Montrose

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Montrose (1883-)

Station code: MTS National Rail ScotRail
Where: Angus, Scotland
Opened on the North British, Arbroath and Montrose Railway.
Open on the Dundee to Aberdeen.

Description

This is a two platform station. There is a modern station building on the southbound platform. There is a car park. The station is on the western edge of the town and has a view overlooking the Montrose Basin. A modern footbridge with lifts stands at the south end of the station. To provide land for the station construction a large amount of land reclamation was carried out.

The building was built by British Rail in 1983/84, replacing the original from 1883 which had been a long building with a large canopy up to the platform edge.

There is an extensive goods yard on the east side of the line, approached from either the north or south as there is a loop on the east side of the line. This is a very underused facility which was still busy until recent years. There had been considerable lime traffic. There was a very large goods shed which stood until the 2000s. There was a coal yard too until 1984.

As built, there were bays at the north and south ends of the station, the one at the south end remaining, out of use. The west side of the station was bypassed by two line, more recently one and now none. At the north end was an engine shed (Montrose Shed [NBR]) on the east side, approached from the north.

North of the station was Montrose North Junction with the line to Broomfield Junction and Inverbervie. This is controlled by Montrose North box, located on the west side of the line. It opened in 1881. The main line north to Hillside [NB] was doubled in 1932. The Inverbervie link closed in 1967.

At the south end was a branch to Montrose Harbour. The southern approach was controlled by Montrose South box.

This station competed with Montrose [CR] which was a terminus to the east. Being a terminus it could not compete with the through station on the East Coast Main Line and closed.

The line from Arbroath to Kinnaber Junction was largely single track when built. It is now largely double track, except the portion south from Montrose to Usan Signal Box due to the two viaducts.

Montrose has been resignalled and Usan Signal Box and Montrose South Signal Boxes closed in 2010. Semaphore signalling had been in place. Montrose North box is 'C' listed and now controls the area. Some semaphore remains (2019).

To the north, the line passes over the former single track Montrose [CR] branch of the Aberdeen Railway running out from Dubton.

The station is to the north of the South Esk Viaduct which crosses the outlet from the east end of the Montrose Basin, a large river basin noted for its birdlife.

Although the footbridge has been replaced a lattice bridge still stands further north.

Local

To the west of the station is Montrose Basin Scottish Wildlife Trust - Montrose Basin .

To the west, beyond Montrose Basin, is a heritage railway which runs steam and diesel trains, the Caledonian Railway (see the link for how to get there).

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
05/05/2023


Chronology Dates

  /  /1845Aberdeen Railway
Act receives Royal assent. The line with run from Guthrie and Friockheim north largely by the coast to Aberdeen with branches to Brechin and Montrose.
  /  /1872North British, Arbroath and Montrose Railway
Link from Montrose to Broomfield Junction (on the Montrose and Bervie Railway) authorised.
  /  /1881North British, Arbroath and Montrose Railway
Montrose (NB) to Broomfield Junction link opened.
  /  /1884North British, Arbroath and Montrose Railway
Montrose Harbour branch from Montrose authorised, Caledonian Railway granted running powers.
  /  /1886Aberdeen Railway
Agreement allows the North British Railway to use Broomfield Siding and Broomfield Junction on the Montrose [CR] branch, crossed by Montrose to Bervie trains following the NBR's take over.
01/10/1951Montrose and Bervie Railway
Inverbervie to Montrose (Broomfield Junction) closed to passengers. North Water Bridge, St Cyrus, Lauriston, Johnshaven, Birnie Road Siding, Gourdon, Inverbervie closed.
22/05/1966Montrose and Bervie Railway
Local of Johnshaven, Mary Officer, organises final passenger train to celebrate the branch. The six coach train works twice between Montrose and Inverbervie such is the number of tickets sold.
23/05/1966Montrose and Bervie Railway
Inverbervie to Montrose (Broomfield Junction) closed to freight and completely. The branch was lifted in 1966.
19/06/1967North British, Arbroath and Montrose Railway
Montrose to Broomfield Junction closed to freight.
  /  /2016North British, Arbroath and Montrose Railway
Doubling of the single track section of the East Coast Main Line from Usan Signal Box to Montrose (over the Rossie Viaduct and South Esk Viaduct) planned at a cost of £200M. Doubling of this section was previously announced in 2008.

News items

09/10/2023List of road and rail closures on Monday after flooding hits Tayside and Fife [The Courier]
21/06/2023Trains between Montrose and Aberdeen disrupted due to flooding [The Courier]
13/05/2023ScotRail adds new Aberdeen services as north-east passengers handed travel boost [aberdeenlive]
30/03/2023Could new Angus cycle lane resurrect dream of charity rail link to Montrose? [The Courier]
31/12/2022Rail and ferry services disrupted across northern Scotland as snow warning remains in place [Press and Journal]
18/11/2022Heavy rain and flooding brings travel disruption [BBC News]
18/11/202212 pictures as amber weather warning extended as flooding causes chaos across Scotland [Scotsman]
28/09/2022Trains between Aberdeen and Montrose hit by disruption due to broken down maintenance vehicle [Press and Journal]
14/07/2022Brechin Railway: Bid mounted to reverse decision not to go for Levelling Up Fund millions for Angus [The Courier]
30/06/2022End of line for Brechin Caledonian Railway's £18m Levelling Up Fund bid [The Courier]

Books


The Montrose & Bervie Railway: A Study of Transport in South-East Kincardineshire 1770-1966