Beauly railway station
Encyclopedia
Beauly railway station serves the village of Beauly
in the Highland
council area of Scotland
. It is the first stop after leaving Inverness station
, heading north on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line
and the Far North Line
.
The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
, which was to be a line between and , was authorised in 1860, and opened in stages. The first section, that between Inverness and , opened on 11 June 1862, and one of the original stations was that at Beauly. It had two platforms and a passing loop
.
The station closed a nearly a century later, on 13 June 1960, along with most of the others between Inverness and . This was due to increasing competition from motorbuses, particularly those of Highland Omnibuses Ltd.
Following a local campaign, the station was reopened in 2002. A new platform, shelter and car park were built in a £250,000 project. This platform is one of the shortest in Scotland, only long enough for a single carriage. Normally operated by Class 158 trains, there is only one door in operation. Announcements are made on the train as to which door this will be. The original station building is now used for offices and housing.
The reopening of the station led to 75% of local commuters switching from road to rail. Beauly has therefore provided a boost to campaigns to open small basic local stations. In 2007/8 with its population of just 1,164 Beauly's usage to population ratio (36 annual journeys per head) ranked as one of the highest in Britain. With increased services, usage became more impressive still (75,750 per annum) giving a population to usage ratio of 65 journeys per head of population).
Beauly
Beauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
in the Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
council area 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...
. It is the first stop after leaving Inverness station
Inverness railway station
Inverness railway station is the railway station serving the Scottish city of Inverness.- History :Opened on 5 November 1855 as the western terminus of the Inverness and Nairn Railway, it is now the terminus of the Highland Main Line, the Aberdeen-Inverness Line , the Kyle of Lochalsh Line and the...
, heading north on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line
Kyle of Lochalsh Line
The Kyle of Lochalsh Line is a primarily single track railway line in the Scottish Highlands, running from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh. The population along the route is sparse in nature, but the scenery is beautiful and can be quite dramatic, the Kyle line having been likened to a symphony in...
and the Far North Line
Far North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick.- Route :...
.
History
Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway was incorporated on 3 July 1860 with the aim to build a line to Invergordon. The line opened in stages:* 11 June 1862 - Inverness to Dingwall* 23 March 1863 - Dingwall to Invergordon...
, which was to be a line between and , was authorised in 1860, and opened in stages. The first section, that between Inverness and , opened on 11 June 1862, and one of the original stations was that at Beauly. It had two platforms and a passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
.
The station closed a nearly a century later, on 13 June 1960, along with most of the others between Inverness and . This was due to increasing competition from motorbuses, particularly those of Highland Omnibuses Ltd.
Following a local campaign, the station was reopened in 2002. A new platform, shelter and car park were built in a £250,000 project. This platform is one of the shortest in Scotland, only long enough for a single carriage. Normally operated by Class 158 trains, there is only one door in operation. Announcements are made on the train as to which door this will be. The original station building is now used for offices and housing.
The reopening of the station led to 75% of local commuters switching from road to rail. Beauly has therefore provided a boost to campaigns to open small basic local stations. In 2007/8 with its population of just 1,164 Beauly's usage to population ratio (36 annual journeys per head) ranked as one of the highest in Britain. With increased services, usage became more impressive still (75,750 per annum) giving a population to usage ratio of 65 journeys per head of population).