Aviemore railway station
Encyclopedia
Aviemore railway station serves the town and tourist resort of Aviemore
in the Highlands
of Scotland
. The station, which is owned by Network Rail
(NR) and managed by First ScotRail
, is located on the Highland Main Line
between Perth
and Inverness
, and is also the southern terminus of the Strathspey Steam Railway.
(I&PJR) in 1863, subsequently becoming part of the Highland Railway
.
The current station was opened in 1898, when the "direct" line to Inverness via Slochd was built, making Aviemore an important junction and replacing the original 1863 building.
It became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
after the Grouping
of 1923, then passed on to the Scottish Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948.
The original I&PJR line to fell victim to the Beeching Axe
, closing to passengers in October 1965.
When Sectorisation
was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by ScotRail
until the Privatisation of British Rail
ways.
, connected to the station building by a footbridge, lies beyond the two main-line tracks, and the further (eastern) platform face of this island is used by Strathspey trains. The junction between the Strathspey Railway and Network Rail lies to the south of the station.
In 1998 the station was restored and refurbished, and the Strathspey Railway was finally allowed to use the island platform. All three buildings on the island platform were restored and brought back into use, having been derelict for many years, and a fourth was built from scratch. It is a tribute to the quality of the restoration that it is difficult to tell the 1998 building from those dating from 1898. The new building comprises a ticket hall, booking office and shop, and the three original buildings are waiting rooms (with historical displays), staff offices, and toilets. Parking, reached from the Rothiemurchus road in the south of the village, is on the east side of the station, and passenger access to the Strathspey part of the station is via a foot-crossing of the rarely used junction spur. This is the second biggest railway station in Highland (Council area), after Inverness.
Following the moving of services, the Strathspey Railway subsequently closed their Aviemore (Speyside) railway station
.
and East Coast
on the Highland Main Line
and Strathspey Railway on the former Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
to Boat of Garten and Broomhill
.
Aviemore
Aviemore is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and other winter sports, and for hill-walking in the Cairngorm...
in the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The station, which is owned by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
(NR) and managed by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
, is located on the Highland Main Line
Highland Main Line
The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the Scottish Highlands linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth at one end and Inverness at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edinburgh, Glasgow and London use the line...
between Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, and is also the southern terminus of the Strathspey Steam Railway.
History
The line was opened by the Inverness and Perth Junction RailwayInverness and Perth Junction Railway
The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway was built to link the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway at Forres and Perth and Dunkeld Railway, ultimately absorbing the latter.- History :...
(I&PJR) in 1863, subsequently becoming part of the Highland Railway
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921; it operated north of Perth railway station in Scotland and served the farthest north of Britain...
.
The current station was opened in 1898, when the "direct" line to Inverness via Slochd was built, making Aviemore an important junction and replacing the original 1863 building.
It became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
after the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923, then passed on to the Scottish Region of British Railways
Scottish Region of British Railways
The Scottish Region was one of the six regions created on British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway and ex-London and North Eastern Railway lines in Scotland...
on nationalisation in 1948.
The original I&PJR line to fell victim to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, closing to passengers in October 1965.
When Sectorisation
British Rail brand names
British Rail was the brand image of the nationalised railway owner and operator in Great Britain, the British Railways Board, used from 1965 until its breakup and sell-off from 1993 onwards....
was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by ScotRail
ScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
until the Privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
ways.
Current facilities and refurbishment
Road access to the NR station building is from Grampian Road, to the west of the line. A canopied island platformIsland platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
, connected to the station building by a footbridge, lies beyond the two main-line tracks, and the further (eastern) platform face of this island is used by Strathspey trains. The junction between the Strathspey Railway and Network Rail lies to the south of the station.
In 1998 the station was restored and refurbished, and the Strathspey Railway was finally allowed to use the island platform. All three buildings on the island platform were restored and brought back into use, having been derelict for many years, and a fourth was built from scratch. It is a tribute to the quality of the restoration that it is difficult to tell the 1998 building from those dating from 1898. The new building comprises a ticket hall, booking office and shop, and the three original buildings are waiting rooms (with historical displays), staff offices, and toilets. Parking, reached from the Rothiemurchus road in the south of the village, is on the east side of the station, and passenger access to the Strathspey part of the station is via a foot-crossing of the rarely used junction spur. This is the second biggest railway station in Highland (Council area), after Inverness.
Following the moving of services, the Strathspey Railway subsequently closed their Aviemore (Speyside) railway station
Aviemore (Speyside) railway station
Aviemore was a station on the Strathspey Railway that closed in July 1998. It was built in the late 1970s from components from Dalnaspidal, a station on the Highland Main Line closed as part of the Beeching Axe...
.
Services
Services are provided by First ScotRailFirst ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
and East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
on the Highland Main Line
Highland Main Line
The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the Scottish Highlands linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth at one end and Inverness at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edinburgh, Glasgow and London use the line...
and Strathspey Railway on the former Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
The Inverness and Perth Junction Railway was built to link the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway at Forres and Perth and Dunkeld Railway, ultimately absorbing the latter.- History :...
to Boat of Garten and Broomhill
Broomhill
Broomhill is a place name, and may refer to:in England* Broomhill, Bristol, a district near Brislington in south Bristol* Broomhill, Frome Vale, a district near Stapleton in north Bristol...
.