Engineering expert says Cairngorm funicular fix is ‘like putting lipstick on a pig’
An expert engineer has voiced serious concerns about remedial work currently being carried out in an effort to get the Cairngorm Mountain Railway running again and he has doubts over the eventual safety of the structure.
John Carson (76), who was in charge of the company that built the Skye Bridge, believes it was a blunder to initially build the funicular railway ski-lift in concrete rather than steel.
He said this is because concrete does not perform well in extreme cold that is experienced on the slopes of the Cairngorm Mountains.
Mr Carson said that the remedial work now being employed by fixing stainless steel brackets onto the existing concrete beams ‘is like putting lipstick on a pig’, as he fears that the brackets will expand and contract as it gets hotter and colder leading to further problems.
And he said: “I would be the first person in the witness box if there was a disaster inquiry to say ‘I told you so.’
“Like it or not I am an expert with 50 years experience and know what I am talking about, and I wouldn’t put people on that railway.”
He considered the funicular should either be ‘mothballed as a monument to incompetence’ or demolished.
Mr Carson said whatever is being done to get the bridge running again ‘will not delay the deterioration of the concrete’.
He was a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers before he retired, the highest ranking membership.
Mr Carson previously worked as the chief estimator for Balfour Beatty, the company trying to sort the funicular.
The railway was first shut in 2018 and only reopened in January 2023 after over-budget repairs which cost £25 million.
It was out of commission again just seven months later for further “snagging works” and is yet to reopen.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) which operates the mountain, still aims to have the railway functioning for snow sports this winter.
HIE won £11 million last year after suing the companies who designed and built the funicular, which first opened in 2001.
Balfour Beatty carried out the first round of repairs and is incurring the cost of the ongoing works.
An HIE spokesperson said: “The remediation works at Cairngorm are progressing well and we’re looking forward to seeing the funicular back in action for the snow season.
“Safety has always been our top priority, as demonstrated by the immediate decision to withdraw the funicular from service in August 2023.
“Rigorous testing and safety checks will be carried out before passengers are welcomed on board.”