Georgemas Junction railway station

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Georgemas Junction
Looking west towards Halkirk village, and the line to Thurso (right).
Location
Place Halkirk
Local authority Highland
Operations
Station code GGJ
Managed by First ScotRail
Platforms in use 2
Live departures and station information from National Rail
Annual Rail Passenger Usage
2002/03 * 1,129
2004/05 * 1,108
2005/06 * 1,018
History
Key dates Opened 1874
National Rail - UK railway stations

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z  

* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Georgemas Junction from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
Portal:Georgemas Junction railway station
UK Railways Portal

Georgemas Junction railway station is a railway station serving the village of Halkirk and its surrounding areas in the Highland council area, northern Scotland. The station is on the Far North Line, within the county of Caithness.

Georgemas Junction is the junction of the Thurso branch from the Inverness-Wick line. The junction is the most northerly railway junction in the United Kingdom. On arrival at Georgemas Junction from Inverness, trains must reverse to reach Thurso. The train then operates from Thurso back to Georgemas Junction and onto Wick. Until diesel multiple unit trains were introduced in the early 1990s, all trains on the Far North Line were locomotive hauled (latterly by Class 37 locomotives). Northbound passenger trains would divide at Georgemas Junction, with the rear portion for Thurso and the front carriages for Wick. A locomotive was stabled at Georgemas Junction to haul the Thurso carriages. Following the introduction of Class 156 diesel multiple units on the line, trains were always composed of two trainsets (four cars) and at Georgemas, these would split in half with the front portion heading to Wick, the rear to Thurso. This practice was halted with the introduction of Class 158 sets which operated as single sets.

  Preceding station     National Rail     Following station  
Scotscalder   First ScotRail
Far North Line
  Wick
Thurso   First ScotRail
Far North Line
Thurso Branch
 
Historical Railways
Halkirk
station closed; line open
  Sutherland and Caithness Railway
Highland Railway
  Bower
station closed; line open
Hoy
station closed; line open
  Sutherland and Caithness Railway
Thurso Branch
Highland Railway
 

[edit] 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, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.