman McNab

ScotRail said as a result, the station east of Fort William was the only one on its network of more than 300 to have no phone signal.

Mobile operator O2 said the gulls were a protected species which was hampering its attempts to fix the damage they had caused to its mast.

ScotRail removed timetable posters from the unstaffed station on the Glasgow-Mallaig line several years ago as a cost-saving measure, so most passengers have had no immediate way of finding out the times of its three daily trains in each direction.

The Caledonian Sleeper also runs between Tulloch and London six nights a week.

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Land reform campaigner and former Scottish Greens MSP Andy Wightman twice complained to ScotRail about the situation after incidents in October and March.

He posted on X: “I was on that platform more than once when a train failed to arrive and there was no information of any kind and no mobile signal.

“The [Help Point] box to call customer services was not working.”

A model of Tulloch station by Martin Stewart of Bonnyrigg which was exhibited in Edinburgh in 2024 | Contributed

In the first incident, he said no train arrived as scheduled and the information screens were not working, so he had to get a lift to Fort William instead.

He said the same thing happened in March, although the train did arrive nine minutes late.

Mr Wightman said: “There has to be a reliable means of contacting ScotRail from Tulloch station since there is no public transport and the mobile signal is frequently down.”

Author and broadcaster Muriel Gray posted on X: “The beautiful unmanned West Highland line station Tulloch has discarded all analogue information and now boasts a handy QR code. One problem. There is no mobile coverage of any kind. Genius.”

ScotRail said the information screens were restored on Wednesday, while the Help Point was also working again.

It stressed it was not responsible for the fault but said it was looking at ways to provide “better connectivity” for passengers.

The company said the QR code on its information posters linked to the ScotRail website for timetable information.

Alan Manclark, ScotRail’s head of IT, said: “We’re aware of the challenges at Tulloch, and we’re investigating alternative connectivity for the station.”

READ MORE: Scotsman editorial - Why nesting birds who caused information blackout may have done us all a favour

An O2 spokesperson said: “We apologise to residents in the Tulloch area who may be experiencing issues with their mobile service.

“This is due to an issue with a nearby mast, caused by nesting birds which are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning we’re currently unable to carry out the necessary repairs.

“We will work to restore services as soon as it is practically possible.”

The company said O2 customers with compatible devices could use its satellite services.

A Vodafone spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for issues which may be affecting services and our coverage levels in and around Tulloch station.

“This is due to a transmission issue impacting our infrastructure partner’s mast sites. Our networks team and infrastructure partner are working hard to restore services.”