Carrbridge

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Carr Bridge (1892-1983)
Carrbridge (1983-)

Station code: CAG National Rail ScotRail
Where: Highland, Scotland
Opened on the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway (Highland Railway).
Open on the Highland Main Line.

Description

This is a two platform station with a passing loop. The main station building, waiting room and footbridge remain. The main building is timber and, in common with many Highland Railway stations, 'H' shaped in plan. At its north end the building is built out with a small glazed porch, a former signal box dating from the resignalling of 1957. Platforms are linked by a lattice footbridge. There is a small car park. The station is at 914 ft above sea level.

There was a sizeable goods yard extensively used by Canadian foresters in both World Wars. A narrow gauge railway (Carrbridge Timber Extraction Railway, closed and removed) ran westwards from near the station - Inverlaidnan Siding to the north - to assist logging activities.

When opened the station was a terminus between 1892 and 1897 while the line north west to Inverness was completed. (The next portion opened north to Daviot in 1897, and throughout in 1898.)

The station had two boxes, north and south. The north box was on the east side of the line, by the sand drag. The south box was on the west side. Both boxes were in timber. The north box opened in 1898 with the line and the south may have opened in 1892 when the line first reached Carr Bridge.

Water columns were provided on both platforms.

Both boxes were replaced in 1957 by a single signal box in the station building. This in turn was replaced by a panel at Aviemore in 1979. All the signal boxes were called Carr Bridge as the renaming of the station to Carrbridge was in 1983.

The signal box at the south end remained for many years, although out of use, and is now at Bo'ness.

There is a sand drag at the north end of the station into which an out of control train can be derailed. This is due to the gradient north of the station which climbs to Slochd Summit. The drag was installed around 1940 after an accident where a train was hit by runaway wagons.

The fine lattice footbridge between the platforms still stands.

To the north of the station the line crosses the Baddengorm Burn. This was the site of a terrible crash when the previous bridge was washed away in a flash flood. There is now a much larger Baddengorm Burn Viaduct. Note, immediately north of the station the line crosses the Dulnain Viaduct [Carrbridge], the Baddengorm Burn is the next bridge north.

During heavy snow a freight train derailed at Carrbridge on the 4th of January 2010, the clean up taking until the 12th to clear the line.

The line is supported and promoted by the Highland Main Line Community Partnership .

Local

Carrbridge is host to the annual Carve Carrbridge Scottish Open Chainsaw Carving Competition and the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship.

An Old Pack Horse Bridge over the River Dulnain is in the village centre.

Tags

Station sand drag terminus

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
07/02/2022




Nearby stations
Boat of Garten
Broomhill
Aviemore Speyside
Aviemore
Nethy Bridge
Ballifurth Farm Halt
Tomatin
Grantown-on-Spey West
Grantown-on-Spey East
Castle Grant Platform
Kincraig
Moy
Cromdale
Base Station
Shieling Station
Dulnain Viaduct [Carrbridge]
Inverlaidnan Siding
Carrbridge Heritage Park
Old Pack Horse Bridge
Baddengorm Burn Viaduct
Laggantygown Loop
Slochd Viaduct
Boat of Garten Shed
Slochd Summit
Broomhill Junction
Spey Viaduct [Broomhill]
Abernethy Timber Siding
Aviemore Shed
Tourist/other
Carrbridge Golf Club
Dalfaber Level Crossing
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Signal wires on poles


Due to Carr Bridge station's high and exposed location the signal wires were carried on poles to keep them clear of snow.


Chronology Dates

08/07/1892Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway (Highland Railway)
Aviemore to Carrbridge opened.
  /  /1897West Highland Railway North British Railway
The proposed Bill by the West Highland Railway and North British Railway for extension of the West Highland to Inverness is rejected by the Commons. (The Highland Railway's route via Carrbridge was partly open and would be completed in 1989.)
19/07/1897Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway (Highland Railway)
Carrbridge to Daviot opened. This section includes the Aultnaslanach Viaduct, (currently the only in use timber railway viaduct left in Scotland).
18/06/1914Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway (Highland Railway)
Heavy rainfall causes a bridge washout of the Baddengorm Burn Viaduct (north of Carrbridge). As a result a train crashes down into the riverbed with the loss of life of five passengers.
04/01/2010Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway (Highland Railway)
66048 derails in snow at Carrbridge station with a train of empties from Inverness to Mossend. Line closed until 12 January. Locomotive recovered 14 February.
13/02/2010Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway (Highland Railway)
Derailed 66048 retrieved from foot of embankment at Carrbridge.
01/04/2010Inverness and Nairn Railway
66048, which derailed at Carrbridge, is fitted with a new bogie at Lochgorm Works.

News items

12/06/2023Highlands: Flooding sparks railway line closure and speed restrictions [The Herald]
31/03/2022Rail services returning to normal as the Highland main line reopens [Press and Journal]
13/01/2021Train breakdown nightmare left passengers stuck in freezing carriages for almost eight hours [Inverness Courier]
24/02/2011Snow and ice affected derailed Carrbridge freight train [BBC]
12/02/2010Carrbridge update 12 February 2010 [Railscot News]
10/02/2010Carrbridge Update 10 February 2010 [Railscot News]
12/01/2010Carrbridge reopened [Railscot News]
11/01/2010Carrbridge derailment - day 8 [Railscot]
09/01/2010Carrbridge derailment - day 6 [Railscot]
05/01/2010Snow derailment problems continue [BBC News]