Location type

Names and dates

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

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.

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