Elgin

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Elgin [HR] (1858-1948)
Elgin West (1948-1968)
Elgin (1968-)

Note: text in square brackets is added for clarity and was not part of the location's name.

Station code: ELG National Rail ScotRail
Where: Moray, Scotland
Opened on the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway.
Open on the Aberdeen to Inverness.

Description

This is a two platform station with the modern station building on the eastbound platform and a car park on the north side. A third platform, a bay, is planned for the west end of the station for services terminating from Inverness.

To the east is a junction with the former Morayshire Railway, later Great North of Scotland Railway, and its Elgin [GNSR] station. The presently open station is the former Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway, then Highland Railway, station.

To the west the loop was extended beyond The Wards level crossing in 2017.

The station opened in 1858 to the south of Elgin, close by Elgin [GNSR]. The main station building was on the eastbound platform. the goods yard was to the west, on the north side of the line, with a goods shed and sidings to its north. The yard was approached from the west. To the west of the goods yard turnout was a short siding to a saw mill.

East of the westbound platform was a dead end siding on the south side of the line and junction for Elgin [GNSR], approached from the west.

Platforms were equipped with water columns. The water tank was on the north side of the goods yard to the west.

The junction (which was double track) and east end of the loop were controlled by a signal box in the 'V' of the junction which came to be known as Elgin Centre Signal Box. This box was shared between the HR and GNoSR. This box still stands and, despite its greatly deteriorated condition, is listed.

A signal box, Elgin West, opened in 1889 on the south side of the line opposite the goods yard and saw mill turn outs. The saw mill siding later served warehousing.

The box was replaced in 1951, the new box being the upper part of the former Mosstowie station signal box (closed 1948) was further west at The Wards level crossing, the west end of the station loop.

In 1968 Elgin West became the sole station and was renamed Elgin. The goods yard at Elgin East became the main goods yard some time before this, the Elgin West goods yard becoming largely a coal yard.

The west box became simply 'Elgin' in 1973, with closure of Elgin Centre Signal Box.

Elgin box closed in 2017 when the loop was extended further west and east. The line is now controlled from the Inverness Signalling Centre. At the time of closure this was the most northerly operational signal box in Britain.

Local

Elgin Cathedral is about half a mile to the north.

Tags

Station




Chronology Dates

25/03/1858Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
Dalvey [Forres] closes, replaced by the extension through Forres [1st] to Elgin.
  /07/1858Morayshire Railway
Pre-opening inspection of Orton to Rothes line (passed but frustratingly the Elgin to Orton section of the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway fails).
18/08/1858Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
Opens from Elgin to Keith.
03/07/1860Morayshire Railway
Elgin East to Rothes via Longmorn authorised (avoiding difficulties using the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway's Elgin to Orton section).
02/07/1997Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
Flood damage washes away the railway embankment at two locations (Mosstowie and Llanbryde) between Elgin and Keith. 158727 is cut off at Elgin, in the flooded sidings at Elgin East, and is water damaged.

News items

28/12/20234 Highland train services back up and running after storm damage [Inverness Courier]
30/10/2023New timetable delivers electric trains between Barrhead and Glasgow [ScotRail]
29/10/2023Station Hotel in Rothes reveals expansion plans, changes approved for Elgin Next store and new life for former beauty studio [Press and Journal]
22/10/2023ScotRail services still affected in Storm Babet aftermath [The Herald]
22/10/2023Aberdeen to Elgin railway line reopens and work continues to open A90 road after Storm Babet [STV]
21/10/2023Train services restored on Highland Mainline north of Perth, Network Rail Scotland confirms [Inverness Courier]
30/09/2023Network Rail engineering works to hit Highland train services in October [Inverness Courier]
30/11/2022Free bike hire for Scotrail customers in Elgin [Northern Scot]
29/11/2022Signalling system fault sparks new delays between Inverness and Aberdeen [Inverness Courier]
05/08/2022Aberdeen to Inverness line reopened after debris cleared [Press and Journal]

Books


Forres and Area Past and Present

Landranger (27) Nairn & Forres, River Findhorn (OS Landranger Map)

Old Forres

OS Explorer Map (423) Elgin, Forres and Lossiemouth (OS Explorer Active Map)

Time Does Transfix: Recollections of a Forres Railwayman