Portknockie | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | Portknockie, Moray Scotland |
Coordinates | 57°42′07″N2°51′51″W / 57.701925°N 2.864259°W |
Grid reference | NJ 48589 68341 |
Platforms | 2 |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Pre-grouping | Great North of Scotland Railway |
Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway |
Key dates | |
1 May 1886 | Great North of Scotland station opened [1] |
6 May 1968 [1] | Closed |
Portknockie railway station was a railway station that served the small fishing village of Portknockie, close to Cullen in Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1886, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains.
In 1923, the GNoSR became part of the London and North Eastern Railway and at nationalisation in 1948 became part of British Railways. The line was recommended for closure by Dr Beeching's report "The Reshaping of British Railways" and closed on 6 May 1968.
In 1881, the Great North of Scotland Railway put a bill to parliament to extend its Portsoy line along the Moray Firth as far as Buckie. [2] In 1882, the Great North of Scotland applied for permission to build a 25+1⁄4-mile (40.6 km) line from Portsoy following the coast to Buckie and then running on to Elgin.
The GNoSR station opened as 'Portknockie' on 1 May 1886 [1] with the central section of the coast line, served by through Aberdeen to Elgin trains. [3] In 1923, the Great North of Scotland Railway was absorbed by the London and North Eastern Railway. This was nationalised in 1948, and services were provided by British Railways. The station and line was recommended for closure by Dr Beeching's in his report "The Reshaping of British Railways" [4] and closed on 6 May 1968. [5] [6]
The GNoSR station was served by through trains running between Aberdeen and Elgin. [3] There were no Sunday services. [7]
Portknockie station had a single platform with the typical wooden station building, [8] a passing loop and two platforms that were offset, connected by a pedestrian overbridge. [8] The 1902 OS map shows a signal box on the end of the Findochty platform and another on the Cullen end of the other platform, a weighing machine in the goods yard, a single siding and a loading dock in line with the village side platform and a station agent's or stationmaster's cottage near the entrance to the station. [9] In 1930 one signal box had been removed. [10]
The line was predominantly single track apart from a double track section between Buckie and Portessie. [6] Track lifting took place shortly after closure in 1968. [6]
The station was demolished and houses now occupy the site.
Much of the trackbed of the old railway now forms the Sustrans Moray Cycle Route. [11]
Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Findochty | Great North of Scotland | Cullen |
Portessie railway station was a joint Highland Railway (HR) and Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) station at the junction between the Moray Coast Railway and the Buckie and Portessie Branch which also served the small fishing village of Portessie, in the parish of Rathven, Scottish county of Moray.
Portsoy railway station was a railway station in Portsoy, in current day Aberdeenshire. Opened in 1859 by the Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway, it was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway in 1867. The original terminus closed in 1884 and a new station opened nearby on a through route and two years later, after the Moray Firth coast line opened, the station was served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains.
Grange railway station was a railway station in the parish of Grange, historically in Banffshire. Opened in 1856 by the Great North of Scotland Railway, three years later it became a junction station after the Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway built a branch to Banff and Portsoy.
Buckie railway station was a railway station in Buckie, in current day Moray. The station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1886, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains.
Buckpool railway station was a railway station in Buckpool near Buckie in Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1886, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains. The village and station were originally named Nether Buckie station and the station was renamed 'Buckpool' on 1 January 1887, closing to regular passenger traffic on 7 March 1960, several years before the closure of the line itself in 1968.
Portgordon railway station was a railway station in Portgordon in Moray, Scotland. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1886, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains. In 1923 the GNoSR became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and at nationalisation in 1948 became part of British Railways. The station was named Port Gordon railway station until 1938 when it was renamed 'Portgordon' by the LNER.
Spey Bay railway station was a railway station in Spey Bay, Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1886, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains. The station was originally named Fochabers-on-Spey railway station on 1 May 1886. In November 1893 it became Fochabers railway station, Fochabers and Spey Bay railway station on 1 January 1916 before finally becoming on 1 January 1918 Spey Bay railway station. It closed to regular passenger traffic on 6 May 1968 on the same date as the line itself.
Garmouth railway station was a railway station in Garmouth, parish of Urquhart, Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1884, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains. It served the villages of Kingston-on-Spey and Garmouth and closed to regular passenger traffic on 6 May 1968 on the same date as the line itself.
Urquhart railway station was a railway station serving the village of Urquhart, parish of Urquhart, Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1884, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains.
Calcots railway station was a railway station in the parish of St Andrews-Lhanbryd, Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1884, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains. It served a rural area rather than a discrete settlement and closed to regular passenger traffic on 6 May 1968 on the same date as the line itself.
Findochty railway station was a railway station in the small fishing village of Findochty, Moray about 3 miles to the east of Buckie. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1886, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains.
Cullen railway station was a railway station that served the small fishing village of Cullen, close to Portknockie in Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1886, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains.
Tochieneal railway station was a railway station that served the small industrial village of Tochieneal, close to Cullen in Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1884. The station closed to regular passenger traffic on 1 October 1951, more than a decade before the total closure of the line itself in 1968.
Glassaugh railway station was a railway station that served the rural area of Glassaugh and the nearby Glenglassaugh distillery close to Portsoy in Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1884, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains. The station closed to regular passenger traffic on 21 September 1953, more than a decade before the total closure of the line itself in 1968.
Tillynaught railway station or Tillynaught Junction was a junction railway station in what is now Aberdeenshire, Parish of Fordyce, 6 miles south-west of Banff. Tillynaught was opened in 1859 by the Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway, and in 1867 was absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway(GNSR). This junction station was served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains as well as trains running to the branch terminus at Banff.
Cornhill railway station was an intermediate stop situated on the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) line from Cairnie Junction to Tillynaught. There was only a single platform at Cornhill that served the nearby village that lies in Fordyce Parish, of what was once Banffshire, 8+1⁄2 miles (13.7 km) from Banff itself. The line ran to Tillynaught where it split to reach Banff by a branch line or Elgin by the Moray Coast line.
Glenbarry railway station, previously known as Barry was an intermediate stop with a passing loop situated on the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) line from Cairnie Junction to Tillynaught. There were two platforms at Glenbarry that served the nearby hamlet that lies in what was once Banffshire. The line northwards ran to Tillynaught where it split to reach Banff by a branch line or Elgin by the Moray Coast line.
Knock railway station was an intermediate stop situated on the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) line from Grange and Cairnie Junction to Tillynaught. Knock served the rural community and later the Knockdhu Distillery in Banffshire. The line northwards ran to Tillynaught where it split to reach Banff by a branch line or Elgin by the Moray Coast line.
Millegin railway station, Millagan railway station or later Millegin Siding was briefly an intermediate stop situated on what became the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) line from Grange and Cairnie Junction to Tillynaught. Millegin served the rural community and the nearby saw mill in Banffshire. The line northwards ran to Tillynaught where it split to reach Banff by a branch line or Elgin by the Moray Coast line.
The Moray Coast Railway was a heavy rail route in Morayshire, Scotland. It was opened in three phases by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) between 1884 and 1886. The line ran from the Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Railway in Portsoy to the Morayshire Railway in Elgin. Trains were operated by the Great North of Scotland Railway until 1923, when the route was taken over by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The LNER operated the route from 1923 until 1948 when Britain's railways were nationalised to form British Railways, who operated the route until its closure in 1968.