Blair Atholl railway station

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Blair Atholl

Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Athall[1]
National Rail
Blair Atholl station.jpg
General view, looking south
LocationBlair Atholl, Perth and Kinross
Scotland
Coordinates56°45′55″N 3°50′59″W / 56.7653°N 3.8496°W / 56.7653; -3.8496Coordinates: 56°45′55″N 3°50′59″W / 56.7653°N 3.8496°W / 56.7653; -3.8496
Grid referenceNN870652
Managed byAbellio ScotRail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeBLA
Key dates
1863Opened
Passengers
2016/17Increase 17,598
2017/18Increase 19,802
2018/19Increase 21,008
2019/20Decrease 18,388
2020/21Decrease 3,688
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Blair Atholl railway station is a railway station serving the town of Blair Atholl, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The station is managed by Abellio ScotRail and is on the Highland Main Line.

History[]

The station was opened by the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway on 9 September 1863 and is located at the northern end of the single track portion of the route from Stanley Junction. Beyond here the line is double track as far as Dalwhinnie.[2] The station is 35 miles 9 chains (56.5 km) from Perth, and has a passing loop 35 chains (700 m) long, flanked by two platforms. Platform 1 on the up (southbound) line can accommodate trains having seven coaches, whereas platform 2 on the down (northbound) line can hold eleven. The passing loop continues towards Inverness as double-track line.[3]

One of the first visitors to the station was Queen Victoria who arrived in a Royal Train on 15 September 1863 on a visit to Blair Castle to see George Murray, 6th Duke of Atholl who was very ill.[4]

The disused goods yard and associated pointwork still exist, though overgrown. The goods yard is located next to the northbound platform.

Stationmasters[]

  • Charles James Dunn from 1863[5]
  • Duncan MacLennan 1886[6] - 1895 (formerly station master at Helmsdale)
  • Donald Fraser 1895 - 1925[7]
  • John McRae 1925[8] - 1933
  • Joseph McDonald 1933 - 1940[9]
  • James Henderson 1940 - 1947[10] (formerly station master at Taynuilt)
  • Thomas Grieve 1947 - 1952[11] (formerly station master at Burrelton, afterwards station master at Lochee)
  • Alistair Watt[12]

Services[]

2020: On Monday to Saturdays, There is 8 northbound to Inverness and 6 southbound to Perth with 3 each extending to Glasgow and Edinburgh (including one that originates here) call on weekdays & Saturdays, along with the Caledonian Sleeper to and from London Euston (pickup only southbound Sunday to Friday, set down only northbound Mondays to Saturdays). A reduced service operates on Sundays with 3 trains per day to Inverness(1 extends to Elgin) and 4 trains to Perth with 2 trains each to Glasgow and Edinburgh including the Highland Chieftain to London Kings Cross.[13]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Pitlochry   London North Eastern Railway
Sundays, Southbound Only
Highland Main Line 		  Newtonmore
Pitlochry   Abellio ScotRail
Highland Main Line 		  Dalwhinnie or
Newtonmore or
Kingussie
Pitlochry   Caledonian Sleeper
Highland Caledonian Sleeper 		  Dalwhinnie
  Historical railways  
Killiecrankie
Line open; station closed 		  Highland Railway
Inverness and Perth Junction Railway 		  Black Island Platform
Line open; station closed

1962 images[]

  • Looking north

  • Looking south

References[]

  1. ^ Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. "Gaelic/English Station Index". Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
  2. ^ Railscot - Inverness and Perth Junction Railway Crawford, Ewan; Railbrit.co.uk; Retrieved 11 August 2016
  3. ^ Brailsford 2017, map 19B.
  4. ^ "The Queen at Blair Athole". Daily Review (Edinburgh). Scotland. 17 September 1863. Retrieved 14 August 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Station Master at Blair Athole". Perthshire Advertiser. Scotland. 3 September 1863. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Highland Railway Appointments". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 10 July 1886. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Blair Atholl Stationmaster's Retiral". Strathearn Herald. Scotland. 9 May 1925. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Blair Atholl". Perthshire Advertiser. Scotland. 1 July 1925. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "New Chief Booking Clerk". Perthshire Advertiser. Scotland. 22 June 1940. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Blair Atholl Official Retires". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 26 July 1947. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Lochee's New Stationmaster". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 20 December 1952. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Obituary". Perthshire Advertiser. Scotland. 17 April 1987. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ Table 229 National Rail timetable, May 2016


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