Altnabreac railway station
Altnabreac  | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic: Allt nam Breac | |
|
Altnabreac railway station | |
| Location | |
| Place | Altnabreac |
| Local authority | Highland |
| Coordinates | 58°23′18″N 3°42′21″W / 58.3882°N 3.7059°WCoordinates: 58°23′18″N 3°42′21″W / 58.3882°N 3.7059°W |
| Grid reference | ND003456 |
| Operations | |
| Station code | ABC |
| Managed by | Abellio ScotRail |
| Number of platforms | 1 |
|
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries | |
| Annual rail passenger usage* | |
| 2004/05 |
 164 |
| 2005/06 |
171 |
| 2006/07 |
222 |
| 2007/08 |
 177 |
| 2008/09 |
212 |
| 2009/10 |
156 |
| 2010/11 |
172 |
| 2011/12 |
238 |
| 2012/13 |
296 |
| 2013/14 |
138 |
| 2014/15 |
240 |
| History | |
| Original company | Sutherland and Caithness Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Highland Railway |
| Post-grouping | LMSR |
| 28 July 1874 | Opened[1] |
| National Rail – UK railway stations | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Altnabreac from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
| UK Railways portal | |
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Altnabreac railway station is a rural railway station serving the area of Altnabreac, in the Highland council area of Scotland; a settlement in which the station is itself the main component. The station is on the Far North Line, within the former county of Caithness, 41 miles (66 km) west of Wick.
One of Britain's most isolated stations, it is a request stop used almost solely by walkers and those who enjoy visiting obscure locations.
History
The station was opened by the Sutherland and Caithness Railway on 28 July 1874[1] and later absorbed by the Highland Railway. Taken into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923, the line then passed on to the Scottish Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.
When Sectorisation was introduced by British Rail, the station became part of ScotRail until the Privatisation of British Rail.
The reason for the station's construction is a mystery, since it pre-dates the hotel/lodge one mile to the south - the only obvious source of trade. It had however a passing loop with a water-tank, so may have been established for purely operational reasons.
Some pupils of the former Altnabreac School arrived by train.
Services
Monday to Saturday, three trains per day operate eastbound to Wick and westbound to Inverness, with two trains a day on Sundays.
The apparent almost 100% increase in patronage over the last few years may be due to a change in the methods used to measure passenger numbers; see Usage Notes.[2] Despite these increases, Altnabreac remains the 8th least used station in Britain according to 2009-10 statistics.
| Preceding station | National Rail |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsinard | Abellio ScotRail Far North Line |
Scotscalder | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Forsinard Station and Line open |
Highland Railway Sutherland and Caithness Railway |
Scotscalder Station and Line open | ||
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Altnabreac railway station. |
Notes
- 1 2 Butt (1995), page 15
- ↑ Office of Rail Regulation: Station Usage
Sources
- Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
- Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137.
- RAILSCOT article on Sutherland and Caithness Railway
- Page including discussion of why Altnabreac Station exists
- Recollections of Altnabreac Station and School
- RAILSCOT on Sutherland and Caithness Railway
- Station on navigable O.S. map