Location type

Name and dates

Description

This junction, north of Arbroath station, was where the North British, Arbroath and Montrose Railway (later North British Railway) met the Arbroath and Forfar Railway (later Caledonian Railway).

The line between St Vigeans Junction and Arbroath Junction (just north of Arbroath station) became joint Caledonian Railway and North British Railway in 1880, just after the opening of the Tay Bridge [1st]. The route west to Camperdown Junction also became a joint line.

St Vigeans junction was a double track junction with a signal box, opened with the junction, to the north of the junction itself on the east side of the two main lines. There were further lines however.

It was a complicated junction with sidings due to the Dens Iron Works being on the east side of the junction. This works was reached from the north via a double headshunt on the east side of the junction which was approached from the south where it met the North British line just north of the main junction. There was a second connection from the iron works allowing access from the North British line to the north. As a result, the box was enclosed in lines - the Caledonian and North British lines to its west and the goods lines to its east.

In addition a line was laid from the headshunt south, on the east side of the railway, as far as the site of Arbroath Shed [1st].

The Forfar [2nd] route was severed in 1955. The signal box closed in 1960.

With the closure of the Forfar [2nd] route, there is no junction here today, it is just a location on the East Coast Main Line.

Local

St Vigeans Stones and Museum

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