Glenfinnan railway station

Glenfinnan
Gleann Fhionnainn
Facing west along the Down platform at Glenfinnan, showing railway station and museum entrance, November 2004
Location
Place Glenfinnan
Local authority Highland
Operations
Station code GLF
Managed by First ScotRail
Number of platforms 2
Live arrivals/departures and station information
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2002/03 *   3,667
2004/05 * 3,853
2005/06 * 4,584
2006/07 * 5,420
2007/08 * 5,307
2008/09 * 6,698
History
Original company Mallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway
Pre-grouping North British Railway
Post-grouping LNER
1 April 1901 Station opened[1]
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 estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Glenfinnan from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Glenfinnan railway station is a railway station serving the village of Glenfinnan in the Highland Council Area of Scotland. It is on the West Highland Line. Glenfinnan Viaduct is about one kilometre to the east of the station.

Contents

History

Glenfinnan station opened on 1 April 1901. The station has two platforms, one on either side of a crossing loop. There are sidings on the south side of the station.

The station was extensively refurbished in summer 2007.

Services

Glenfinnan is visited by "The Jacobite" steam trains in summer, and regular trains throughout the year.

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Locheilside   First ScotRail
West Highland Line
  Lochailort
Fort William   West Coast Railway Company
The Jacobite
May–October
  Arisaig
Historical railways
Locheilside
Line and Station open
  North British Railway

Mallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway

  Lochailort
Line and Station open

Signalling

From its opening in 1901 the Mallaig Extension Railway was worked throughout by the electric token system. Glenfinnan signal box, which had 15 levers, was at the east end of the Down platform, on the south side of the line.

On 13 November 1983, the method of working from Glenfinnan to Mallaig became One Train Working (with train staff). Electric token block was reinstated to Arisaig on 29 April 1984, but One Train Working continued to be used when Arisaig token station was switched out. The Arisaig - Mallaig train staff would then be padlocked to the Glenfinnan - Arisaig key token.

Glenfinnan lost its semaphore signals on 13 April 1986, in preparation for Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) signalling. RETB was commissioned between Mallaig Junction (now 'Fort William Junction') and Mallaig on 6 December 1987. This resulted in the closure of Glenfinnan signal box (amongst others). The RETB is controlled from a Signalling Centre at Banavie railway station.

The Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.

Glenfinnan Station Museum

The Glenfinnan Station Museum is located in the station building, on the Down platform. The museum's exhibits focus on the construction, impact and operation of the Mallaig Extension Railway in the late 19th century. The restored booking office includes the original tablet instruments. There is also a changing exhibition of railway photography and a gift shop. The museum is open seasonally.

References

Notes

  1. ^ Butt (1995), page 104

Sources

External links