Location type

Names and dates

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

Description

A junction opened in 1858 between the 1852 Morayshire Railway and the 1858 Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway.

The junction was east of Elgin [HR] and required a 300 yd extension of the Morayshire west through its station.

A temporary version of the junction was opened March 1858, over which no locomotives or passenger trains could pass. It was briefly used, between March and August, to deliver materials tor the construction of the Elgin to Keith portion of the I&AJR. (So for less than a year this was an end-on junction.)

Following this the connection was used by the Morayshire to reach their remote portion from Orton to Craigellachie [1st] until the Morayshire's own route via Longmorn opened in 1863 (the 'Glen' line).

The specific companies meeting here changed over the years.

In 1865 the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway was one of the founders of the Highland Railway.

In 1880 the Morayshire became the Great North of Scotland Railway.

In 1923 the Highland became the LMS and the Great North the LNER.

A signal box opened in the 'V' of the junction in 1888 - probably due to the increased traffic with the complete opening of the Moray Coast line in 1886. This box controlled the west end of Elgin [GNSR], the junction (and the east end of Elgin [HR] ?).

In addition to the through platform line exchange sidings were laid out parallel and to the south, making their connection to the Highland at the same point. Elgin [GNSR] was substantially rebuilt in 1902.

The box was renamed 'Elgin Centre' in 1934.

Elgin East closed in 1968 with the closure of the Coast line and Glen line. The station, goods yard and exchange sidings became the main Elgin goods yard and a portion of the 'Glen' route was retained as a headshunt.

The box closed in 1973 when it was replaced by a ground frame. The junction layout was simplified. Despite closure the box was retained as a bothy - it is a B listed structure.

The Elgin loop was extended and the junction resignalled in 2017.

The junction remains today, although at present (2019) the goods yard sees little traffic.

This area is prone to flooding and it is not unknown for the yard to be underwater. The signal box now has no staircase access and has no doubt suffered in the flooding. It remains, but in deteriorating condition. Its location within an railway site probably does not help the situation.

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