Aberdeen to Inverness Line
| Aberdeen to Inverness Line | |
|---|---|
|
A ScotRail train at Inverurie station | |
| Overview | |
| Type | Rural |
| System | National Rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale |
Aberdeenshire Highland Scotland |
| Termini |
Inverness Aberdeen |
| Stations | 10 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1858 |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) | Abellio ScotRail |
| Character | Rural |
| Rolling stock | Class 158 "Express Sprinter" |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | Double track and Single line |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The Aberdeen to Inverness Line is a railway line in Scotland linking Aberdeen and Inverness.
History
The line was built in three parts:-
- Inverness and Nairn Railway between Inverness and Nairn, which opened on 5 November 1855.
- Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway between Nairn and Keith which opened in 1858.
- Great North of Scotland Railway between Keith and Aberdeen which opened on 19 September 1854, with the southern portion (between Port Elphinstone and Aberdeen Waterloo) being built over the route of the Aberdeenshire Canal.
Most of the line is single-track, other than the part of the line between Insch and Kennethmont, which is double-track.
The first two parts of the line merged to form the Highland Railway. The Highland Railway operated the line from Inverness to Keith with the Great North operating the line from there to Aberdeen. The Highland was grouped with other railways into the London Midland and Scottish Railway and the Great North was grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway by the Railways Act 1921, before eventually becoming part of British Railways in 1948.
Since 1948
Many intermediate stations were closed at various dates during the 1950s and 1960s to both passenger and goods traffic. The 1963 Reshaping of British Railways report recommended the closure of Inverurie and Insch stations but these remain open. Dyce station was reopened to serve the adjacent Aberdeen Airport.
A new freight interchange known as Raith's Farm was opened in 2009 at Dyce.[1]
Current services
| Aberdeen to Inverness Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legend | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Passenger services are operated by Abellio ScotRail with less regular London trains operated by Virgin Trains East Coast during diversions. There is some limited freight traffic, with Elgin retaining a goods yard, whilst Keith, Huntly and Inverurie retain smaller, less frequently used goods yards. Raith's Farm freight yard at Dyce serves Aberdeen.[1]
The line serves the following stations:
| Station | Grid reference |
| and other notes | |
| Aberdeen | NJ941058 |
| Connection with the Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line | |
| Connection with the Glasgow to Aberdeen Line | |
| Connection with the Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston | |
| Connection with NorthLink Ferries to Orkney and Shetland | |
| Dyce | NJ884128 |
| Connection with 80 Dyce Airlink shuttle bus to Aberdeen Airport | |
| Inverurie | NJ775218 |
| Insch | NJ629275 |
| Huntly | NJ535396 |
| Keith | NJ429516 |
| Connection with the preserved Keith and Dufftown Railway | |
| Elgin | NJ218621 |
| Forres | NJ029589 |
| Nairn | NH881560 |
| Inverness | NH667454 |
| Connections with the Highland Main Line, the Far North Line and, via Dingwall on the Far North Line, the Kyle of Lochalsh Line | |
| Connection with the Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston | |
| Bus connection to Inverness Airport |
Plans
There are currently plans to extend some of the services and increase the frequency of trains between Inverurie and Aberdeen. This will be part of the Aberdeen Crossrail project. Transport Scotland is also funding an infrastructure improvement project on the route between 2015 and 2030. Phase 1 of this scheme (costing £170 million) is due for completion by 2019 and will see the southern end of the line redoubled, the passing loop at Forres extended into a relocated station, new stations built at Dalcross & Kintore, platforms extended at Elgin & Insch and signalling & level crossings on the route upgraded.[2]
Notes
- 1 2 Raiths Farm at Railscot Retrieved 2010-03-15
- ↑ "Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvement Project, Scotland"Railway-technology.com article; Retrieved 19 August 2016
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aberdeen to Inverness Line. |