Dunblane

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Dunblane (1848-)

Station code: DBL National Rail ScotRail
Where: Stirling, Scotland
Opened on the Scottish Central Railway.
Opened on the Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway.
Open on the Glasgow to Perth.

Description

This is a three platform station. Dunblane is both a through station for services running north to Perth and a terminus for local services from Glasgow Queen Street High Level, Edinburgh Waverley and Newcraighall.

The main station building, by William Tite, is a two storey with a crow stepped gable and northern single storey wing. Alongside this is another smaller single storey building in the same style. The buildings are in brick but with stonework round windows, doorways etc. Buildings are on the southbound platform.

Immediately to the north was Dunblane Junction where trains to Callander [1st] and later Oban diverged to the west.

The former goods yard is now a park and ride carpark. Until recently a covered Caledonian Railway style lattice footbridge remained here (the bridge is now at Bridge of Dun). This has been replaced with a modern structure with lifts.

Dunblane North signal box, (opened in 1902 when the Doune line was doubled and replacing a previous box) remains open. The South signal box closed in 1955.

Trains terminating here use the outside face of the island platform and then draw forward to the signal box to await the mainline being clear, they then drop back into the main southbound platform. A siding, the remains of the line west, is at Dunblane Junction. The branch was reduced to a single track in 1955 and closed in 1965 (a short part retained for Springbank Mill Siding until 1966).

To the north on the mainline is Allanwater Viaduct and to the south Kippenross Viaduct.

The line has been electrified from the south.

The line between Stirling and Perth is supported and promoted by the Strathallan Community Rail Partnership.

The Ironing Station , an ironing and hanging service, is based in the station building.

Local

Dunblane Cathedral

Tags

Station Junction

External links

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

Facilities

Listing: B




Chronology Dates

22/05/1848Scottish Central Railway
Opened from Stirling to Perth. Stations at: Bridge of Allan [1st], Dunblane, Kinbuck, Greenloaning, Auchterarder, Dunning, Forteviot, Forgandenny, Perth General.
01/07/1858Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway
Line opened from Dunblane to Callander [1st]. Stations opened at Doune and Callander [1st].
  /  /1864Scottish Central Railway
Authorisation to stop up the level crossings north and south of Dunblane station and replace them with road overline bridges. Additionally permission is granted to extend the Callander [1st] line from the junction (north) into the station (south) over the site of the northern level crossing. (Similar removal of level crossings in Stirling at a later date.)
  /  /1882Scottish Central Railway
Authorisation to buy land to expand Dunblane station.
  /  /1899Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway
Doubling authorised. (Double track only reached Doune from Dunblane.)
09/06/1902Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway
Doubled section between Dunblane and Doune opened. West and East signal boxes at Doune and Dunblane North box at Dunblane Junction replaced. Doune rebuilt as an island platform station.
30/10/1955Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway
Doune to Dunblane singled. Between Dunblane and Springbank Mill Siding the westbound line was lifted, and the line slewed at Stockbridge to the west with the eastbound line lifted between there and Doune.
07/06/1965Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway
Callander Dreadnought to Dunblane Springbank Mill Siding, excluded, closed to freight. Callander Dreadnought to Callander [1st] via the headshunt at the former Callander and Oban Junction closed to goods.
01/11/1965Dunblane, Doune and Callander Railway
Callander Dreadnought to Dunblane (Springbank Mill Siding, excluded) closed to passengers and completely. Doune station closed.
14/01/2004Scottish Central Railway
158717 derails alongside the signal box at Dunblane during an empty stock move.
  /12/2005Scottish Central Railway
Possibility of reopening of Blackford to provide relief to Dunblane station discussed by Perth and Kinross Council and First ScotRail.

News items

17/11/2023ScotRail to run first Edinburgh Boxing Day trains from Glenrothes, Dunblane and Perth for at least 40 years [Scotsman]
28/08/2023Final phase of railway enhancement work begins at Dunblane station [Network Rail]
19/12/2022When Angus railway heritage site took delivery of 19th Century footbridge [The Courier]
30/10/2022Radical project proposed to fully electrify nearly 120 miles of railway between Dunblane and Aberdeen [Daily Record]
24/08/2021Rail timetable changes under fire with Dunblane commuters set to see service diverted [Daily Record]
26/04/2021May Day bank holiday railway disruption [Inverness Courier]
31/03/2021Dunblane car parking project hits buffers following commuter impact concerns [Daily Record]
16/02/2020Flood forces closure of Stirling to Dunblane rail link [Falkirk Herald]
17/05/2019Open door on ScotRail carriage hits another train as they pass [Scotsman]
12/12/2018ScotRail introduces EMUs onto newly-wired Central Belt routes [RAIL]

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The North of Scotland v. 15 (Regional railway history series)

An Illustrated History of Tayside's Railways

Bradshaw's Guides Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness: 5

Scotland’s Lost Branch Lines: Where Beeching Got It Wrong

Scottish Central Railway (Oakwood Library of Railway History)

The Railways of Stirling