Aberdeen to Inverness Line
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The Aberdeen to Inverness Line is a railway line in Scotland linking Aberdeen and Inverness.
Contents |
[edit] Current services
Passenger services are operated by First ScotRail. There are also freight operations on the line.
The route serves the following cities, towns and villages (Ordnance Survey grid references for stations):
| Places | Grid references |
| and other notes | |
| Aberdeen | NJ941058 |
| Connection with the Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line | |
| Dyce | NJ884128 |
| Inverurie | NJ775218 |
| Insch | NJ629275 |
| Huntly | NJ535396 |
| Keith | NJ429516 |
| Connection with the preserved Keith and Dufftown Railway | |
| Elgin | NJ218621 |
| Forres | NJ029589 |
| Nairn | NH881560 |
| Inverness | NH667454 |
| Connections with the Highland Main Line, the Far North Line and, via Dingwall on the Far North Line, the Kyle of Lochalsh Line |
[edit] History
[edit] Construction
The line was built in three parts:-
- Inverness and Nairn Railway between Inverness and Nairn, opened on 5 November 1855.
- Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway between Nairn and Keith in 1858
- Great North of Scotland Railway between Keith and Aberdeen on 19 September 1854, the southern portion (between Port Elphinstone and Aberdeen Waterloo) was built over the route of the Aberdeenshire Canal.
[edit] Grouping and Nationalisation
The first two merged to form the Highland Railway. The Highland Railway operated the line from Inverness to Keith: The Great North operated the line from there to Aberdeen. The Highland was grouped with other railways into the London Midland and Scottish Railway and the Great North was grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway by the Railways Act 1921, before eventually becoming part of British Railways in 1948.
[edit] Beeching Closures
Many intermediate stations were closed at various dates in the 1950s and 1960s to both passenger and goods traffic. The Beeching Report of 1963 recommended the closure of Inverurie and Insch stations but these remain open. Dyce station was reopened to serve Aberdeen Airport.
[edit] Current Operations
Today the tracks belong to Network Rail. Passenger services are operated by First Scotrail. There is some limited freight traffic, with Elgin retaining a goods yard.
