Thurso railway station

Last updated

Facilities

There is one platform, which is long enough to accommodate a nine-carriage train. [2] The station is fully wheelchair-accessible, but it is not monitored by CCTV. [11]

The station has a ticket office, staffed between approximately 10:00 and 17:00 every day except Sundays. There are no self-service ticket machines or smartcard top-up facilities, although there are smartcard validators. Other facilities include: a free car park with 3 parking spaces, a sheltered bike stand with 10 spaces, a payphone that accepts both cash and card, waiting rooms with designated seating areas, toilets (only open during staffing hours) and a post box. [11]

There is a bus stop located directly outside the station, [11] although the majority of bus services call at the nearby Miller Academy stop, 150 metres (160 yd) to the north.

Services

Despite being located at the end of the branch line, Thurso is not the terminus for any passenger services. Instead, trains run between Inverness and Wick; upon reaching Georgemas Junction they branch off the main route to serve Thurso, then reverse and run back to Georgemas Junction before continuing to their respective destinations. This means that all services call at Georgemas Junction station twice per trip. [12]

On weekdays and Saturdays, the station is served by eight trains per day to Georgemas Junction, of which four continue to Inverness (via Helmsdale, Golspie, Lairg, Tain and Dingwall), and four continue to Wick. On Sundays the frequency drops to just two trains per day to Georgemas Junction, of which one goes to Inverness and one to Wick. [12]

An hourly shuttle between Wick and Thurso making use of Vivarail's Class 230 Battery Multiple Units has been proposed by the Friends of the Far North line, but to this date nothing has been confirmed. [13]

Thurso

Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Theòrsa [1]
National Rail logo.svg
158701 Thurso.jpg
158701 departing Thurso bound for Inverness
Location Thurso, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates 58°35′24″N3°31′40″W / 58.5900°N 3.5278°W / 58.5900; -3.5278 Coordinates: 58°35′24″N3°31′40″W / 58.5900°N 3.5278°W / 58.5900; -3.5278
Grid reference ND112679
Managed by Abellio ScotRail
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeTHS
History
Original company Sutherland and Caithness Railway
Pre-grouping Highland Railway
Post-grouping LMS
Key dates
28 July 1874Opened
Passengers
2016/17Decrease2.svg 37,322
Preceding station National Rail logo.svg National Rail Following station
Georgemas Junction   Abellio ScotRail
Far North Line 		  Georgemas Junction
  Historical railways  
Terminus  Highland Railway
Sutherland and Caithness Railway
Thurso Branch
  Hoy
Line open, station closed

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
  2. 1 2 Brailsford 2017, map 20E.
  3. ↑ "The Sunderland and Caithness Railway" . The Scotsman. British Newspaper Archive. 27 July 1874. Retrieved 14 August 2016– via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ "The Sutherland and Caithness Railway" . John o’Groat Journal. Scotland. 9 July 1874. Retrieved 15 July 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Thurso" . John o’Groat Journal. Scotland. 18 March 1875. Retrieved 8 November 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Well known native of Dowally" . Dundee Evening Telegraph. Scotland. 14 October 1929. Retrieved 8 November 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "RNorthern Station Agents. Changes at Thurso, Lairg and Strathpeffer" . Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 5 October 1932. Retrieved 8 November 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Retirement of Stationmaster" . Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 4 September 1946. Retrieved 8 November 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Appointments for Scots Rail Agents" . Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 6 December 1949. Retrieved 8 November 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Mr Alexander Hendry" . Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 12 January 1950. Retrieved 8 November 2021– via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. 1 2 3 "Facilities". ScotRail. ScotRail. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  12. 1 2 GB eNRT May 2016 Edition, Table 239
  13. ↑ "The Friends of the Far North Line - Newsletter - January 2019". www.fofnl.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

Sources

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