Mallaig railway station

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mallaig

Scottish Gaelic: Malaig[1]
National Rail
Mallaig railway station from The Jacobite 02.jpg
LocationMain Street, Mallaig, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates57°00′20″N 5°49′49″W / 57.0056°N 5.8302°W / 57.0056; -5.8302Coordinates: 57°00′20″N 5°49′49″W / 57.0056°N 5.8302°W / 57.0056; -5.8302
Grid referenceNM675970
Managed byAbellio ScotRail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeMLG
History
Original companyMallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway
Pre-groupingNorth British Railway
Post-groupingLNER
Key dates
1 April 1901Station opened[2]
Passengers
2016/17Decrease 86,406
2017/18Increase 95,878
2018/19Increase 97,530
2019/20Decrease 96,414
2020/21Decrease 15,270
Listed Building – Category C(S)
Designated8 August 1996
Reference no.LB43567
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Mallaig railway station is a Category C listed[3] 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, 41 miles (66 km) by rail from Fort William and 164 miles (264 km) from Glasgow Queen Street.

History[]

The station in 1966
The station in 1973

Mallaig station opened on 1 April 1901.[2]

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 west side of the line, right beside the sea.

Until 1968 two tracks continued down onto the pier, which was built and originally owned by the West Highland Railway Company. The tracks were removed when the harbour passed from British Rail ownership to that of the Mallaig Harbour Authority.

The glass overall roof was removed in 1975 and the ticket office was extended at the same time. In 1978, Lochaber divisional planning committee agreed to a proposed £34,000 extension to the station which allowed for the station to be extended in a south western direction on part of the existing platform area. The extension included permission for a permanent tourist office within the existing building, and also a parcels office, mess room and concourse.[4]

In 1998 Railtrack announced expenditure of £90,000 to repair the station.[5]

Stationmasters[]

  • David Archibald from 1901 (formerly station master at Rannoch, afterwards station master at Inverkeithing)
  • Thomas Ferguson (afterwards station master at Coatbridge)
  • David Budd 1908 - 1913
  • John McNeil 1914 - 1918
  • George I. Miller 1920 -1928[6] (formerly station master at Eyemouth, afterwards station master at Edinburgh Haymarket)
  • David Beveridge 1928 - 1934 (formerly station master at Tillicoultry, afterwards station master at Granton)
  • Mr. Uprichard 1934 - 1935 (formerly station master at Eyemouth)
  • Stephen C. Eadie 1935 - 1941 (formerly station master at Dysart, also station master at Morar, afterwards station master at Shore Road, Stirling)
  • G. Fraser from 1941[7] (formerly station master at Maud)
  • Robert Maurice Shand 1947[8] - 1951 (formerly station master at Ballater, afterwards station master at Newark Northgate)
  • Allan Fairweather 1952 - 1953[9] (formerly station master at Greenock, afterwards station master at Forfar)
  • Richard Turner from 1953[10] (formerly station master at Greenock)

Services[]

A train to Glasgow
The Jacobite at Mallaig Station
The Skye ferry at Mallaig harbour

Scheduled train services out of Mallaig railway station are operated by Abellio ScotRail. Currently, four trains a day depart Monday to Saturdays from Mallaig for Fort William, three of which continue to Glasgow (the fourth connects at Fort William with the Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston). On Sundays three trains depart Mallaig for Fort William, with two trains continuing on to Glasgow.[11]

The railway line from Mallaig is noted as a scenic route, especially as it passes along the Glenfinnan Viaduct 37 kilometres (23 mi) out of Mallaig.[12][13]

Mallaig is also the destination of a special tourist steam train operated by West Coast Railways, The Jacobite, which runs sightseeing trips from Fort William to Mallaig from May to October. The service runs twice daily, Monday to Friday with additional weekend services during the summer months. The Jacobite steam train is known for its association with the Harry Potter film series, particularly due to its route along the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which featured in the Harry Potter films.[12]

Ferry services[]

Mallaig ferry port is located in front of the railway station, approximately 130 metres (430 ft) away.

Caledonian MacBrayne operate ferry services from Mallaig to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, a thirty-minute sailing, as well as daily services to the Small Isles of Canna, Rùm, Eigg and Muck, although the timetable, itinerary and calling points differ from day to day. A small, independent ferry service run by former lifeboatman Bruce Watt sails up Loch Nevis to the remote village of Inverie in Knoydart, and also calls by prior arrangement at Tarbet in Morar, locations that are only accessible by sea. Both Cal Mac and Bruce Watt also offer non-landing sightseeing tickets.

Signalling[]

One of the semaphore signals removed in 1982

From the time of its opening in 1901, the Mallaig Line was worked throughout by the electric token system. 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.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Morar   Abellio ScotRail
West Highland Line 		  Terminus
Arisaig   West Coast Railways
The Jacobite
May–October 		  Terminus
"boat icon" Ferry services
Armadale   Caledonian MacBrayne
Mallaig – Skye 		  Terminus
Lochboisdale   Caledonian MacBrayne
Mallaig – South Uist 		  Terminus
Rùm   Caledonian MacBrayne
Mallaig – Small Isles 		  Terminus
Eigg    
Muck    
Canna    
Inverie   Western Isles Cruises[14]
Mallaig – Knoydart 		  Terminus
Inverie   Knoydart Ferry[15]
Mallaig – Knoydart 		  Terminus
  Historical railways  
Morar
Line and Station open 		  North British Railway
West Highland Railway (Mallaig Extension Railway)
   Terminus

See also[]

References[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
  2. ^ a b Butt (1995)
  3. ^ "Mallaig Station". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Mallaig Station plan approved". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 9 August 1978. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Station Revamp underway". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 2 November 1998. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "45 years' railway service". The Scotsman. Scotland. 18 November 1935. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Buchan Stationmaster for Mallaig". Aberdeen Weekly Journal. Scotland. 27 November 1941. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "New Stationmaster at Edinburgh". Aberdeen Evening Express. Scotland. 4 July 1960. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "New Stationmaster for Forfar". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 10 October 1953. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Mallaig Station gets a new stationmaster". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 12 December 1953. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ GB eNRT 2016 Edition, Table 227 (Network Rail)
  12. ^ a b Townsend, Chris (2011). Scotland. Milnthorpe: Cicerone. p. 317. ISBN 9781849653534.
  13. ^ "Highland train line best in world". BBC News. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  14. ^ "Knoydart Ferry Service to Knoydart and Tarbet, Mallaig | Highland Day Trips". Western Isles Cruises.
  15. ^ "Timetable". Knoydart Ferry.

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.
  • 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 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
  • Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
  • RAILSCOT on Mallaig Extension Railway

External links[]

Media related to Mallaig railway station at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from ""