Banavie

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Banavie (1901-)

Station code: BNV National Rail ScotRail
Where: Highland, Scotland
Opened on the Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway).
Open on the West Highland Line.

Description

This is a single platform station. At the north end of the platform is Banavie Swing Bridge and the modern signalling centre, built in the style of a signal box. Unfortunately the West Highland extension style station building (similar to those at Glenfinnan and Arisaig) was demolished in the early 1980s. It had remained unused, after staff were withdrawn, but was ruined by vandalism.

To the north, over the swing bridge, was Tomonie Signal Box and to the south Banavie Junction [2nd].

The original signal box here, 'Banavie Canal Bridge', operated the level crossing and the swing bridge. The block posts were at Tomonie Signal Box and Banavie Junction [2nd] at the insistence of the Board of Trade who had the box chiefly control the swing bridge. With the closure of Tomonie Signal Box in 1912 it became a block post.

During construction of the new signalling centre the old box remained intact, just to the north. The original box closed in 1987. The new building is considerably larger. It is often described as in the style of an Victorian signal box or similar to the original timber signal box. The former has some truth, it's a matter of opinion, the latter is inaccurate.

To the south of the station is a level crossing with barriers where Kilmallie Road crosses the line.

Local

To the east is Neptune's Staircase, a series of connected locks on the Caledonian Canal.

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67

Facilities

Gaelic name: Banbhaidh



Nearby stations
Banavie Pier
Corpach
Fort William
Fort William [1st]
Loch Eil Outward Bound
Gairlochy
Spean Bridge
Locheilside
Roy Bridge
Invergloy Platform
Ballachulish Ferry
Ballachulish (Glencoe)
Kentallen
Glenfinnan
Fersit Halt
Banavie Swing Bridge
Neptune^s Staircase
Banavie Junction [2nd]
Lochy Viaduct [Fort William]
Corpach Basin
Tom-na-Faire Depot
Inverlochy Footbridge
Base Camp
Tourist/other
Tomonie Signal Box
Old Inverlochy Castle
Ben Nevis Distillery
Corpach Pier
Corpach Beacon
Inverlochy Farm Level Crossing
Tom na Faire Viewpoint
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Station in the snow


A snowy scene of the station showing the signal box, building and Ben Nevis was used for publicity, at the very time that the building was demolished.


Chronology Dates

30/03/1901West Highland Railway
Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
Banavie Junction [2nd], Banavie Canal Bridge, Tomonie Signal Box, Glenfinnan, Lochailort, Arisaig, Mallaig signal boxes opened. Banavie Junction [1st] signal box and junction renamed Mallaig Junction.
01/04/1901Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
Line opened from Banavie (Banavie Junction [2nd]), over the Caledonian Canal and on through Banavie, Corpach, Locheilside, Glenfinnan, Lochailort, Beasdale, Arisaig and Morar to Mallaig, extending the West Highland Railway to the western seaboard. There was no official opening ceremony.
04/02/1912Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
Banavie signal box becomes a block post. Tomonie Signal Box closed.
  /  /1963Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
The The Reshaping of British Railways (Beeching) report proposes the closure of Banavie, Locheilside and Mallaig but retaining a limited stop Fort William [1st] to Mallaig service.
07/06/1987Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
Banavie signal box reduced to swing bridge and gate box.
14/06/1987West Highland Railway
Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
New RETB signalling centre opened at Banavie - the first step is to take over operation of the Banavie Swing Bridge as a swing bridge and gate box. Banavie signal box closed.
06/12/1987West Highland Railway
Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
RETB, based at the signalling centre at Banavie, comes into operation. Takes over Glenfinnan, Arisaig. Annat Signal Box reduced to gate box.
19/05/1988West Highland Railway Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway)
Banavie RETB Signalling Centre formally opened by David Mitchell, Minister for Transport.

News items

16/01/2023Firm that made 200 million cold calls put lives at risk' by clogging lines [MSN]

Books


A Mallaig Boyhood (Flashbacks)
All Stations to Mallaig!: West Highland Line Since Nationalisation
Captains and Commanders: Memoirs of a Scottish West Coast Fisherman

Chapels of the Rough Bounds

Highland Steam: A Scrapbook of Images from the 'Kyle, Mallaig and Highland Lines

History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands: West Highland Railway v. 1

History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands: West Highland Railway v. 1

Iron Road to the Isles: A Travellers and Tourist Guide to the West Highland Lines

Iron Roads to the Isles: A Travellers and Tourists Souvenir Guide to the West Highland Lines

Landranger (40) Mallaig & Glenfinnan, Loch Shiel (OS Landranger Map)

Mallaig Line: An Illustrated History and Guide

Old Mallaig, Morar and Arisaig

On West Highland Lines

Railway World Special: Fort William and Mallaig

Railway World Special: West Highland Lines

Rannan Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean =: The West Highland Line
Steam to Mallaig
The Mallaig Railway
The Mallaig Railway: The West Highland Extension 1897-1901 (RCAHMS Broadsheet)
The Story of the West Highland

The Story of the West Highland: The 1940s LNER Guide to the Line

The West Highland Mallaig Extension in B.R.Days

The West Highland Railway

The West Highland Railway (Railways of the Scottish Highlands)

The West Highland Railway 120 Years

Walks from the West Highland Railway (Cicerone Guide)

West Highland Extension: Great Railway Journeys Through Time

West Highland Railway
West Highland Railway (History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands v. 1): West Highland Railway v. 1