Elgin railway station

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This article is about the railway station in Scotland. For the station in Illinois, see Elgin station (Illinois).

Elgin

Scottish Gaelic: Eilginn[1]
National Rail
Elgin railway station.jpg
Elgin railway station, looking towards Inverness
LocationElgin, Moray
Scotland
Coordinates57°38′34″N 3°18′40″W / 57.6428°N 3.3110°W / 57.6428; -3.3110Coordinates: 57°38′34″N 3°18′40″W / 57.6428°N 3.3110°W / 57.6428; -3.3110
Grid referenceNJ218621
Managed byAbellio ScotRail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeELG
Key dates
10 August 1852GNSR station opened
25 March 1858Highland station opened
6 May 1968GNSR station closed
1990Highland station rebuilt
Passengers
2016/17Decrease 0.317 million
2017/18Decrease 0.299 million
2018/19Increase 0.306 million
2019/20Decrease 0.304 million
2020/21Decrease 64,492
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Elgin railway station is a railway station serving the town of Elgin, Moray in Scotland. The station is managed by Abellio ScotRail and is on the Aberdeen to Inverness Line.

The station has two platforms linked by a footbridge, and a booking office/waiting room with a vending machine. One of the route's passing loops is located here, under the control of Inverness Signalling Centre (which also supervises an adjacent level crossing through CCTV). Elgin West signal box was the most northerly manual box on the UK railway network (all those to the north of Inverness having been closed back in the 1980s when the station area was resignalled and RETB working introduced on the Kyle and Far North lines),[2] until it closed along with other boxes on the line on 7 October 2017.

History[]

Main article: Morayshire Railway
The first station built by the Morayshire Railway in 1852

The first station in Elgin was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) on 10 August 1852 by the Morayshire Railway. The second owned by the Highland Railway was opened on 25 March 1858[3] by the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway and later known as Elgin West. The GNSR lines to Lossiemouth and Craigellachie (where it joined the Strathspey Railway (GNoSR)) were subsequently joined by the GNSR Morayshire Coast line in 1886/7.

The GNSR company prepared plans in the mid 1890s for a new station building which was intended to be a joint station with the Highland Railway. Mr P.M. Barnett, engineer-in-chief of the GNSR submitted a plan which proposed a diversion from the Highland company mainline and a new double line, with platforms on all, which would have resulted in the Highland company’s existing lines becoming joint. GNSR trains from Craigellachie and Lossiemouth could run into different lines, and the Highland company’s trains would stop opposite, allowing easy exchange between carriages.[4] Despite a meeting between Barnett and Mr Roberts, the Highland company engineer, an agreement could not be reached.

The proposed new station from the Elgin Courant, and Morayshire Advertiser 8 April 1898

The GNSR proceeded with plans of their own in 1898[5] on their existing site, with a new building with a front elevation of 130 feet (40 m) in length. Construction started in 1899 and the new station was modified during construction. It resulted in a frontage of 250 feet (76 m). The new building opened on Saturday 30 August 1902.[6] The upper part of the building provided accommodation to the manager’s apartments, clerks and tea-rooms, and the western portion was the station masters’s house. The ground floor comprised a large waiting-room with a circular glass roof, about 70ft in length and 30ft in width. All four platforms had an iron and glass canopy with the ironwork painted in pale blue colour. The clerk’s office contained a row of telegraph instruments, and telephones communicating with the locomotive department, the signal cabins and with the Highland station. A pneumatic tube system conveying messages to and from other offices was also installed.[7] The architect was the company engineer, P.M. Barnett.

All three of the GNSR routes were closed in the 1960s as a result of the Beeching Axe, with the Lossiemouth branch the first to go in April 1964 and the other two routes following in May 1968.[8]

Both stations were located about one mile to the south of Elgin town centre, which made them inconvenient for local journeys, e.g. to Lossiemouth, and bus services soon eliminated much of the local passenger traffic - passengers would generally only use the train service if they were connecting to long-distance trains. The stations were less than 500 metres apart and linked by a footpath.

The present station, formerly the West (ex-Highland) station, was retained in 1968-69 was rebuilt and the platforms were raised. The new passenger facilities proved inadequate and it was rebuilt again in a modern style by British Rail in 1990 at a cost of £400,000[9] (equivalent to £930,000 in 2020).[10]

The GNSR station (known as Elgin East) was closed with the end of services on the coast and Craigellachie lines on 6 May 1968.[3] The GNSR station building is still used as office accommodation and stands on the site of the original Morayshire Railway station. A sizeable goods yard is still in operation on this site.

Stationmasters[]

On the retirement of John Cameron from the L.M.S. station at the end of 1932, a joint working arrangement was implemented. From early in 1933 the passenger and parcel bookings were all transferred to the L.N.E.R station under the sole management of Frank Watt.[11]

Highland Railway and L.M.S. stationmasters[]

  • William Roberts 1858 - 1863[12] (formerly station master at Crieff)
  • John Robertson 1863 - ca. 1868 (formerly station master at Nairn)
  • A.J. Young 1874 - 1887[13]
  • Alexander Murray 1887[14] - ca.1892 (formerly station master at Bonar Bridge)
  • Mr. Hutchinson until 1896[15]
  • William Anderson 1896 - 1898[16] (formerly station master at Tain)
  • John Campbell from 1898
  • Frank MacPhail 1899 - 1919[17] (formerly station master at Struan, afterwards station master at Inverness)
  • John Cameron 1919 - 1932[18] (formerly station master at Lairg)

Morayshire Railway, Great North of Scotland Railway, L.N.E.R. and B.R. stationmasters[]

  • Alex Watt until 1861[19]
  • Mr. Florence Turnbull until 1864[20] (afterwards station master at Struan)
  • John McConnachie 1864 - 1868[21] (formerly station master at Banff Harbour)
  • George Kissack 1868 - 1871[22]
  • William Cruickshank 1871 - 1902[23] (formerly station master at Ellom)
  • John Anderson 1903 - 1913[24] (afterwards station master at Kittybrewster)
  • Bailie James Mackintosh 1913[25] - 1922 (formerly station master at Buckie)
  • John Burgess 1922 - 1931[26] (formerly station master at Lossiemouth)
  • Frank Watt 1931 - 1934[27] (formerly station master at Keith)
  • Robert Duffus 1934[28] - 1951 (formerly station master at Huntly)
  • J.W. Knight from 1951[29] (formerly station master at Castle Douglas)
  • Sam S. Scott

Services[]

The basic service at the station is (roughly) two-hourly in each direction (with peak extras) - west to Inverness and east to Aberdeen, though a small number of trains also start/terminate here from the Inverness direction. The first eastbound train each weekday continues through to Dundee and Edinburgh Waverley, with a balancing service in the opposite direction in the late evening. A single train per day terminates at Elgin having come from Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast via Inverness.

On Sundays, there are five trains each way to the main termini (one of which runs through to Glasgow Queen Street via Aberdeen) and two from Glasgow via Inverness that terminate here.[30]

Transport Scotland and Scotrail have plans to improve service levels to Forres, Nairn and Inverness (to an base hourly frequency) from 2018.[31]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Keith   Abellio ScotRail
Aberdeen to Inverness Line 		  Forres
  Historical railways  
Lhanbryde
Line open; station closed 		  Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway   Mosstowie
Line open; station closed

Infrastructure improvements[]

As well as the aforementioned timetable improvements, Transport Scotland agreed in 2014 to fund a £170 million infrastructure upgrade project for the line. This included signalling improvements, a longer loop and platform extensions for Elgin.[32]

A 10-day engineering blockade between Keith and Inverness saw the signalling and track improvements both here and in Forres completed, with the Elgin loop extended by 400 m (440 yd) and new colour light signals commissioned under the control of the signalling centre at Inverness. The level crossing was also converted to remote operation by CCTV from the location. The line reopened as scheduled on 17 October 2017.

References[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
  2. ^ Railscot - Elgin West signal box www.railbrit.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-12-22
  3. ^ a b Butt (1995). Page 90.
  4. ^ "Proposed New Railway Station at Elgin". Huntly Express. Scotland. 12 October 1895. Retrieved 15 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "New Station for Elgin". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 7 April 1898. Retrieved 15 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Elgin Great North Railway Station". Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser. Scotland. 2 September 1902. Retrieved 15 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Great North's New Station at Elgin". Northern Scot and Moray & Nairn Express. Scotland. 6 September 1902. Retrieved 15 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ Railscot: Chronology - Morayshire Railway www.railbrit.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-12-22
  9. ^ "Elgin's Showpiece Station Opens". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 8 March 1990. Retrieved 15 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Elgin's Railway History". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 9 June 1933. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Railway Appointments". Elgin Courier. Scotland. 22 May 1863. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "Elgin - Appointment to Mr. A.J. Young". Northern Scot and Moray & Nairn Express. Scotland. 3 September 1887. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ "Elgin - Railway Appointments". Aberdeen Evening Express. Scotland. 21 September 1887. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Railway Appointment". Banffshire Advertiser. Scotland. 25 June 1896. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ "Change of Stationmaster". Northern Scott and Moray & Nairn Express. Scotland. 26 November 1898. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ "New Stationmaster for Inverness". Dundee Evening Telegraph. Scotland. 11 September 1919. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ^ "L.M.S. Station Chief". Dundee Evening Telegraph. Scotland. 11 September 1919. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ "Appointment". Elgin Courier. Scotland. 23 August 1861. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. ^ "Presentation. Mr. Florence Turnbull". Forres Elgin and Nairn Gazette, Northern Review and Advertiser. Scotland. 28 September 1864. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "Local Intelligence". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 19 September 1868. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Mr. Cruickshank". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 27 December 1871. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "Elgin Retiral of Mr Cruickshank, Stationmaster". Elgin Courant, and Morayshire Advertiser. Scotland. 28 October 1902. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ "Elgin Stationmaster Honoured". Northern Scott and Moray 7 Nairn Express. Scotland. 10 May 1913. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "Promotion for Buckie Stationmaster". Banffshire Advertiser. Scotland. 27 March 1913. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ "Popular Figure on North Line". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 19 April 1933. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ^ "Elgin Stationmaster's Appointment". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 13 September 1934. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  28. ^ "Promoted from Huntly to Elgin". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 6 October 1934. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. ^ "New Stationmaster at Elgin". Dufftown News and Speyside Advertiser. Scotland. 18 August 1951. Retrieved 14 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  30. ^ GB National Rail Timetable May 2017 Edition, Table 240
  31. ^ "‘Rail revolution’ means 200 more services and 20,000 more seats for Scots passengers" Archived 20 August 2016 at the Wayback MachineTransport Scotland press release 15 March 2016; Retrieved 19 August 2016
  32. ^ "Millions to be spent on rail line upgrade" Paterson, Laura, The Press and Journal news article 29 March 2014; Retrieved 19 August 2016

Sources[]

  • Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
  • 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 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.

External links[]

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