Kyle of Lochalsh line | |||
---|---|---|---|
Overview | |||
Status | Operational | ||
Owner | Network Rail | ||
Locale | Highland, Scotland | ||
Termini | |||
Stations | 13 | ||
Service | |||
System | National Rail | ||
Operator(s) | ScotRail | ||
Rolling stock | Class 158 | ||
Technical | |||
Line length | 63 mi 64 ch (102.7 km) | ||
Number of tracks | Single-track with passing loops | ||
Character | Rural | ||
Track gauge | Standard gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
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The Kyle of Lochalsh line is a primarily single-track railway line in the Scottish Highlands, from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh. Many of the passengers are tourists, but there are also locals visiting Inverness for shopping, and commuters. All services are provided by ScotRail and run beyond Dingwall to Inverness. In the past there were some through services to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen. [1] None of the 63-mile line is electrified, and all trains on the line are diesel-powered, as are all other trains in the Scottish Highlands.
The Kyle of Lochalsh line runs east-west and links the town of Dingwall, on the east coast of the Highlands at the tip of the Cromarty Firth, with the village of Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast, close to the Isle of Skye. The line lies entirely within the former county of Ross and Cromarty, part of the modern-day Highland council area.
The route begins at Dingwall station [A] – a junction station with the Far North Line, which runs (mostly) along the Moray Firth and links Inverness with Wick and Thurso. [3] Almost immediately north of Dingwall, the two lines diverge at Dingwall Junction [B] and the line to Kyle of Lochalsh takes a sharp left turn to head west.
Initially, the single-track line briefly follows the course of the A834 road until it abruptly curves off to the north, crossing over the River Peffery, only to turn west again. There used to be a short branch line here that went straight on towards Strathpeffer; this branch closed to passengers in 1946 and closed completely in 1951. [4] [5] The line to Kyle, meanwhile, bypasses the town about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north; Achterneed station [C] existed along this stretch and also served Strathpeffer until it too closed in 1964. [6] Achterneed is one of only three stations on the main line to have been closed, and one of two that were never reopened.
The line then continues west, climbing at gradients as steep as 1 in 50, until it passes close to the summit of Raven Rock where it starts descending. It eventually meets the Black Water – a tributary of the River Conon – and follows it upstream alongside the A832 road. The railway and the road both skirt the southern edge of Loch Garve and then turn northwest, approaching the first open station on the line – Garve. [D] This was supposed to be site of a junction with the Garve and Ullapool Railway to the port village of Ullapool but, despite securing government approval, this line was never built. [7]
Beyond Garve, the railway and the A832 continue westwards, away from the Black Water whose source lies to the north. Soon, the line meets Loch Luichart – the source of the River Conon itself – and follows its northern edge; Lochluichart station [E] is located at the northwestern tip of the loch. This station was moved to this location from its original site in 1954 as a result of a hydroelectric scheme, which raised the water level of the loch. [8] [9] From here, the line continues to follow several of the Conon's tributaries, passing by Loch a' Chuilinn and Loch Achanalt until it reaches Achanalt station [F] near the mouth of the River Bran. The track then follows the course of this river for about six miles (9.7 km) until the village of Achnasheen, near the eastern end of Loch a' Chroisg. The station at Achnasheen [G] , like Garve, was to be the site of a junction: the proposed Loch Maree and Aultbea Railway was to run between Achnasheen and the small fishing village of Aultbea, but the line never received government approval. [10]
Down the line from Achnasheen the line turns southwest, parting ways with the A832 which continues westwards; the railway now parallels the A890 road instead.
A few miles southwest of Achnasheen the track reaches its highest point above sea level, as it leaves the drainage basin of the River Conon (which flows to the Cromarty Firth on the east coast) and enters the basin of the River Carron (whose estuary is on the west coast). The line meets the River Carron itself at Loch Scaven near its source, and then follows the course of the river downstream.
Close to the point where the Carron is joined by the Alltan na Feola stream lies the site of the former Glencarron station; [H] this small halt closed in 1964, although some drivers continued to stop at the station unofficially, refusing to acknowledge the station's closure, until as late as the 1990s. [11] [12] The next open station on the line is Achnashellach, [I] some 12 miles 42 chains (20.2 km) down the line from Achnasheen; this is the longest distance between two existing consecutive stations on the line. [2] The line then skirts the northwestern edge of Loch Dùghaill and continues to follow the River Carron until reaching Strathcarron station, [J] where the river ends as it flows into Loch Carron, a sea inlet. From here, the railway runs along the southern coastline of Loch Carron, and continues to hug the coast all the way until the terminus at Kyle of Lochalsh (except briefly near Plockton).
A short distance from Strathcarron the line reaches another station, Attadale, [K] located near the mouth of the river of the same name. Just southwest of the station, the line passes through an avalanche shelter – an unusual tunnel-like structure, approximately 270 yd (250 m), which also carries the A890 and is partially open on the loch-side; it was built in 1978[ citation needed ] to prevent rocks from falling onto the road and track. The line then continues for nearly five more miles (8 km) until it reaches Stromeferry station, [L] adjacent to a former ferry port which linked the area with North Strome on the opposite side of the loch. Occasionally the ferry link reopens on a temporary basis, when the A890 is closed due to landslips. [13] [14] At Stromeferry the A890 turns south; from here, the railway does not parallel any major roads, instead simply following the coast.
The next station on the line is Duncraig, [M] which was built as a private, single-platform halt to serve Duncraig Castle; it was not made available for the public until 1949, more than 50 years after opening. [15] Similarly to Glencarron, the station closed in 1965 but continued to be served unofficially, as drivers refused to acknowledge the station's closure; [16] however, unlike Glencarron, Duncraig eventually reopened officially, in 1976. [15] From here it is just over 1 mile (1.6 km) until the next station at Plockton; [N] this is the shortest distance between any two stations on the line. [2] Plockton station is actually located about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) south of the main part of the village itself, although it lies adjacent to both the Plockton High School and the Plockton Airstrip.
The penultimate station en route is Duirinish, [O] which is also a short distance away from Plockton; the station primarily serves the villages of Duirinish and Drumbuie. From here, the line runs in a generally southerly direction, although the exact heading varies significantly as the track closely follows the jagged coast. The railway leaves the coast of Loch Carron just before entering the village of Kyle of Lochalsh; it terminates at Kyle of Lochalsh station, [P] built on a pier right on the edge of Loch Alsh, just 750 metres (2,460 ft) away from the Isle of Skye which can be seen across the loch.
The full line between Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh is 63 miles 64 chains (102.7 km). [2] It is almost entirely single-track, except for four double-track passing loops at Dingwall, Garve, Achnasheen and Strathcarron, and the two platforms and two sidings at Kyle of Lochalsh. [2] The entire line is unelectrified. [2]
The whole line, together with the Far North Line, is signalled using the Radio Electronic Token Block system, which is very cost-effective in both implementation and maintenance, but significantly limits the capacity of the lines. [17]
Along the route there are 29 bridges, 31 cuttings, and a single tunnel.
The route was built in two parts: the Dingwall and Skye Railway, between Dingwall and Stromeferry, opened on 19 August 1870, [18] while the Kyle of Lochalsh Extension (Highland Railway) took the line beyond Stromeferry to Kyle of Lochalsh on 2 November 1897. [19] Dingwall station itself had been open since 1862, as an intermediate station on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway (part of the modern-day Far North Line).
The Strathpeffer Branch operated between 1885 and 1951. [20]
In 1933, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway introduced two named trains on the line, The Hebridean and The Lewisman. [21]
In July 1939 a landslide between Attadale and Stomeferry derailed an engine and six freight vans. The landslide was caused by recent heavy rains. [22]
In 1949 it was planned to relocate Lochluichart station to allow the flooding of the area by the Glascarnoch-Luichart-Torr Achilty hydroelectric scheme. [23] On 3 May 1954 a new station was opened as Lochluichart. [24] The deviation required about two miles (three kilometres) on stone-pitched embankments and in rock cuttings, a 100-foot (30 m) bridge over the River Conon and a 36-foot (11 m) bridge. [25]
In the 1960s the line was listed to be closed under the Reshaping of British Railways report; however it was reprieved and services continued. [26]
In 1970, British Rail wanted to close the line when Ross and Cromarty council voted to create a new £460,000 (equivalent to £9,000,000in 2023) [27] ferry terminal at Ullapool (43 nmi or 80 km from Stornoway) replacing that at Kyle of Lochalsh (71 nmi or 131 km from Stornoway). [28] In December 1971 it was reported that the costs of operating the line were £318,000 per annum (equivalent to £5,680,000in 2023), [27] with revenue of £51,000 per annum (equivalent to £910,000in 2023), [27] and the Secretary of State for Transport agreed that the line should close, [29] but a spirited local campaign again succeeded in reversing this decision and keeping it open.
In February 1989 the bridge over the River Ness in Inverness was washed away, leaving both the Kyle line and the Far North Line stranded, but new Class 156 "Sprinter" trains were brought over by road, and a temporary yard was built to service them at Muir of Ord. The line reopened in May 1990. [30]
As of April 2022, the Monday−Saturday service pattern on the line consists of four trains per day running eastbound from Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness (via Dingwall and the Far North Line), and four trains per day westbound from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. On Sundays there is just one train per day each way, increasing to two per day during the summer months. [31] ScotRail operates all services on the line [31] with its Class 158/7 "Express Sprinter" diesel multiple units.
All services call at every intermediate station en route, [31] although Lochluichart, Achanalt, Achnashellach, Attadale, Duncraig and Duirinish stations are request stops: passengers wishing to board the train at these stations must flag the train by raising their arm, while those wishing to alight must inform the Conductor to arrange for the train to stop. If there are no passengers wishing to get on or off the train at a request stop, it will pass through without stopping. [31]
Services between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh typically have a journey time of about 2 hours 40 minutes end-to-end. [31]
Entries and exits | 2002-03 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Inverness) | 721,358 | 822,928 | 873,011 | 915,840 | 975,570 | 1,043,712 | 1,070,924 | 1,127,718 | 1,180,160 | 1,213,382 | 1,282,445 | 1,303,662 | 1,306,556 | 1,259,496 | 1,238,770 | 1,243,338 | 1,214,648 | 231,894 | 753,228 | 974,808 |
(Beauly) | 21,337 | 26,616 | 28,384 | 35,860 | 41,878 | 52,422 | 51,094 | 49,858 | 54,536 | 55,236 | 57,946 | 57,446 | 59,406 | 52,870 | 51,522 | 48,270 | 46,510 | 14,918 | 30,178 | 36,588 |
(Muir of Ord) | 22,055 | 24,365 | 24,783 | 32,573 | 39,200 | 51,104 | 57,396 | 62,428 | 74,462 | 74,064 | 72,832 | 66,576 | 66,480 | 64,480 | 64,820 | 67,554 | 70,850 | 13,556 | 41,230 | 47,688 |
(Conon Bridge) [a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,788 | 18,114 | 15,510 | 15,276 | 15,494 | 15,100 | 17,530 | 18,022 | 2,598 | 9,212 | 10,898 |
Dingwall | 31,849 | 34,898 | 43,508 | 55,034 | 64,404 | 72,086 | 80,324 | 84,920 | 101,730 | 104,746 | 101,996 | 87,782 | 82,508 | 80,900 | 86,276 | 81,408 | 80,154 | 9,864 | 46,524 | 55,536 |
Garve | 7,128 | 7,092 | 9,471 | 9,690 | 9,847 | 8,546 | 6,898 | 5,814 | 5,038 | 5,384 | 5,028 | 5,076 | 4,676 | 3,668 | 4,302 | 3,212 | 3,480 | 426 | 2,560 | 3,290 |
Lochluichart | 302 | 171 | 306 | 267 | 440 | 218 | 392 | 324 | 442 | 400 | 612 | 482 | 608 | 532 | 632 | 180 | 198 | 24 | 130 | 182 |
Achanalt | 186 | 192 | 198 | 173 | 208 | 230 | 202 | 200 | 162 | 164 | 228 | 482 | 312 | 424 | 434 | 394 | 326 | 26 | 342 | 282 |
Achnasheen | 2,147 | 2,379 | 2,471 | 2,697 | 2,974 | 3,202 | 3,614 | 3,698 | 3,998 | 3,566 | 3,972 | 3,722 | 3,700 | 3,076 | 3,310 | 3,284 | 3,234 | 620 | 2,420 | 3,302 |
Achnashellach | 664 | 691 | 593 | 540 | 655 | 646 | 778 | 738 | 1,084 | 1,054 | 976 | 800 | 1,078 | 878 | 870 | 820 | 836 | 130 | 650 | 752 |
Strathcarron | 7,842 | 8,658 | 9,289 | 7,856 | 8,585 | 8,310 | 8,234 | 8,122 | 11,010 | 9,304 | 8,950 | 8,262 | 8,162 | 7,678 | 7,742 | 6,970 | 7,224 | 1,192 | 5,370 | 5,524 |
Attadale | 216 | 325 | 398 | 439 | 469 | 472 | 478 | 526 | 968 | 658 | 998 | 784 | 820 | 938 | 1,170 | 1,322 | 1,228 | 62 | 764 | 1,042 |
Stromeferry | 1,166 | 1,035 | 1,163 | 1,146 | 1,012 | 1,000 | 1,064 | 1,438 | 2,218 | 2,074 | 1,874 | 1,634 | 1,560 | 1,254 | 1,378 | 1,274 | 1,508 | 136 | 918 | 1,144 |
Duncraig | 288 | 463 | 391 | 342 | 485 | 388 | 394 | 602 | 722 | 784 | 534 | 448 | 494 | 348 | 408 | 484 | 500 | 30 | 376 | 462 |
Plockton | 7,960 | 8,934 | 7,992 | 8,295 | 8,605 | 9,230 | 10,716 | 11,186 | 13,038 | 12,886 | 13,876 | 12,826 | 11,574 | 9,998 | 10,592 | 11,482 | 11,616 | 1,784 | 9,476 | 8,530 |
Duirinish | 519 | 601 | 608 | 841 | 801 | 742 | 620 | 808 | 702 | 804 | 970 | 1,048 | 1,064 | 930 | 918 | 856 | 878 | 156 | 554 | 614 |
Kyle of Lochalsh | 41,243 | 44,263 | 44,770 | 46,749 | 48,290 | 52,672 | 60,164 | 60,528 | 66,272 | 66,828 | 67,278 | 64,256 | 65,706 | 62,704 | 65,182 | 60,606 | 57,786 | 7,858 | 40,702 | 46,634 |
In the Scottish Government's National Transport Strategy, published in February 2020, it was stated that the line would not be electrified with overhead lines, but rather, an alternative to diesel traction will be used for the route. [33]
The Kyle of Lochalsh line was featured in Eddie McConnell's lyrical documentary The Line to Skye (1973) with commentary by Scottish writer William McIlvanney, commissioned as part of Ross & Cromarty's campaign to keep the line open at a time when it was threatened with closure. The film follows the train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, describing the communities, landscape and wildlife along its route, while contrasting the frustration of motorists with the relaxation of the journey by rail. [34]
In Stephen Durrell's 1939 documentary West of Inverness, the importance of the Kyle of Lochalsh line to the crofters of the West Highlands is demonstrated through its role of transporting passengers, mail, parcels, food and livestock to and from their communities. The film shows the LMS steam locomotives that operated the line at this time. [35]
In the episode of Great Railway Journeys of the World "Confessions of a Trainspotter" (1980), Michael Palin travels from London to the Kyle of Lochalsh and returns with the railway station's sign.
Video 125 Ltd. produced a driver's eye view documentary of the line in 1987, when the service was still operated using loco-hauled trains, in this case motive power being provided by Class 37 no. 37262 named Dounreay after the nuclear power station. Narration was by Paul Coia.
Nicholas Whittaker travelled the line both ways during the summer of 1973, an experience he wrote about in his 1995 book Platform Souls. [36]
As with the other railway lines of the western Highlands (the West Highland Railway and the Callander and Oban Railway), John Thomas wrote a comprehensive and highly readable[ according to whom? ] history, The Skye Railway.
The line makes brief cameo appearances in the television series Hamish Macbeth.
Ross and Cromarty, is an area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In modern usage, it is a registration county and a lieutenancy area. Between 1889 and 1975 it was a county.
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village in the historic county of Ross & Cromarty on the northwest coast of Scotland, located around 55 miles (90 km) west-southwest of Inverness. It is located on the Lochalsh peninsula, at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. A ferry used to connect the two villages until it was replaced by the Skye Bridge, about a mile (2 km) to the west, in 1995.
Achnashellach railway station is a railway station serving Achnashellach on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, in Wester Ross, Scotland. The station lies between Strathcarron and Achnasheen, 40 miles 34 chains (65.1 km) from Dingwall. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick. As the name suggests, it is the northernmost railway in the United Kingdom. The line is entirely single-track, with only passing loops at some intermediate stations allowing trains to pass each other. Like other railway lines in the Highlands and northern Lowlands, it is not electrified and all trains are diesel-powered.
Dingwall railway station serves Dingwall, Scotland. It is located just south of the junction of the Far North Line and the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, and is managed and served by ScotRail. The station is 18 miles 58 chains (30.1 km) from Inverness, and is the zero point for the Kyle of Lochalsh Line. It is sited after Conon Bridge heading northbound, with the next station being either Garve or Alness.
Achanalt is a railway halt in Strath Bran, Ross and Cromarty, in the Scottish council area of Highland. It is served by a railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh.
Stromeferry is a village, located on the south shore of the west coast sea loch, Loch Carron, in western Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. Its name reflects its former role as the location of one of the many coastal ferry services which existed prior to the expansion of the road network in the 20th century.
Achanalt railway station is a geographically remote railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, serving the village of Achanalt in the north of Scotland. The station is 21 miles 34 chains (34.5 km) from Dingwall, between Lochluichart and Achnasheen. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.
Garve railway station is a railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, serving the village of Garve in the north of Scotland. Garve is located at the eastern edge of Loch Garve, measured 11 miles 65 chains (19.0 km) from Dingwall, and is the first stop on the line before Lochluichart. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.
Lochluichart railway station is a railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, serving the village of Lochluichart in the north of Scotland. The station is located at the north edge of Loch Luichart, 17 miles 20 chains (27.8 km) from Dingwall, between Garve and Achanalt. ScotRail, which manages the station, operates all services.
Achnasheen railway station is a remote railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, serving the village of Achnasheen in the north of Scotland. The station is 27 miles 72 chains (44.9 km) from Dingwall, between Achanalt and Achnashellach. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.
Duirinish railway station is a remote railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line near the settlement of Duirinish in the Highlands, northern Scotland. The station is approximately 2 miles (3 km) inland of Scotland's west coast, near Loch Lundie. The station is 59 miles 58 chains (96.1 km) from Dingwall, between Kyle of Lochalsh and Plockton. ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services here.
Port an Eòrna is the Scottish Gaelic name for the small settlement of Barleyport, situated almost midway between Plockton and the Kyle of Lochalsh, in Ross-shire, Scotland, in the Western Highlands. Port an Eòrna was once a fishing community near Duirinish, an area of common grazing for sheep and Highland cattle. Now it is a cluster of a few houses on National Trust for Scotland land. Port an Eòrna is a natural sandy beach. Eòrna means "barley" in Scottish Gaelic.
Loch Carron is a sea loch on the west coast of Ross and Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands, which separates the Lochalsh peninsula from the Applecross peninsula, and from the Stromeferry headland east of Loch Kishorn. It is the point at which the River Carron enters the North Atlantic Ocean.
The IV postcode area, also known as the Inverness postcode area, is a group of 52 postcode districts for post towns: Achnasheen, Alness, Avoch, Beauly, Bonar Bridge, Cromarty, Dingwall, Dornoch, Elgin, Fochabers, Forres, Fortrose, Gairloch, Garve, Invergordon, Inverness, Isle of Skye, Kyle, Lairg, Lossiemouth, Muir of Ord, Munlochy, Nairn, Plockton, Portree, Rogart, Strathcarron, Strathpeffer, Strome Ferry, Tain and Ullapool in north Scotland.
The Dingwall and Skye Railway was authorised on 5 July 1865 with the aim of providing a route to Skye and the Hebrides. However, due to local objections, another Act of Parliament was required before work could commence. This was passed on 29 May 1868.
Sir Alexander Matheson, 1st Baronet, JP, DL was a British China merchant, Liberal Member of Parliament, and railway entrepreneur.
Duncraig Castle is a mansion in Lochalsh, in the west of the Scottish Highlands. A category-C listed building, it is situated in the Highland council area, east of the village of Plockton on the south shore of Loch Carron. It was built in 1866 in the Scottish baronial style, to designs by Alexander Ross, for Scottish Member of Parliament and businessman Alexander Matheson. The castle remained in the Matheson family until the 1920s, when it was sold to Sir Daniel Hamilton and his wife Margaret, who owned the neighbouring estate. The Hamiltons intended to use the castle for educational purposes in the local community, but this never came to fruition and following the outbreak of World War II, the castle was used as a naval hospital. By the end of the war, Daniel Hamilton had died, and Margaret bequeathed the castle to the local council, which converted it for use as a home economics college for girls, operating in this capacity until its closure in 1989.
The Garve and Ullapool Railway was one of several branch railway-lines proposed for the North-West Highlands of Scotland, in the 1880s and 1890s. The project received approval from the Westminster Parliament by means of a Local Act of 14 August 1890. The line did not gain financial backing and was never constructed. Renewed attempts to build it were made in 1896, 1901, 1918 and 1945, again with no success.
The Loch Maree and Aultbea Railway was one of several branch railway-lines proposed for the North-West Highlands of Scotland in the early 1890s. Although a full survey was conducted in 1892 and a Private Bill was submitted to the Westminster Parliament on 18 November 1892, the necessary Act to permit construction did not receive approval and the plan was dropped.