Muir of Ord

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Muir of Ord (1862-1960)
Muir of Ord (1976-)

Station code: MOO National Rail ScotRail
Where: Highland, Scotland
Opened on the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway.
Opened on the Fortrose Branch (Highland Railway).
Open on the Far North Line.
Open on the Kyle Line.

Description

This is a two platform station. The main station building was similar to that at Dalwhinnie but with a canopy with end screens. It was on the down (northbound) platform. It was, like that at Dalwhinnie, a replacement for a building which burned down (in 1922). It has been demolished.

The station opened at Tarradale, south of Muir of Ord Inn, in 1862. The main building was in timber and located on the northbound platform. The goods shed was approached from the north, located on a siding reached by reversal from the northbound platform. Opposite the platform were loops, the easternmost of which served an animal loading bank.

The platforms were equipped with water columns. The water tank was on the east side of the station, south of the bridge crossing the line.

By 1882 It had two signal boxes, north and south.

In 1892 station reconstruction began. The station loop was extended. To the north of the station the Fortrose Branch (Highland Railway) (1894) came in from the east. The main line was served by the original northbound platform and a southbound platform opposite. This latter platform was the west face on an island platform, the east face of which was served only by trains from the branch. The branch line split on its arrival at the station with one line crossing the main line loop to reach a bay platform on the west side at the north end of the station, another serving the east face of the island platform and a third splitting into dead end sidings and Muir of Ord Shed.

To the south the goods shed line was turned into a loop by making another connection further south, close to the south end of the loop. The goods yard was now approached from the south with lines serving loading banks. (The north end of the goods shed loop line was taken out in 1933). On the east side there were several loop, a loading bank and long siding.

The north box, replaced in 1892, was on the west side of the line opposite the branch turn out. The south box, replaced 1922, was at the south end of the loop alongside the goods yard turnouts.

The south box closed in 1933, the north box being renamed simply 'Muir of Ord'.

The Fortrose branch closed in 1960. The station itself closed to passengers in 1960 with the closure of the branch, but the goods yard, on the west side, remained open in use as a coal depot.

On the east side new grain silos and sidings were laid out.

The station re-opened to passengers in 1976.

The goods yard remained in use as a coal depot until the late 1980s, the site being used for the temporary Muir of Ord Shed after the collapse of the Ness Viaduct. The passenger station remained closed for the period while the viaduct was replaced.

On the east side of the station was a grain depot, served from the south. This remained in use until the 1980s, the site being used as carriage sidings while the temporary Muir of Ord Shed was in operation.

The signal box closed in 1988, replaced by RETB controlled from Dingwall and later the Inverness Signalling Centre.

The A862 bridge at the north end of the station was replaced in 2017. The footbridge which ran parallel to it now stands apart at an angle to the new bridge.

Tags

Station

External links

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

Facilities

Free parking
Unstaffed




Chronology Dates

11/06/1862Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
Inverness to Dingwall opened. (Connection made from Inverness Harbour line to new platforms in Inverness station, new railway makes connection with the harbour line. The Harbour line is becomes known as the Rose Street Curve). Stations opened at Bunchrew, Lentran, Beauly, Muir of Ord, Conon and Dingwall.
  /11/1922Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
Muir of Ord's station buildings burn down.
01/10/1951Fortrose Branch (Highland Railway)
Fortrose to Muir of Ord closed to passengers.
13/06/1960Fortrose Branch (Highland Railway)
Fortrose to Muir of Ord closed to freight.
07/02/1989Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
Ness Viaduct, Inverness, collapses, separating the Thurso, Wick and Kyle of Lochalsh lines from the rest of the network. Dingwall becomes the southern terminus, Muir of Ord closes (although served by a minibus) and becomes a train maintenance depot. Buses operate between Inverness and Dingwall while a new bridge is built. Oil traffic to Lairg is suspended (it does not restart until 2001).

News items

22/03/2023ScotRail services in Highlands between Inverness, Wick and Lochalsh cancelled after train strikes fallen tree [STV]
28/02/2022Muir of Ord residents offered online public information sessions [Network Rail]
23/02/2022Trains not running between Inverness and Muir of Ord [Inverness Courier]
11/10/2019Train cancellations as track inspection closes Highland line [Press and Journal
16/06/2012Muir of Ord 150th Anniversary commemorated [Railscot]

Books


Highland Railway (Railway History)

Highland Railway (The David & Charles series)

Highland Railway Album

Highland Railway: People and Places - From the Inverness and Nairn Railway to Scotrail

Highland Survivor

History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands: Highland Railway