Oban railway station

Callander and Oban Railway
Overview
Locale	Scotland
Dates of operation	5 July 1865–31 December 1922
Successor	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Route map
	Legend

Oban

Scottish Gaelic: *An t-Òban*^[1]
Oban; Scottish Gaelic: An t-Òban
Location	Oban, Argyll and Bute; Scotland
Coordinates	56°24′44″N 5°28′30″W / 56.4121°N 5.4749°WCoordinates: 56°24′44″N 5°28′30″W / 56.4121°N 5.4749°W
Grid reference	NM857298
Managed by	Abellio ScotRail
Platforms	2 (numbered 3 & 4)
Other information
Station code	OBN
History
Original company	Callander and Oban Railway
Pre-grouping	Callander and Oban Railway operated by Caledonian Railway
Key dates
1 July 1880	Opened
Passengers
2016/17	0.164 million
2017/18	0.181 million
2018/19	0.178 million
2019/20	0.169 million
2020/21	89,004
Notes
	Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Oban railway station is a railway station serving Oban in Scotland. It is the terminus of one branch of the highly scenic West Highland Line 101.3 miles (163 km) north of Glasgow Queen Street. It was originally the terminus of the Callander and Oban Railway. Services are operated by Abellio ScotRail.

Oban station provides interchange with the adjacent ferry terminal, offering connections to a number of destinations in the Inner and Outer Hebrides via ferry services operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac). Known as the "Gateway to the Isles", Oban is CalMac's busiest ferry terminal.

History[]

Oban station in 1948

Oban station opened on 1 July 1880. A ticket platform (long since disused but still in situ) was located on the west side of the single line, about 1⁄2 mile (800 m) to the south. Just south of there, a short branch line diverged to the east, towards a goods yard and engine shed.

Two additional platforms were constructed on the west side of the station in 1904, following the opening of the branch from Connel Ferry to Ballachulish.

Following closure of the goods yard and engine shed, a rail-connected oil storage depot occupied part of the site for a number of years, although this has itself since closed.

Since 1982, only the 1904-built platforms remain in use (still numbered as Platforms 3 and 4). The present small station building was officially opened on 3 January 1986, the occasion being marked by the naming of two Class 37 locomotives. Despite it being a listed building, the original station building was subsequently demolished.

Stationmasters[]

Francis Grant 1880 - 1897^[2]
James Macphail 1897 - 1924^[3]
James Donaldson 1924^[4] - 1934 (afterwards station master at Stirling)
William Macrae 1934^[5] - 1941 (formerly station master at Rutherglen)
Thomas Burden 1941 - 1944 (formerly station master at Callender)
Joseph McDonald 1944 - 1951^[6] (afterwards station master at Forfar)
Alexander Morrison from 1951^[7] (formerly station master at Wemyss Bay)

Signalling[]

Since its opening on 1 July 1880, the single line between Dalmally and Oban was worked by the electric token system, this being the first ever application of that system in everyday service.

Oban originally had two signal boxes, namely Oban Station signal box (the larger of the two), and Oban Goods Junction signal box. The latter was situated about 1⁄4 mile (400 m) further south, where the line to the goods yard and engine shed diverged from the single line. The original signal boxes contained 21 and 5 levers, respectively. The single line between the two boxes was doubled in 1881.

In connection with the station's enlargement, Oban Station Signal Box was replaced (on the opposite side of the line and slightly nearer the station) in 1904. The new box contained a frame of 64 levers, subsequently shortened to 48. Oban Goods Junction S.B. was replaced in 1929.

Oban Goods Junction S.B. closed on 4 May 1969. Oban Station S.B. closed on 5 December 1982, when a 'no signalman' system of electric token working was introduced on the section from Taynuilt signal box. The last remaining semaphore signals were removed at that time, including the signal gantry.

The Radio Electronic Token Block system was introduced in 1988 and the Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.

Services[]

A Class 156 preparing for a service to Glasgow

On Monday to Fridays, there are six trains per day to Glasgow Queen Street plus an additional afternoon service that runs only as far as Dalmally. On Saturdays, the service is very similar to that on weekdays. On Sundays there are three trains per day to Glasgow Queen Street all year round.

The Railway[]

Oban railway station is a terminus of the West Highland Line which today runs from Glasgow Queen Street railway station. Originally, the station was the terminus of the Callander and Oban Railway, which joined the present railway at Crianlarich, and which was absorbed into the in 1922. The route from Dunblane and Callander to Crianlarich closed in 1965. Formerly, a branch to Ballachulish railway station diverged just east of Connel Ferry railway station. A triangular junction was planned at Connel, but never completed. However, connecting trains ran to Oban. The Ballachulish line closed in 1965.

Ferries[]

Caledonian MacBrayne

Legend

Lochboisdale, South Uist

to Mallaig

Eriskay

Ardmore, Barra

Castlebay, Barra

Baile Mòr, Iona

Fionnphort, Mull

Tobermory, Mull

Kilchoan

Fishnish, Mull

Lochaline

Craignure, Mull

Scarinish, Tiree

Arinagour, Coll

Achnacroish, Lismore

Scalasaig, Colonsay

to Port Askaig & Kennacraig

Oban

A85

to Glasgow Queen Street

A CalMac ferry (right) berthed at the Railway Pier adjacent to Oban Railway Station (centre left)

Oban station is located next to Oban ferry terminal. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail daily from here to the islands of Lismore, Colonsay, Islay, Coll, Tiree, to Craignure on Mull, to Castlebay on Barra and to Lochboisdale(winter only) on South Uist. The times of connecting trains to/from Glasgow Queen Street are included on CalMac timetables.

In 2005 a new ferry terminal was opened, and in 2007 a second linkspan opened, allowing two vessels to load/unload at the same time.

Preceding station	National Rail		Following station
Connel Ferry		Abellio ScotRail West Highland Line	Terminus
	Ferry services
Scalasaig		Caledonian MacBrayne Oban – Colonsay	Terminus
Craignure		Caledonian MacBrayne Oban – Mull	Terminus
Achnacroish		Caledonian MacBrayne Oban – Lismore	Terminus
Scarinish		Caledonian MacBrayne Oban – Coll & Tiree	Terminus
Arinagour		Caledonian MacBrayne Oban – Coll & Tiree	Terminus
Castlebay		Caledonian MacBrayne Oban – Barra	Terminus
Lochboisdale		Caledonian MacBrayne Oban – South Uist (winter only)	Terminus
	Historical railways
Connel Ferry Line and station open		Callander and Oban Railway Caledonian Railway	Terminus

References[]

^ 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.
^ "Oban. Death of Mr Grant, Stationmaster". Highland News. Scotland. 17 July 1897. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "Oban's Stationmaster". Dundee Evening Telegraph. Scotland. 31 December 1924. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "New Stationmaster for Oban". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 20 June 1924. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "Oban's new stationmaster". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 10 November 1933. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "The new stationmaster at Forfar". Forfar Dispatch. Scotland. 22 May 1951. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ "New Stationmaster for Oban". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 19 May 1951. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.

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 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
Fryer, Charles (1989). The Callander and Oban Railway. Oxford: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-8536-1377-X. OCLC 21870958.
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.

[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] "Oban. Death of Mr Grant, Stationmaster". Highland News. Scotland. 17 July 1897. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[3] "Oban's Stationmaster". Dundee Evening Telegraph. Scotland. 31 December 1924. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[4] "New Stationmaster for Oban". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 20 June 1924. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[5] "Oban's new stationmaster". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 10 November 1933. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[6] "The new stationmaster at Forfar". Forfar Dispatch. Scotland. 22 May 1951. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.

[7] "New Stationmaster for Oban". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 19 May 1951. Retrieved 6 October 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.

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Oban Scottish Gaelic: An t-Òban^[1]

Location	Oban, Argyll and Bute Scotland
Coordinates	56°24′44″N 5°28′30″W / 56.4121°N 5.4749°W / 56.4121; -5.4749Coordinates: 56°24′44″N 5°28′30″W / 56.4121°N 5.4749°W / 56.4121; -5.4749
Grid reference	NM857298
Managed by	Abellio ScotRail
Platforms	2 (numbered 3 & 4)
Other information
Station code	OBN
History
Original company	Callander and Oban Railway
Pre-grouping	Callander and Oban Railway operated by Caledonian Railway
Key dates
1 July 1880	Opened
Passengers
2016/17	0.164 million
2017/18	0.181 million
2018/19	0.178 million
2019/20	0.169 million
2020/21	89,004




Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road