Mallaig railway station
Encyclopedia
Mallaig railway station is a railway station serving the ferry port of Mallaig
, Lochaber
, in the Highland region of Scotland
. This station is a terminus on the West Highland Line
, 66 kilometres (41 mi) from and 264 kilometres (164 mi) north of Glasgow Queen Street railway station
.
The station was laid out as an island platform
with tracks on either side. There were sidings
on both sides, and a turntable
to the south of the station, on the east side of the line.
known as "The Jacobite"
operates to Fort William also. (See picture to the right)
On Sundays during the summer four trains depart Mallaig including the "The Jacobite" though from October over winter only one train leaves for Fort William and Glasgow.
depart from this port to Armadale
, Isle of Skye
and to the Small Isles
(Rùm
, Eigg
, Muck
and Canna
).
. Mallaig signal box
was situated south of the station, on the east side of the line.
On 14 March 1982, the method of working on the section between Arisaig
and Mallaig was changed to One Train Working (with train staff). Mallaig signal box was closed as a token station, but retained as a ground frame with four levers. All the semaphore signals
were removed.
On 6 December 1987 the Radio Electronic Token Block
(RETB) system was commissioned between Mallaig Junction
(now called 'Fort William Junction') and Mallaig. The RETB is controlled from a Signalling Centre at Banavie railway station
.
In November 1992, the former signal box was demolished and replaced by an ordinary ground frame.
The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.
Mallaig
Mallaig ; is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line , completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road – the "Road to the Isles".The village of Mallaig...
, Lochaber
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
, in the Highland region 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...
. This station is a terminus on the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
, 66 kilometres (41 mi) from and 264 kilometres (164 mi) north of Glasgow Queen Street railway station
Glasgow Queen Street railway station
Glasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini and the third-busiest station in Scotland. It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to...
.
History
Mallaig station opened on 1 April 1901.The station was laid out as an island platform
Island 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...
with tracks on either side. There were sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
on both sides, and a turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
to the south of the station, on the east side of the line.
Services
Monday to Saturdays currently, four trains a day depart from Mallaig for Fort William and three of them go on further to Glasgow. Monday to Friday, a steam train operated by the West Coast Railway CompanyWest Coast Railway Company
West Coast Railways, also known as West Coast Railway Company, is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire, on the site of the old Steamtown heritage depot...
known as "The Jacobite"
The Jacobite (Steam Train)
The Jacobite is a steam locomotive hauled tourist train service that operates over part of the West Highland Railway Line in Scotland. It has been operating under various names and with different operators every summer since 1984...
operates to Fort William also. (See picture to the right)
On Sundays during the summer four trains depart Mallaig including the "The Jacobite" though from October over winter only one train leaves for Fort William and Glasgow.
Ferry services
FerriesFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
depart from this port to Armadale
Armadale, Isle of Skye
Armadale is a village near the southern end of the Sleat Peninsula, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Like most of Sleat, but unlike most of Skye, the area is fairly fertile, and though there are hills, most do not reach a great height...
, Isle of Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
and to the Small Isles
Small Isles
The Small Isles are a small archipelago of islands in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. They lie south of Skye and north of Mull and Ardnamurchan – the most westerly point of mainland Scotland.The four main islands are Canna, Rùm, Eigg and Muck...
(Rùm
Rùm
Rùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...
, Eigg
Eigg
Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
, Muck
Muck, Scotland
Muck is the smallest of four main islands in the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It measures roughly 2.5 miles east to west and has a population of around 30, mostly living near the harbour at Port Mòr. The other settlement on the island is the farm at Gallanach...
and Canna
Canna, Scotland
Canna is the westernmost of the Small Isles archipelago, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It is linked to the neighbouring island of Sanday by a road and sandbanks at low tide. The island is long and wide...
).
Signalling
From the time of its opening in 1901, the Mallaig Line was worked throughout by the electric token systemToken (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
. Mallaig signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was situated south of the station, on the east side of the line.
On 14 March 1982, the method of working on the section between Arisaig
Arisaig railway station
Arisaig railway station serves the village of Arisaig on the west coast of the Highland region of Scotland.This station is on the West Highland Line, west of Fort William on the way to .It is the westernmost station on the National Rail network....
and Mallaig was changed to One Train Working (with train staff). Mallaig signal box was closed as a token station, but retained as a ground frame with four levers. All the semaphore signals
Railway semaphore signal
One of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...
were removed.
On 6 December 1987 the Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block is a system of railway signalling used in the United Kingdom. It is a development of the physical token system for controlling traffic on single lines.- How it works :...
(RETB) system was commissioned between Mallaig Junction
Fort William Junction
Fort William Junction is a railway junction on the West Highland Line in Scotland, located to the east of Fort William railway station. It is where the railway to Mallaig connects with the Glasgow to Fort William railway....
(now called 'Fort William Junction') and Mallaig. The RETB is controlled from a Signalling Centre at Banavie railway station
Banavie railway station
Banavie railway station is a railway station on the West Highland Line serving the village of Banavie, although it is much closer to Caol. To continue on to the next station at , trains must pass over the Caledonian Canal at Neptune's Staircase, a popular tourist attraction.- History :Banavie...
.
In November 1992, the former signal box was demolished and replaced by an ordinary ground frame.
The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.