Fraserburgh

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Fraserburgh (1865-1965)

Opened on the Formartine and Buchan Railway.
Opened on the St Combs Light Railway (Great North of Scotland Railway).

Description

This terminus was in the east of Fraserburgh close to the quaysides of the harbour.


Original station


The original station was smaller. It had a trainshed (similar to that at Thurso) covering a platform on the west side of a loop.

On the west side, a little south of the trainshed, was the two road Fraserburgh Shed.

On the east side, projecting north of the station building was the northern end of the goods yard: the goods shed to the west and loading bank to the east. Fraserburgh Harbour was on the east side and a little to the north. Lines approached the station from the south.

The goods yard was rebuilt and expanded. A signal box opened in 1894 on the west side of the station 'throat'.


Reconstruction


The passenger station was rebuilt in 1903-04, the new station being considerably larger with longer platforms and a larger station building. The new building was in granite and a new glazed trainshed was located behind it covering the platform ends and circulating area. This was a three platform station. Canopies extended south from the trainshed over the platforms.

Much of the enlargement was due to the opening of the St Combs Light Railway (Great North of Scotland Railway) in 1903. This branch ran parallel with the 'main line' for around half a mile south of the signal box.

Fraserburgh Shed was retained and the goods yard altered a little but remained largely the same as the earlier enlargement. A very long headshunt for the goods yard was added, running down the east side of the passenger lines and extending as far south as the Kessock Road bridge.The new Faithlie Harbour was built to the east of the station goods yard.

The signal box was replaced in 1904, the replacement being on the east side south of the Links Road overbridge.

The Consolidated Pneumatic Tool Works opened to the south of the station, on the west side, in 1904. It was approached via a headshunt which was accessed from the north, a pair of sidings running north west into the works.

In 1912 the Great North of Scotland Railway took over an existing connecting bus service from the station to Rosehearty and New Aberdour, an alternative to building a light railway.


Run down and closure


The station's roof was cut back in 1955.

The St Combs line and main line both closed to passengers in 1965.

The signal box closed in 1966. The platform lines were lifted, although their approach to the south was retained for its loop. The goods yard remained relatively intact. A loading bank in the yard could be pressed into service as a platform when tours visited Fraserburgh.

The line closed in 1979.

The station building, canopies and platforms were removed in the 1980s (South Harbour Road was built along the former trackbed in 1987). It is perhaps apt that the station building site is now occupied by a Job Centre.

Much of the goods yard remained empty with industrial units steadily opening over its remains. A portion remains clear as a lorry park.

The locomotive shed has survived, the oldest part of the station site (after the 1904 rebuilding). This shed still stands on the west side of South Harbour Road, within the yard of Iceberg Ltd.

Local

The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses is in the north of the town.

Tags

Station terminus

Aliases

The Broch

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
12/12/2021



Nearby stations
Kirkton Bridge Halt
Philorth Halt
Philorth Bridge Halt
Rathen
Cairnbulg
St Combs
Lonmay
Mormond Halt
Strichen
Brucklay [2nd]
Mintlaw
Pitfour Curling Club Platform
Abbey of Deer Halt
Longside
Maud
Fraserburgh Shed
Fraserburgh Harbour
James Noble (Fraserburgh) Ltd
Consolidated Pneumatic Tool Works
Philorth Bridge
Sandhaven Meal Mill
Sandhaven Shipyard
Lonmay Ballast Pit
New Pitsligo Peat Works
Tourist/other
Kinnaird Head Castle Lighthouse and Museum
Philorth House
Cairnbulg Castle
Sandhaven Harbour
Memsie Cairn
Rosehearty Harbour
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Beach Train


A narrow gauge 'Fraserburgh Beach Train' was formerly located near the esplanade bringing the total number of railways in the town to 3!


Chronology Dates

23/07/1858Formartine and Buchan Railway
Act receives Royal ascent. (Dyce to Peterhead, Mintlaw to Fraserburgh, with a branch to Ellon).
21/07/1863Formartine and Buchan Railway
Junction for Fraserburgh re-authorised as Maud in place of Mintlaw.
24/04/1865Formartine and Buchan Railway
Maud to Fraserburgh opened. Stations opened at Brucklay [2nd], Strichen, Mormond, Rathen and Fraserburgh.
01/05/1903St Combs Light Railway (Great North of Scotland Railway)
Line opened from Fraserburgh (Formartine and Buchan Railway) to St Combs. Stations opened at: Philorth Bridge, Cairnbulg and St Combs.
  /  /1948Formartine and Buchan Railway
Fraserburgh section becomes main line and Peterhead line becomes branch.
  /  /1955Formartine and Buchan Railway
Fraserburgh station roof cut back.
07/11/1960St Combs Light Railway (Great North of Scotland Railway)
St Combs to Fraserburgh closed to freight.
04/05/1965St Combs Light Railway (Great North of Scotland Railway)
St Combs to Fraserburgh closed to passengers. (Alternative date 3/5/1964).
02/10/1965Formartine and Buchan Railway
Fraserburgh to Dyce junction closed to passengers. (Alternative date 4/10/1965). Fraserburgh, Rathen, Mormond Halt, Strichen, Brucklay [2nd], Maud, Arnage, Ellon, Logierieve, Udny and Newmachar closed.
27/06/1966Formartine and Buchan Railway
Fraserburgh signal box closed.
06/10/1979Formartine and Buchan Railway
Closed to freight between Dyce junction (excluded) and Fraserburgh.

News items

01/01/2024Are plans to bring trains to Peterhead and Fraserburgh on track? [Press and Journal]
07/09/2023NE rail campaign takes leap forward [Scotsman]
01/09/2023Study to explore rail reinstatement between Aberdeen and Buchan [BBC News]
18/05/2023Aberdeenshire Council projects shortlisted in coveted Scottish Transport Awards [The Scotsman]
28/01/2023Take the top off Schoolhill train tunnel and get Peterhead and Fraserburgh back on track says campaigner [Press and Journal]
01/11/2022MSP Karen Adam champions prospect of 'rerailing' north-east in Scottish Parliament [Grampian Online]
21/10/2022MSP secures SNP commitment to North East rail [The Scotsman]
08/10/2022North-east rail campaign gets green light with £165,000 feasibility study [Press and Journal]
04/10/2022North east takes centre stage at SNP conference [Scotsman]
08/09/2022Campaign for North East Rail receives funding boost for study [Grampian Online]

Books


Scotland’s Lost Branch Lines: Where Beeching Got It Wrong