News - West highland lines
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The job comes with a salary of up to £60,000 and some of Scotland's finest views.
(Permalink) Train drivers West Highland Lines |
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Rail services on the West Highland Line are facing restrictions on Tuesday and ferry services cancellations, with high winds and heavy rain set to hit the west coast. Scotland's Railways specialist weather forecasters have predicted that 20-30mm of rain will fall across most of Scotland between Tuesday evening and Wednesday. They have also predicted that the West Highland Line could experience 55mm of rainfall and this will be combined with wind speeds of up to 55mph across Southern Scotland.
(Permalink) Weather West Highland Lines |
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It was once a quiet, serene Highland gem, full of Jacobite history and bursting with stunning scenery.
But back in the early 2000s, Glenfinnan was handed the poisoned chalice of accidental fame through being chosen as a location for the filming of the Warner Bros Harry Potter films. (Permalink) Carpark Glenfinnan Glenfinnan Station Museum Glenfinnan Viaduct Glenfinnan Visitors Centre Harry Potter Mallaig Extension Tourism Tourists West Highland Lines West Highland Railway  Glenfinnan: Having drawn forward to allow a ScotRail service to pass, passengers are allowed to stretch their legs at Glenfinnan. The train has its own Souvenir Shop. The station enjoys a burst of activity unriva ... |
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My wife and I called into the Crianlarich railway station tearoom on the way back from walking a stretch of the East Highland Way by Loch Laggan.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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Carlton Reid toured around Argyll and the Isles with his folding bicycle in tow, stopping to soak in the region's history and to dine on 'hearty' Scottish fare.
(Permalink) Argyll Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian Sleeper Highland Explorer ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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Extra trains on the West Highland Lines are being 'trialled' on Sundays this summer, ScotRail has revealed.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines West Highland Railway |
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CalMac ferries have been cancelled and trains to Mallaig, Fort William and Oban have been delayed due to high winds hitting the west coast.
(Permalink) Caledonian MacBrayne Cancellations Fort William Mallaig Oban West Highland Lines |
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Passengers on the West Highland Line and the Far North Rail Line are raising concerns about lack of ScotRail trains to take them to hospital appointments in the cities.
(Permalink) ASLEF Driver shortage Far North Line Kyle Line Overtime Rest days ScotRail Timetabling West Highland Lines |
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Highland rail services are facing hours of delays due to heavy rain. ScotRail services to Kyle of Lochalsh and on the West Highland Line to Oban and Fort William and Mallaig are among those experiencing disruption on Monday amidst the forecast.
(Permalink) Fort William Kyle Line Kyle of Lochalsh Mallaig Oban Rain ScotRail Speed restrictions West Highland Lines |
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Passengers have been told to expect travel delays as speed restrictions are put in place on certain Highland train routes.
(Permalink) Glenfinnan Kyle Line Kyle of Lochalsh Loch Awe Lochailort Rain Speed restrictions Stromeferry Taynuilt Weather West Highland Lines |
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An Ayrshire firm has unveiled the interior design for ScotRails first active travel carriage, designated for carrying bikes and large sporting. [See also news item 21/10.]
(Permalink) Bikes Brodie Engineering Class 153 ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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ScotRail has unveiled the interior design for its first active travel carriage, designated for carrying bikes and large sporting equipment, as the first train nears completion.
Five Class 153 trains are being transformed to carry up to 20 bikes to enhance existing ScotRail services on the West Highland Line initially, providing custom designed racks to accommodate bikes, sporting equipment and large items of luggage as well as more seats for customers. The redesigned carriage boasts space for tandem cycles, and an e-bike charging socket - a first for a train in the UK. Modified by Brodie Engineering in Kilmarnock, forming part of the firms expansion plans, the finishing touches to the first carriage are now being applied. The train has received a full interior and exterior refresh including installation of free WiFi, at seat power sockets and a refurbished toilet with controlled emission toilet (CET) tank. (Permalink) Bikes Brodie Engineering Class 153 ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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A new railway station to serve the naval base at Faslane is among the top priorities for the Helensburgh area revealed in a recent council report.
(Permalink) Faslane West Highland Lines  Faslane Platform: Steam train for Fort William passing the site of Faslane Platform near Shandon.  Shandon: Road/rail crane heading from High Balernock L.C. back to operations near the former Faslane Junction. The crane is passing the site of the demolished Shandon station. |
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Commitment to decarbonise passenger rail services by 2035. Plans to decarbonise Scotland's rail passenger services by 2035 have been launched by Transport Secretary Michael Matheson today.
Railscot note - PDF page 8 shows electrification of lines by 2035: - Glasgow - Aberdeen - Inverurie - All lines in Fife including Levenmouth - Highland Main Line - Borders line - Glasgow - Barrhead - Dumfries - Carlisle - East Kilbride - Kilmarnock - Ayr - Anniesland - Maryhill Partial electrification or alternative technology: - Ayr- Girvan - Inverurie - Inverness - Tain Battery or alternative technology: - West Highland Lines - Far North Line - Kyle Line - Girvan - Stranraer (Permalink) Aberdeen Barrhead Battery train Borders line Dumfries East Kilbride Electrification Far North Line Fife Girvan Highland Main Line Inverurie Kilmarnock Kyle Line Levenmouth Maryhill Stranraer Tain West Highland Lines  Scotland: Transport Scotland - Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan for 2035. Lines shown in red are to be electrified. Those in yellow to be alternative traction, possibly prior to electrification. Those ... |
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Plans have been submitted for a new car park in Glenfinnan for tourists who visit to see a location from the Harry Potter films.
Thousands of visitors arrive to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct and a steam train that operates on its railway line. Both feature in the movies. Glenfinnan Community Council said a lack of parking had also become a health and safety issue. It said vehicles were currently using verges along the A830 for parking. (Permalink) Glenfinnan Viaduct West Highland Lines |
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Harry Potter fans are risking death by wandering on to a railway line to take photographs of a viaduct used for scenes in the fantasy adventure films.
British Transport Police said incidents at the Glenfinnan Viaduct played a part in a 16% rise in railway trespassing offences in Scotland last year. BTP has issued a fresh warning for people to stay away from the area of the West Highland Line. In 2015, a family was among tourists who put themselves in danger. The couple and their child were seen running on the railway line. (Permalink) Glenfinnan Viaduct West Highland Lines  Glenfinnan Viaduct: Black 5 No. 45407 leaves an attractive smoke trail as it crosses Glenfinnan Viaduct on 10 October 2012 with The Jacobite steam service to Mallaig.  Glenfinnan Viaduct: A Class 27 rumbles over Glenfinnan Viaduct with a Fort William-bound train in 1980. |
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No rail services will operate on the Glasgow to Oban line over the weekend, after a lorry collided with a bridge.
Work to repair what has been described as 'extensive damage' at Taynuilt has been scheduled to be completed by Monday. ScotRail said a bus shuttle service will operate from Oban to Dalmally, calling at stations along the route. The operator said the bus replacement service would run 'as close to train time as possible'. (Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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A landslide that closed a stretch of Highland railway line for most of the weekend has been cleared and repairs at the track completed.
About 100 tonnes of mud and stones were washed across part of the Fort William and Mallaig line near Lochailort during heavy rain on Thursday. Travel on the nearby A830 road was also affected for a time by the same landslide. ScotRail said the work to the railway line was completed at 20:00 on Sunday. The normal timetable resumed on the line on Monday morning, when the A830 was also fully reopened to traffic. (Permalink) Landslide Lochailort Mallaig Extension ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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Rail and road travel in parts of the Highlands are being disrupted following a landslide.
The landslip has blocked the railway line between Fort William and Mallaig and the nearby A830 since about 18:00 on Thursday. ScotRail said there was disruption to services between Glasgow Queen Street and Mallaig terminating at or starting from Fort William. The A830 is shut between the Lochailort and Drumsallie junction. The landslide happened during a period of heavy downpours that affected Skye, Mull, the west Highlands and Argyll. The Met Office issued a yellow 'be aware' warning of heavy rain earlier this week. (Permalink) Landslide Lochailort Mallaig Extension ScotRail West Highland Lines  Lochailort: Black 5 no 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier at the head of 'The Royal Highlander' tackles the 1 in 50 out of Lochailort heading for Mallaig.  Fort William: View over the clean and colourful concourse of the 1975 Fort William station looking towards the platforms in the autumn of 2005. A service to Glasgow Queen Street is getting ready to leave platform 1 ...  Mallaig: As near as I could get 48 years on... see image [[24161]]. The 16.05 Mallaig - Glasgow Queen Street service almost ready to commence its journey on 28 July 2011. (Note the modern-day practice of kee ... |
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Oban and Scotland’s Far North could be served by Caledonian Sleeper trains, but funding from authorities would be needed to support the services.
CS Managing Director Peter Strachan, speaking exclusively to RAIL on May 6, confirmed that discussions had taken place with user groups regarding running trains north of Inverness, and with business groups for Oban. If the latter happens, he has not ruled out the possibility that extra Mk 5 coaches may have to be ordered from Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles (CAF). The Spanish company is already building 75 vehicles for CS that will enter traffic in 2018. [From Mark Bartlett] (Permalink) Caledonian Sleeper West Highland Lines  Oban: View over Oban pier and station from McCaig's Tower on 10 July. The area of the pier adjacent to the station has become a mini-mall with shops, cafes and restaurants.  Oban: The Caledonian Sleeper at Oban, diverted from Fort William due to engineering works, topped and tailed with Class 73s. With the arrival of the new stock it is possible the sleeper may split at Crianla ...  Oban: With a belch of diesel fumes the 12.10 service for Glasgow Queen Street gets underway from Oban on 30 July 2011.
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A COMMUNITY group have proposed a rail link between Craignure and Iona connecting foot passengers and commuters with the Holy Island. The proposal for the scheme in full is exclusively revealed below.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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The railway line made famous by the Harry Potter films and voted the world’s most scenic train journey is ScotRail’s fastest growing route, official figures reveal.
A doubling of trains on the West Highland line between Glasgow, Oban, Fort William and Mallaig helped boost its passenger numbers by nearly 14 per cent to 454,000 in 2014-15. (Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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OVERNIGHT trains will run to Oban for the first time for 51 years to gauge demand for a permanent service, the Caledonian Sleeper announced today.
Sleeper trains have not served the west coast port, apart from occasional diversions, since 1965. They will operate to and from Oban from 12-14, 19-21 and 26-28 February. (Permalink) Caledonian Sleeper West Highland Lines  Preston: 90021 stands at platform 4 of Preston station at just before 0100 on 6 January 2015 with the Aberdeen/Fort William/Inverness sleeper. The train will divide at Edinburgh Waverley.  Oban: 156 474 forming the 12.11 train to Glasgow Queen Street, awaits its departure time at Oban station on a very warm Sunday 23 May 2010. Oban: With a belch of diesel fumes the 12.10 service for Glasgow Queen Street gets underway from Oban on 30 July 2011.
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Winners of Community Rail Awards in Scotland for 2015 were:
Helmsdale Station CIC (Community Interest Company): first for innovation in community rail (major restoration of the disused station building). Sonia Cameron: first for outstanding voluntary contribution (Mallaig, Morar and Arisaig ScotRail Station Adopter). Graham and Liz Gaffney Whaite, Dalmally: third for most enhanced station building (major restoration of the disused station building). (Permalink) ScotRail Station Adoption West Highland Lines  Dalmally: Dalmally station on 14th May saw 156500 on the 1256 from Oban to Glasgow crossing 45407 and The Highlands & Islands Explorer with sister Black 5 44871 on the rear. This was Day 6 for the steam ... |
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THE operator of the Jacobite steam train on the Fort William-Mallaig line admitted today it was unlikely to launch services next week as planned after being banned from the rail network.
West Coast Railways (WCR), which carries 85,000 tourists a year on the route, was barred by Network Rail last month from operating across Britain after causing the worst case of running through a red light this year. (Permalink) Network Rail West Highland Lines  Glenfinnan: K1 no 62005 climbs the gradient west of Glenfinnan with The Jacobite on the 6th July 2012.  Mallaig: The returning 'Jacobite' pulls away from Mallaig on 28 July with 45231 in charge. Taken from my luxury yacht - well, MV 'Lochnevis' of Calmac returning from Eigg.  Fort William Oil Sidings: The Jacobite, bound for Mallaig, approaching Fort William Junction past the West Highland Oil terminal in September 2005 behind Black 5 4-6-0 no 45407. |
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STEAM train plans by new ScotRail firm Abellio were thrown into disarray today after the intended operator was banned from the tracks.
West Coast Railways (WCR) was barred from operating anywhere in Britain by track owner Network Rail until it makes a series of improvements. The operations of West Coast Railways are a threat to the safe operation of the railway. Network Rail The move came after WCR caused the most serious case this year of a train running through a red light. It also puts in doubt the launch of WCR’s flagship Jacobite steam service between Fort William and Mallaig next month, which has been running for 20 years. (Permalink) Abellio ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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THE first Caledonian Sleeper services to be separated from the main ScotRail franchise have run on the routes between Scotland and London.
The new Serco contract began in time for the departure of the first Tuesday night service, the portion from Fort William. The contract includes a replacement fleet from 2018. [From Richard Buckby] (Permalink) Caledonian Sleeper ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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The iconic Caledonian Sleeper train service between Fort William in the Scottish Highlands and London has been named as one of the best six railway adventures in the world.
The service, which is known as The Deerstalker, has been placed in the same group of great train rides as The Shanghai Maglev, the Tren Crucero through the heart of Ecuador, the Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New Orleans, the TranzAlpine Express in New Zealand's stunning South Island and the Danube Express between Budapest and Istanbul. (Permalink) Caledonian Sleeper West Highland Lines |
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Electronic 'ears' have been installed along one of Scotland's most landslide-prone train lines in a pioneering project that could protect rail tracks and roads across Scotland.
The fibre-optic cables are a modern-day replacement for a Victorian rockfall warning system in the steep-sided Pass of Brander on the Glasgow-Oban line. The UK first is being tested on the route below Ben Cruachan, where in 2010 a ScotRail train nearly plunged down a 50ft embankment after hitting a fallen boulder and derailing. A tripwire system built by engineer John Anderson in 1882, in which falling rocks trigger line-side signals, did not detect the boulder because it fell from lower down the slope. (Permalink) Derailment Landslide Loch Awe Pass of Brander Rockfall ScotRail West Highland Lines  Pass of Brander Stone Signals: View from the roadside of the stone signals at the Pass of Brander. Should a rock fall occur then a series of wires that run along this stretch of line automatically throw the semaphore signals to Dan ...  Awe Crossing: 37 405 heading west from Loch Awe to the Pass of Brander. The signals are part of Anderson's Piano which detects rockfalls.  Allt Coire Mheadhoin Viaduct: GBRf 66734 'The Eco Express' lying alongside Loch Treig on 4 July 2012 following derailment in the aftermath of a landslip on 28 June. The locomotive will be particularly difficult to recover from thi ... |
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The Ayr to Stranraer line is the best performing rural railway line in Scotland.
And that's official following the release of figures by the Office of Rail Regulation that show passenger numbers on the Stranraer line increased dramatically in 2012/13 and are nearly up to the level reached when ferry services operated out of the town. The number of passenger journeys is up a staggering 14.4% and the 60-mile line to Stranraer has outperformed the West Highland Line to Fort William, the West Highand line extension to Mallaig, the Kyle of Lochalsh line, the Oban line and the Far North line to Wick and Thurso. Indeed all the Highland lines saw a reduction in passenger numbers last year except the Far North line which returned growth figures of 0.6%. (Permalink) Far North Line Kyle Line Stranraer West Highland Lines  Stranraer: The 12.36 service to Glasgow Central waits to leave Stranraer Harbour on 24 May 2012.  Maybole: A southbound train pulls away from a colourful Maybole station and heads for Girvan on the last day of May 2007.  Girvan: The immaculate interior of the waiting room at Girvan, Scotland's only art deco station, seen on 3 June. Even the ceiling is glossy. The more modern seating is unfortunately not sympathetic, though pr ... |
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THE Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig railway has twice been voted the World's Greatest Train Journey, and fans of the Harry Potter films will recognise parts of the route immediately. But while the scenery may be spectacular, one Glasgow councillor says ScotRail's trains on the famous West Highland Line are 'letting Scotland down.'
Passengers say the service is not getting the investment it needs, despite attracting swathes of tourists each year. Complaints include frequent breakdowns, heating problems during the height of winter and poor quality trains. Passengers travelling from Fort William to Glasgow on one of last week's early morning services had no access to a toilet on the four-hour journey because both were broken. Regular passengers say they are often advised to move to a warmer coach by ticket staff.[From Dave Scott] (Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines  Crianlarich: A 6-car train is split at Crianlarich on 15 June following arrival from Glasgow Queen Street. The first two cars will head for Oban with the remaining 4 destined for Fort William. Fort William: View over the clean and colourful concourse of the 1975 Fort William station looking towards the platforms in the autumn of 2005. A service to Glasgow Queen Street is getting ready to leave platform 1 ... Mallaig: As near as I could get 48 years on... see image [[24161]]. The 16.05 Mallaig - Glasgow Queen Street service almost ready to commence its journey on 28 July 2011. (Note the modern-day practice of kee ... |
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From May 2014,the number of trains to and from Oban will double from three to six trains a day between Monday and Saturday.
(Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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PLANS have been unveiled to overhaul the Caledonian Sleeper service which links Fort William with central London. Transport Scotland, the national transport agency, has announced that private bidders to run the Sleeper from 2015 will be asked to re-brand the historic cross-border service “emblematic of Scotland” and a “destination in itself”. [From Richard Buckby]
(Permalink) Caledonian Sleeper West Highland Lines  Laigh Hill Tunnel: Running ahead of time, presumably because there had been no passengers to set down, the Caledonian Sleeper heads north out of Dunblane shortly after 5 a.m. on July 3rd 2009 behind 67009. Following a t ...  Euston: Having brought the ecs for the Highland Sleeper into platform 15 at Euston, 90028 now waits for the train to depart before going onto the front of the Lowland Sleeper.  Carstairs: Scene at Carstairs at 6.25am on a pleasant Tuesday morning in the Summer of 2006. The 16 coach Caledonian Sleeper from Euston arrived 11 minutes earlier behind EWS 90022. The train has been split and ... |
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ScotRail has been praised at a top UK transport awards for its unique Highland bike hire project.
The train operator earned Highly Commended in the Innovation category at the ATOC National Cycle Rail Awards for its cut-price bike hire scheme, which allows cyclists to enjoy scenic A-to-B journeys across the Highlands. The scheme is believed to be the only UK cycle-rail scheme in which local shops organise the return of hire bikes, meaning cyclists no longer have to pedal back to their starting points. Judges praised ScotRail for: - Finding innovative ways to connect Oban, Inverness and Fort William - which are difficult to link using rail alone - Its excellent relationship with local businesses - Ticket to Ride in Inverness and Nevis Cycles shops in Oban and Fort William - Helping promote Highland trails, such as the 73-mile off-road Great Glen Way between Fort William and Inverness. Steve Montgomery, ScotRail's managing director, said: 'The success of the Highlands bike hire scheme has led to this national recognition. 'The project supports our aim of being much more than a railway operator - by connecting communities, safeguarding Scotland's environment, getting more people to use trains, and boosting Scottish business.' Transport Minister Keith Brown said: 'Active and sustainable transport modes like cycling and the train go hand-in-hand to help us all achieve Scotland's ambitious climate change targets and improve public health. 'The Scottish Government is committed to promoting both these forms of transport and I was delighted to see the success of this innovative scheme from ScotRail. 'I congratulate ScotRail on this award, recognising a fantastic scheme which allows more integration between cycling and rail and makes both more attractive and more accessible.' Lindsay Mackinnon, owner of Ticket to Ride, said: 'We're committed to bringing visitors to the Highlands to enjoy some of the best cycle touring in Europe. We're happy that ATOC have recognised our joint efforts with ScotRail and Nevis Cycles to encourage more of those visitors to use the train to get here and get home again at the end of their visit.' Ben Thompson, from Nevis Cycles, said: 'We're delighted to work with ScotRail to encourage car-free active holidays in the Highlands. 'Customers being able to link Oban, Fort William and Inverness by bike is great for local businesses like ours. We have also had lots of positive feedback from hoteliers and guest houses on route showing the benefits have spread even further into the local economy.' (Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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IT’S ScotRail’s satnav approach to sanitation. Scotland’s main train operator is using satellite technology to prevent passengers flushing train toilets in stations on the world’s most scenic line.
The UK-first technology has been successfully trialled on the West Highland lines between Glasgow, Oban and Mallaig to stop toilet waste being emptied onto tracks beside platforms. (Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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Sparks from a steam train on one of Scotland’s most famous railway lines – which featured in the Harry Potter films – are being blamed for starting moorland fires.
Thousands of visitors travel on the 84-mile round trip between Fort William and Mallaig, enjoying picturesque scenes which also feature in the blockbuster film franchise. [From Richaed Buckby] (Permalink) West Highland Lines  Lochailort: Black 5 no 45231 The Sherwood Forester crosses the small causeway at the west end of Loch Eilt near Lochailort with the morning 'Jacobite' on 13 July 2011.
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A West Highland woman has become the first person in Scotland to have single-handedly transformed three stations as part of ScotRail’s Adopt a Station community project.
Sonia Cameron has installed six half-barrel planters at Morar, adding to the floral displays she plants and maintains at Mallaig and Arisaig. ScotRail has paid tribute to the Mallaig resident’s success in enhancing the stations on the world-famous West Highland Line (Permalink) ScotRail Station Adoption West Highland Lines  Mallaig: Sonia Cameron pictured alongside some of her hanging baskets at Mallaig station.  Arisaig: Classic scene at Arisaig in the summer of 1966, with the 'beaver tail' observation car on the rear of a Fort William-Mallaig train. This was one of two such vehicles built for a special train to mark ... |
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Nearly 70 passengers and crew escaped uninjured when their ScotRail train hit a landslide beside Loch Awe in Argyll on the Oban-Glasgow line at lunchtime today.
- Oban-Glasgow train hits landslide by Loch Awe - Passengers returned to Oban - Train carriage derails in separate incident in Fife (Permalink) Landslide Loch Awe Pass of Brander ScotRail West Highland Lines  Falls of Cruachan: The lonely looking platform bench at Falls of Cruachan Station in April 2005. Loch Awe can be glimpsed below through the trees on the left.  Falls of Cruachan: Rock fall detection signal at Falls of Cruachan, part of the Anderson's Piano system. |
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A boulder dislodged during a landslide has been identified as the likely cause of a freight train derailment on the West Highland line.
The section near Tulloch, between Crianlarich and Fort William, reopened on Wednesday after having been closed since the incident on 28 June. (Permalink) Derailment Landslide Loch Treig Tulloch West Highland Lines Allt Coire Mheadhoin Viaduct: GBRf 66734 'The Eco Express' lying alongside Loch Treig on 4 July 2012 following derailment in the aftermath of a landslip on 28 June. The locomotive will be particularly difficult to recover from thi ... |
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Network Rail has completed work on the West Highland line, which has been closed after a landslip and derailment.
The section near Tulloch, between Crianlarich and Fort William, has been out of service since a freight train came off the line on 28 June. Regular rail services will begin on Wednesday. (Permalink) Derailment Loch Treig Network Rail Tulloch West Highland Lines  Tulloch: The operation to reopen the West Highland Line and recover GBRf 66734 see image [[39479]] is being managed from Tulloch and this ro-rail vehicle is seen there on 4 July 2012 about to take more workers ...  Brooks Crossing: During a brief lull in the rain 66734, with around 24 loaded wagons, approaches Brooks Level Crossing west of Cardross heading north on 28 June 2012. Later in the journey the train was to derail near ... Allt Coire Mheadhoin Viaduct: GBRf 66734 'The Eco Express' lying alongside Loch Treig on 4 July 2012 following derailment in the aftermath of a landslip on 28 June. The locomotive will be particularly difficult to recover from thi ... |
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The West Highland line will remain closed between Crianlarich and Fort William for the rest of this week as engineers work to recover a derailed freight service.
Due to the remote location of the train, which was derailed near Tulloch last Thursday evening following a landslip, the operation to remove the train, stabilise the slope above and repair damage to the track is expected to take until July 11 to complete. (Permalink) Derailment Loch Treig Network Rail Tulloch West Highland Lines Brooks Crossing: During a brief lull in the rain 66734, with around 24 loaded wagons, approaches Brooks Level Crossing west of Cardross heading north on 28 June 2012. Later in the journey the train was to derail near ... |
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Major disruption to rail services between Fort William and Glasgow on the West Highland Line is expected to last into next week.
Replacement bus services are in operation between Fort William and Glasgow's Queen Street Station after torrential rain caused a freight train derailment near Tulloch and a landslip at Arrochar last Thursday. First Scotrail say the busy line will not open fully until Tuesday, July 10, at the earliest. (Permalink) Derailment Loch Treig ScotRail Tulloch West Highland Lines  Loch Treig Tunnel: Heading south in the Canadian Rockies ... er, no, by Loch Treig. The former route of the line is immediately to the left and slightly lower.  Loch Treig Tunnel: On a glorious day in bright sunshine, K4 61994 The Great Marquess and 37676 Loch Rannoch haul The Cathedrals Explorer along the side of Loch Treig south of Tulloch on 8 May. ... |
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A new edition of postcards with spectacular views of the West Highland Lines has been produced for free distribution on ScotRail trains which serve the award-winning routes.
They follow the success of the first postcard series in 2009 and again are co-funded by Friends of the West Highland Lines and HITRANS, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership in Scotland. (Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines  Inverhaggernie No 1 Level Crossing: A Glasgow - Oban service between Crianlarich and Tyndrum.  Auchtertyre Viaduct: A Mallaig via Fort William to Glasgow service at Auchtertyre near Tyndrum (typo on card).  Rannoch Viaduct: A Fort William-bound Caledonian Sleeper train leaving Rannoch on the climb to Corrour Summit. |
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THE hiss and chug of a steam locomotive reverberated across Moray at the weekend as the Great Britain V passed through.
Hauled by the Scots Guardsman, the majestic train was in the area as part of a nine-day tour of the UK, operated by Railway Touring Company. Crowds gathered at stations at Keith, Elgin, and Forres and at vantage points along the way as the machine powered by. Young and old alike lined platforms, railway bridges and railside tracks, armed with cameras to capture a lasting image of the relic of a bygone age as it billowed by. Passengers, who would have paid upwards of £1,775 for the experience, travelled on to Inverness, where they spent the night before heading further West to Fort William. [From Matthew Tomlins] (Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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A volunteer gardener’s work to brighten a West Highland station for
ScotRail customers has been honoured with a posthumous award. Brian Bentham single-handedly rejuvenated Falls of Cruachan station with beautiful floral displays, but he died in October last year before it was named the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership’s (HITRANS) Most Improved Local Station 2011. Mr Bentham, who had lived in Oban since 2005, had voluntarily planted and maintained colourful flowers at Falls of Cruachan since July 2010 as part of ScotRail’s Adopt a Station project. Mr Bentham’s daughter Mandi Dees travelled from Lyneham in Wiltshire to Inverness to accept the award on his behalf from HITRANS vice-chairman Councillor John Laing, at a ceremony on Friday 30 March. She said: “It makes me such a proud daughter to know what my dad has done to brighten Falls of Cruachan station, particularly for walkers to enjoy during the summer months. “He was very happy with his work and would spend a good few hours at the station every day, just to make sure everything looked good. “He often took his camera with him so he could see the difference he was making over time, and it is pleasing for our family to now be able to look back at those pictures.” A plaque will be installed at Falls of Cruachan station to mark the achievement. (Permalink) ScotRail Station Adoption West Highland Lines  Falls of Cruachan: Falls of Cruachan station showing part of the legacy of Brian Bentham. |
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A steam train driver was forced to brake on a well-known Highland viaduct after spotting two older women standing dangerously close to the line.
British Transport Police (BTP) said the incident happened on the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Lochaber on 21 March. (Permalink) Glenfinnan Viaduct West Highland Lines  Glenfinnan Viaduct: Black Five 45407 crosses Glenfinnan Viaduct with the morning 'Jacobite' returning to Fort William on 27 June 2021.
 Glenfinnan Viaduct: K1 62005 crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct with The Jacobite on 19 October.  Glenfinnan Viaduct: The iconic Glenfinnan viaduct lit up red tonight (Wednesday, November 11) as a tribute to all those who have lost their lives in defence of the country.
The 21-arch Victorian viaduct, which is famo ... |
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A train was damaged after it struck a sleeper deliberately placed on a railway line in the Highlands.
The train, travelling from Glasgow to Mallaig, was slightly damaged but able to keep moving after it hit the sleeper on November 9. British Transport Police are appealing for information about the sleeper they believe was deliberately put on the line between Tulloch in Moray and Roy Bridge, close to Fort William. [From Richard Buckby] (Permalink) West Highland Lines  Roy Bridge: With radio signalling it is easier to have short term line posessions. This isn't new West Highland motive power but continuing maintenance work being carried out between trains at Roy Bridge station ... |
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The future of 22 rural train stations used by only a handful of passengers every week is under threat after Network Rail said the facilities were 'driving up' the cost of running Scotland's railway.
An industry report highlighted the 'low footfall' stations, the majority of which are in the Highlands, including six which attract an average of one passenger for every 10 trains - or even fewer - that pass through them. The findings will heap pressure on the Scottish Government to reconsider their future when setting out its funding priorities next summer for the period between 2015 and 2019. Network Rail, which owns and operates the UK's track and signals, said it was not always apparent the stations were providing a 'valuable social link' for the high level of subsidy they required. Stations with low footfall have a high ratio of cost per passenger. This drives up the costs of operating trains on these lines A spokesman for the company said: 'Stations with low footfall have a high ratio of cost per passenger use. These stations drive up the costs of operating trains on these lines. 'It is Network Rail's role to highlight these cost drivers to the government and wider industry for consideration.' The report, the Initial Investment Plan for Scotland, called for cost-saving to lower the '700m annual taxpayer support for running the rail network north of the border. Of the 22 low-footfall stations, five are on the West Highland Line to Oban and Mallaig, six on the Far North Line connecting Inverness to Wick and Thurso and six on the line from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. But they also include a number of stations on busier routes such as Breich on the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh line and Springfield in Fife. Barry Links in Angus, which has only one train in each direction every day, had the lowest footfall of any Scottish station, with just 90 passengers a year, while its neighbouring station, Golf Street, had 190. Many of the stations in the Highlands are request stops at which trains do not stop unless signalled by a passenger on board a train or at a platform. But the low number of passengers meant the ticket revenue was not even enough to pay for the fuel used by stopping a train and then accelerating out of the station, the IIP report found. The report also highlighted the Girvan to Stranraer line, which it found has only 11 passengers per train, a figure it said was likely to diminish with the closure of Stranraer ferry terminal. By contrast, Edinburgh to Glasgow provides more than one-quarter of ScotRail's revenue and journeys. One-third of the Strathclyde population used a train in the past month, compared with only 11% in the Highlands and North-east, where people are far more dependent on the car. A spokesman for Transport Scotland, which funds the Scottish rail network and is responsible for the ScotRail franchise, would only say that delivering a 'lower cost railway' would be central when it came to specifying funding priorities. Previous attempts to close low-use stations have failed after protests by local communities who claimed they provided an important social link. A similar IIP report produced in 2006 called for a number of stations to be closed but the recommendations were rejected by the then Scottish Executive. However, industry analysts said there was now greater pressure on the UK and Scottish governments to achieve cost savings given the squeeze on public finances and recent findings that Britain's railway costs around 30% more to run than similar European railways. ScotRail, which operates 95% of passenger trains in Scotland, said low-use stations went back to the days of British Rail and were inherited when it was awarded the franchise in 2004. (Permalink) Far North Line Kyle Line ScotRail Stranraer West Highland Lines |
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RAIL bosses are set to extend Sunday services between Edinburgh and Oban after a successful trial last year.
The Edinburgh-Oban trains will now run on ten Sundays from June 26 to August 28 (Permalink) West Highland Lines Oban: 156 474 forming the 12.11 train to Glasgow Queen Street, awaits its departure time at Oban station on a very warm Sunday 23 May 2010.  Oban: BRCW class 104 2-car DMU no 104 325, repainted in unique maroon and white livery for use on the Oban line in the mid 1980s. The unit became affectionately known as The Mexican Bean and is seen ... |
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ScotRail is to launch a Sunday train service for day trippers to Oban from Edinburgh, Linlithgow and Polmont over six weeks this summer.
The service has been welcomed by VisitScotland. It will start on Sunday 25 July and run each Sunday until 29 August inclusive. The service is timed to give passengers five hours in the West Highland town and designed to appeal to people in Edinburgh and West Lothian who would love a day out in Oban - without taking the car. The train will leave Edinburgh Waverley at 0810 and arrive back in the capital at 2107. Graeme Macfarlan, marketing manager at ScotRail said that the move was in direct response to listening to customers - as well as people opting to holiday in the UK due to ongoing uncertainty regarding air travel. He added: 'Many customers in the East of Scotland have told us they would love to experience the West Highland Line for a day out but would prefer not to change trains - and sometimes stations - at Glasgow. This new, direct service changes all that and should boost tourism. And we'll be offering cream teas on the scenic route, which really is the icing on the cake of a special day out!' David Adams McGilp, VisitScotland's Regional Director in Argyll said: 'We've just launched a £250,000 campaign specifically encouraging Scots to take holidays in their own country, so expanding train services to accommodate the needs of the day trip market fits very well with this. (Permalink) Edinburgh Linlithgow Oban Polmont ScotRail West Highland Lines  Oban: Welcome to Oban is the gaelic greeting for disembarking ferry passengers as they make their way from the quayside to Oban station. This more unusual view of Oban station, and the late afternoon ... Oban: 156 474 forming the 12.11 train to Glasgow Queen Street, awaits its departure time at Oban station on a very warm Sunday 23 May 2010.  Oban: First arrival of the day from Glasgow Queen Street runs into Oban on 18 February 2006. This train connects with the Craignure ferry. |
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Work begins to remove the derailed Glasgow to Oban train which was resting over a 15-metre embankment in Argyll.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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A NEW railway tourism venture for the world famous West Highland Line, offering direct links from Fort William to Edinburgh, was unveiled this week.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines  Rhu: 45407 breasts the summit of the climb from Craigendoran in the summer of 2009 and descends to the site of Rhu Station. |
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A major railway improvement programme will be taking place on the West Highland line between Crianlarich and Oban over the next week.
(Permalink) Network Rail West Highland Lines  Crianlarich: Scene at Crianlarich on 20 July 2007 as 156450 arrives from Oban to combine with 156496, which had arrived shortly beforehand from Fort William, before going on to Glasgow Queen St.  Crianlarich: In the mid 1980s a few of the BRCW built class 104 DMUs were sent to Scotland, with one unit being repainted in a unique maroon & white livery and used on the Oban line. This unit became known as T ...  Crianlarich Lower Junction: An Oban - Glasgow Queen Street service approaching Crianlarich in 1987 with the former route to Callander running off to the left and passing below the Fort William line. |
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A RAILWAY pressure group is calling for a new tourism drive that could lead to a one-ticket link from Fort William to Paris.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines  Fort William: LNER Thompson / Peppercorn K1 2-6-0 62005 stands ready to depart Fort William, with the morning Jacobite service to Mallaig on 20 June 2012. The K1 was in fact built by the North British Locomotive Co ...  Fort William: 66746 bringing the empty stock of a chartered excursion into Fort William, at lunchtime on Thursday, 8th September 2022.  Fort William: Stanier Black 5 Class 4-6-0 no. 45212, named after Sir William Stanier (1876-1965), at Fort William station waiting to depart with the 12.50 service of 'The Jacobite' to Mallaig, on Thursday, 8th Sept ... |
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The West Highland line from Glasgow to Mallaig has been voted the best rail journey in the world.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines  Morar: The neat and tidy waiting shelter at Morar, seen from 'The Jacobite' passing on its way to Mallaig, on the afternoon of Thursday, 8th September 2022.  Morar: Afternoon train from Mallaig drops down towards Loch Morar shortly after leaving Morar station in September 2005.  Morar: Black 5 45212 leaves Morar heading for Arisaig with the evening Jacobite service from Mallaig to Fort William on 1st August 2018. This view from the Morar Cross looks towards the famous silver ... |
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On 9 November, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, chairman of the Railway Heritage Committee handed over the very large Callander & Oban Railway wooden crest to Ian Fox of CalMac.
The crest, which bears the date 1879 comes from the now-destroyed station building at Taynuilt and will be on permanent display in the CalMac terminal at Oban on the wall above the stairway down which disembarking passengers will descend from the new linkspan. Taynuilt station was opened in 1880 and the original station building where the wooden crest was located was destroyed in a fire. The crest survived and has been preserved and restored. (Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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Wednesday 17 October 2007. Fergus Ewing, Minister for Community Safety and MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber joined Mary Dickson, managing director of First ScotRail and David Duthie, Partnership Director of HITRANS to unveil a plaque to officially open the new look Fort William Station transport hub, which has undergone a £750,000 refurbishment programme.
The refurbishment work is the result of a successful partnership between First ScotRail, Transport Scotland and HITRANS - the regional transport body for the Highlands and Islands. The significant investment has been used to provide customers with a more modern station environment - internally and externally - along with improved facilities such as enhanced access, a complete overhaul of the toilets, improvements to the left luggage facilities and ticket office and the introduction of five new showers. New flooring has been laid throughout and lighting across the station has been enhanced. As part of a wider station investment package, Transport Scotland provided further funding to invest in CCTV at the station, increasing the overall feeling of security for customers. In addition, customers are benefiting from increased comfort and improved facilities on board the Class 156 trains which operate to and from Fort William, thanks to a refurbishment programme currently underway. Funded by Transport Scotland and delivered by First ScotRail, the programme includes the replacement and upgrade of the luggage racks, new lighting, an interior repaint and new floor and wall carpets along with brand new table tops, creating a cleaner, brighter and more modern interior. [Item via First ScotRail] (Permalink) Class 156 Fort William HITRANS ScotRail Transport Scotland West Highland Lines |
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The final 37 hauled sleeper has run south from Fort William to Edinburgh (change of haulage) for London. Starting from the 10th the sleepers will be hauled by 67s (unless substituted for operational reasons).
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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EWS has won a contract to carry 40,000 tonnes of aluminium per annum from Alcan. This will lead to a 3,500 per annum lorry loads being taken from the tortuous A82 road.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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Small businesses can now book space on a Saturday return service from Mossend (by Glasgow) to Fort William.
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Very stong winds and rain impacted on most of Scotland's rail services in this period. The heaviest rain since 1822 fell in Carlisle causing widespread flooding when the River Eden burst its banks, a P&O ferry was blown onto the shore at Cairnryan and passengers and crew spent 30 hours aboard before re-floating. The Highland Main line was closed repeatedly due to flooding at Dalguise and Kingussie. Both the Forth and Tay bridges were closed. On the 12th the entire ScotRail network was closed as winds gusts reached 124mph. Routes were re-opened once proved safe. The Edinburgh - Glasgow line re-opened at 0715 with trains running at a restricted 50mph. Most lines re-opened although the Glasgow-Paisley line closed with an overhead line fault at Ibrox. The Highland Main Line, Carlisle-Lockerbie/Dumfries, Mallaig, Kyle and Wick lines remained closed. The front cover of the Scotsman featured a spectacular photograph of a train being engulfed by a wave at Saltcoats. The Highland Main Line re-opened on the 13th.
(Permalink) Forth Bridge Highland Main Line Kyle Line ScotRail Tay Bridge West Highland Lines |
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ScotRail's Caledonian Sleepers are Britain's longest domestic passenger trains, conveying hundreds of berthed and seated passengers six nights a week between Scotland and London. Portions serve Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William, and the Sleepers enable tourists to save a day and businessmen to reach meetings without an early-morning flight. Marketing has had to move with the times, and logistical challenges are presented by the need to rely on suppliers and by the ongoing impact of West Coast Route Modernisation.
(Permalink) Caledonian Sleeper ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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PASSENGERS on the West Highland line between Glasgow and Mallaig face major disruption next month when the route is closed for five days.
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The Highland Rail Partnership was formed in 1997 to promote development of the Highland rail network for passenger, freight and heritage business. Successes have included winter Sunday trains to Wick and Kyle, an extended season for summer weekend trains to Oban and Mallaig, reopening of Beauly Station, the Safeway Flier to Inverness and Georgemas, return of oil deliveries to rail at Fort William and Lairg, lineside timber-loading at Kinbrace and 'The Jacobite' which is Britain's only daily mainline steam operation.
(Permalink) Frank Roach Highland Rail Partnership Kyle Line West Highland Lines |
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ScotRail's summer timetable comes into effect from Sunday 18 May and will
continue the company's focus on improving punctuality and reliability. The timetable will see a number of additional weekend services introduced across the network including three new Saturday afternoon services between Carlisle and Gretna Green, Annan and Dumfries and a new hourly Sunday service for Strathclyde Passenger Transport linking Glasgow with Springburn, Stepps, Greenfaulds and Cumbernauld. Also, with support from Highland Rail Partnership the weekday 07:16 Tain - Inverness commuter train will now run on Saturday mornings. Some other services will be re-timed or extended providing better connections and improved service coverage. The early morning and late night Livingston South - Glasgow Central services will be extended to start and terminate at Edinburgh. The 22:30 Aberdeen - Perth will run an hour later on Friday nights and the 11:00 Aberdeen - Dyce will be extended to Inverurie and will return as the 11:35 Inverurie to Aberdeen. The first morning service from Fort William to Mallaig will run 15 minutes earlier to maintain the connection into the 10:00 sailing for Armadale and additional Sunday trains between Glasgow-Fort William-Mallaig will run throughout the summer timetable. To ease line congestion and improve Monday to Friday punctuality on services to and from Dunblane, the 06:48 Glasgow-Dunblane service will terminate at Stirling and the 07:59 Dunblane-Glasgow will start from Stirling at 08:07. Glasgow bound passengers from Dunblane and Bridge of Allan will be able to catch the 07 42 or 08 11 Dunblane-Queen Street or the 07:54 Dunblane-Edinburgh changing Stirling. Apart from the Glasgow-Oban Saver which goes up by a pound to 25 return, ALL ScotRail Standard Class fares remain unchanged with the introduction of the summer timetable. First Class fares between Aberdeen - Edinburgh/Glasgow and Inverness-Edinburgh/Glasgow also remain unchanged although some short distance First Class fares will be increased for the first time in two years with an average rise of five per cent. ScotRail Flexipass fares will increase for the first time in at least two years. However, these multi journey tickets will still offer savings of at least 10 per cent (up to 70 per cent in some cases) when compared with buying 10 single tickets. As in previous years Cheap Day Return fares are withdrawn for the summer on the West and North Highland Lines. However, local residents can obtain a 50% discount on other fares by buying a Highland Railcard and great value Apex fares are still available. [ From ScotRail press release on Friday 2 May 2003 ] (Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines |
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With support from the Highland Rail Partnership and Strathclyde Passenger Transport the following additional services will run:
On Saturdays 29 March to 17 May and 4 October to 25 October: 1020 Glasgow Queen Street to Oban and 1545 return On Sundays 30 March to 11 May: 1235 Glasgow Queen Street to Oban and 1240 Oban to Glasgow Queen Street On Sundays 18 May to 22 June: 1030 Mallaig to Glasgow Queen Street, 1242 Glasgow Queen Street to Mallaig, 1205 Fort William to Mallaig and 1815 Mallaig to Fort William (Note: This year's summer timetable runs Sunday 18 May to Saturday 27 September.) (Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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The Scottish Executive has awarded EWS with £1m for timber traffic. The grant will be broken up as follows;
- £158,000 to partly finance the re-development of the rail freight depot at Beattock for timber. EWS is seeking further funding. - £766,000 for a track access grant for timber sent by rail from Fort William, Crianlarich and Arrochar to Chirk in North Wales. - £143,000 for a track access grant for timber from Kinbrace in Sutherland to Inverness. The project is also supported by the Highland Council, the Forestry Commission, the Highland Rail Partnership and EWS. (Permalink) Arrochar and Tarbet Beattock Chirk Crianlarich EWS Forestry Commission Fort William Highland Council Highland Rail Partnership Inverness Kinbrace Timber West Highland Lines |
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Imported calcium carbonate slurry (used in paper-whitening) starts moving daily from Omya at Aberdeen Waterloo Quay by Enterprise service to Arjo at Fort William. Aberdeen Waterloo recently handled such traffic bound for Blackburn. Exact start date unknown.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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Public meeting of the Rail Passengers Committee meeting in the Milton Hotel, Fort William. Meeting starts at 09:30 and finishes at 16:00.
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The Fort William to Mallaig steam hauled passenger train commences running.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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Sprinter services were replaced by steam services to mark the centenary of the Mallaig Extension Line. Sadly the weather was not all it could have been.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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Oil is being run from Grangemouth to the Fort William's Oil sidings again after absence of this service for a number of years.
(Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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Caledonian MacBrayne
Service Improvements Improvements to the Sound of Barra, Mallaig to Armadale and Wemyss Bay to Rothesay services are being considered. New vessels 2 new vessels are planned for the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay service but cannot be afforded at present. Dunoon Pier The Pier at Dunoon is no longer safe for passenger ferries and cannot be used as a backup to Dunoon's roll-on, roll-off facility. North Link North Link is a joint venture between Caledonian MacBrayne and the Bank of Scotland which will replace the P&O service to Orkney and Shetland. At present it does not report to the RPC. North Link operates independently from Caledonian MacBrayne. 3 vessels are under construction in Finland. Future Caledonian MacBrayne's future is still unclear at present. It is not clear whether the services it currently operates will be subdivided for separate franchises and whether vessel operating and leasing companies will be formed. (Permalink) West Highland Lines |
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ScotRail's Highland sleeper with portions from Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen has been cancelled. The service is expected to re-start in the new year. On the day the first train was cancelled passengers were not aware that the sleeper was cancelled until arrival at stations.
(Permalink) ScotRail West Highland Lines |
KML version
