Beauly railway station
Beauly Add→{{rail-interchange}} | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Other names | Scottish Gaelic: A' Mhanachainn |
| Location | Highland |
| Managed by | Abellio ScotRail |
| Platforms | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | BEL |
| History | |
| Original company | Inverness and Ross-shire Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Highland Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 11 June 1862 | Opened |
| 13 June 1960 | Closed |
| 15 April 2002 | Reopened |
Beauly railway station serves the village of Beauly in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is the first stop after leaving Inverness station, heading north on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line and the Far North Line.
History
The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway, which was to be a line between Inverness and Invergordon, was authorised in 1860, and opened in stages.[1] The first section, that between Inverness and Dingwall, opened on 11 June 1862,[2] and one of the original stations was that at Beauly.[3] It had two platforms and a passing loop.
The station closed a nearly a century later, on 13 June 1960,[3] along with most of the others between Inverness and Bonar Bridge. This was due to increasing competition from motorbuses, particularly those of Highland Omnibuses Ltd.[4]
Following a local campaign, the station was reopened in 2002. A new platform, shelter and car park were built in a £250,000 project.[5] The platform is the shortest in Great Britain, only long enough for a single carriage and measuring 15.06 metres (49.4 ft) in 2013 compared with Conon Bridge's 15.08 metres (49.5 ft).[6] Normally operated by Class 158 trains, there is only one door in operation. Announcements are made on the train as to which door this will be. The original station building is now used for offices and housing.
The reopening of the station led to 75% of local commuters switching from road to rail.[7] Beauly has therefore provided a boost to campaigns to open small basic local stations. In 2007/8 with its population of just 1,164 Beauly's usage to population ratio (36 annual journeys per head) ranked as one of the highest in Britain.
Plans to reopen nearby Conon Bridge railway station in a similar style[8] were fulfilled on 8 February 2013.[9]
Services
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inverness | Abellio ScotRail Kyle of Lochalsh Line Far North Line |
Muir of Ord | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Clunes Line open, station closed |
Highland Railway Inverness and Ross-shire Railway |
Muir of Ord Line and station open | ||
References
- ^ Vallance, H.A.; Clinker, C.R.; Lambert, Anthony J. (1985) [1938]. The Highland Railway (4th ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 31. ISBN 0-946537-24-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ Vallance, Clinker & Lambert 1985, p. 32
- ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 30. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ Vallance, Clinker & Lambert 1985, p. 161
- ^ "Full steam ahead for Beauly Station". Highland Council. 15 April 2002. Archived from the original on 26 Jun 2002. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ^ Milner, Chris (August 2013). "Size matters: Beauly has the shortest platform". The Railway Magazine. 159 (1, 348): 88.
- ^ "Railway link proposed for airport". BBC News. 17 July 2006. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ^ "Inverness to Plockton". Great British Railway Journeys. Episode 14. 2013-01-24. BBC. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
{{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|transcripturl=(help); Unknown parameter|seriesno=ignored (|series-number=suggested) (help) - ^ "Conan Bridge (sic) station open after 50 years". Rail Technology Magazine. Cognitive Publishing Ltd. 12 February 2013. Archived from the original on 15 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
External links
