Upper Tyndrum railway station
Encyclopedia
Upper Tyndrum railway station is one of two railway stations serving the small village of Tyndrum
in Scotland
. It is located on the Fort William
route of the highly scenic West Highland Line
. Services are operated by First ScotRail
. In 2005/06 it was the least used station on the West Highland Line, probably because of its position at the top of a steep hill above the village, as opposed to on the Oban branch.
added the suffix "Upper" to the station's name, in order to distinguish it from the station on the Callander and Oban Line
which then became known as .
The station name was altered to "Upper Tyndrum" upon the introduction of RETB
(see below), to reduce the risk of it being confused with "Tyndrum Lower" in radio communications.
). Southbound, there are three services to Glasgow Queen Street and one service to London Euston (Highland Caledonian Sleeper
, Saturdays excepted). On Sundays, there is just one service northbound to Mallaig and two services southbound to Glasgow Queen Street and London Euston.
, which had 15 levers, was situated on the island platform
. From the time of its opening in 1894, the West Highland Railway was worked throughout by the electric token system
.
In 1967, the method of working between and was changed to the Scottish Region Tokenless Block system. The Down loop at Tyndrum Upper was signalled for running in either direction and the signal box was able to 'switch out' when not required.
In August 1985, the method of working between Crianlarich and Rannoch reverted to the electric token block system. The semaphore signals
were removed on 22 December 1985 in preparation for the introduction of Radio Electronic Token Block
(RETB).
The RETB system was commissioned between and Upper Tyndrum on 27 March 1988. On 29 May of the same year, the RETB spread north to Fort William Junction
, resulting in the closure of Upper Tyndrum signal box (amongst others). The RETB is controlled from a purpose-built Signalling Centre at Banavie railway station
. Upper Tyndrum station is the boundary between the two signalling interlocking
s and the areas of control of the two signalmen.
The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.
Tyndrum
Tyndrum is a small village in Scotland. Its Gaelic name translates as "the house on the ridge". It lies in Strathfillan, at the southern edge of Rannoch Moor.The village is notable mainly for being at an important crossroads of transport routes...
in 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 located on the Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
route of the highly scenic 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...
. Services are operated 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...
. In 2005/06 it was the least used station on the West Highland Line, probably because of its position at the top of a steep hill above the village, as opposed to on the Oban branch.
History
Originally named "Tyndrum", this station opened concurrently with the West Highland Railway in 1894, doubling the number of railway stations in the village. In 1956, British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
added the suffix "Upper" to the station's name, in order to distinguish it from the station on the Callander and Oban Line
Callander and Oban Railway
The Callander and Oban Railway company was formed in 1864 with the objective of linking Callander, Scotland to the west coast port of Oban over challenging terrain, particularly at Glen Ogle and the Pass of Brander at Loch Awe. Callander had been reached in 1858 by the Dunblane, Doune and Callander...
which then became known as .
The station name was altered to "Upper Tyndrum" upon the introduction of RETB
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 :...
(see below), to reduce the risk of it being confused with "Tyndrum Lower" in radio communications.
Services
2011
Monday to Saturday, northbound, Upper Tyndrum has three services to Mallaig and one service to Fort William (Highland Caledonian SleeperCaledonian Sleeper
The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train service operated by First ScotRail and one of only two remaining sleeper services running on the railways of Great Britain, the other being the Night Riviera....
). Southbound, there are three services to Glasgow Queen Street and one service to London Euston (Highland Caledonian Sleeper
Caledonian Sleeper
The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train service operated by First ScotRail and one of only two remaining sleeper services running on the railways of Great Britain, the other being the Night Riviera....
, Saturdays excepted). On Sundays, there is just one service northbound to Mallaig and two services southbound to Glasgow Queen Street and London Euston.
Signalling
The signal boxSignal 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...
, which had 15 levers, was situated on the 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...
. From the time of its opening in 1894, the West Highland Railway was worked throughout by the electric token system
Token (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...
.
In 1967, the method of working between and was changed to the Scottish Region Tokenless Block system. The Down loop at Tyndrum Upper was signalled for running in either direction and the signal box was able to 'switch out' when not required.
In August 1985, the method of working between Crianlarich and Rannoch reverted to the electric token block system. 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 22 December 1985 in preparation for the introduction of 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).
The RETB system was commissioned between and Upper Tyndrum on 27 March 1988. On 29 May of the same year, the RETB spread north to Fort William 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....
, resulting in the closure of Upper Tyndrum signal box (amongst others). The RETB is controlled from a purpose-built 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...
. Upper Tyndrum station is the boundary between the two signalling interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
s and the areas of control of the two signalmen.
The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.