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Heavy snow on the Highland mainline was causing delays for railway passengers on Friday morning.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line Inverness and Perth Junction Railway Snow |
Rail passengers are being reminded of some engineering disruption to some Highland mainline services this weekend.
(Permalink) Highland Main Line Inverness and Perth Junction Railway |
Rail users across the north are being urged to pressure the government into making good on a mothballed pledge to upgrade the tracks between Inverness and Perth.
(Permalink) Doubling Highland Main Line Inverness and Perth Junction Railway |
Business Development Manager Scott Prentice will be meeting the Cairngorms National Park Authority and local residents to discuss the proposed new timetable and service improvements for the Highland Mainline.
A total of £57 million is being invested in improving the Highland Mainline, which will allow more and faster journeys between Inverness and the Central Belt. The entire timetable for this vital route is being completely redrawn, and will see average journey times reduced and an extra eight journeys between Inverness and the Central Belt each day. By the end of 2019: Services will become faster and more reliable as Aviemore and Pitlochry stations receive upgraded signalling. Arriving trains will no longer have to stop and wait for services going in the opposite direction. All services between Inverness and Glasgow and Edinburgh will be operated by our refurbished InterCity trains. These trains will provide more than 2,500 extra seats each day, increasing seating capacity by 50%. Customers will also benefit from extra luggage space, greater comfort and an enhanced food and drink service. There will be an hourly service between Inverness, Aviemore and Pitlochry to Perth and Edinburgh or Glasgow. All stations on the route will benefit from the enhanced timetable. (Permalink) Highland Main Line Inverness and Perth Junction Railway ![]() Aviemore: 170415 with the 1431 service to Inverness departing Aviemore past the semaphore signals at the north end. ![]() Pitlochry: One train in each direction daily between Edinburgh and Inverness is worked by a pair of Class 158s, and they pass at Pitlochry. ![]() Aberdour: Dawn of a new era as ScotRail HST (power cars 43132 and 43021) nears Aberdour, heading from Craigentinny to Aberdeen on 10 September 2017.
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The Strathspey Steam Railway is set to remain on track in its bid to re-connect Aviemore and Grantown by loco.
Members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority's planning committee are being recommended to approve the latest work to extend the railway towards Grantown. The proposal is to relay track from the River Dulnain crossing for around 1.7 kilometres leading east past Ballintomb Farm to Lower Gaich Farm, in the Dulnain Bridge area. (Permalink) Inverness and Perth Junction Railway Strathspey Railway [Preserved] ![]() Broomhill: Ivatt class 2MT no 46512 stands in the run-round loop at Broomhill with a special working prior to the official opening of the Broomhill Extension on the Strathspey Railway in 2002. ![]() River Dulnain Viaduct: The first girder is slowly eased into position at Dulnain Bridge on the Strathspey Railway on 14 February 2014. ![]() Grantown-on-Spey West: The distinctive signal box and substantial station building at Grantown-on-Spey West, still extant in April 1968, three years after closure - but alas now long gone. |
A section of Strathspey railway line which was axed as part of the notorious Beeching cuts has now re-opened to rail passengers for the first time in nearly 60 years.
The line was officially closed on October 18, 1956, but a rail service has just restarted taking passengers from beyond the current terminus at Broomhill Station and on for a further three-quarters of a mile towards Grantown. The diesel engine stopped short of crossing the recently installed bridge spanning the River Dulnain on the first outing on Wednesday. A planning application for laying track across the bridge was recently called in by the Cairngorms National Parks planning committee. (Permalink) Inverness and Perth Junction Railway Strathspey Railway [Preserved] ![]() Broomhill: Ivatt class 2MT no 46512 stands in the run-round loop at Broomhill with a special working prior to the official opening of the Broomhill Extension on the Strathspey Railway in 2002. ![]() River Dulnain Viaduct: The first girder is slowly eased into position at Dulnain Bridge on the Strathspey Railway on 14 February 2014. ![]() Grantown-on-Spey West: The distinctive signal box and substantial station building at Grantown-on-Spey West, still extant in April 1968, three years after closure - but alas now long gone. |
Railway enthusiasts have hired a powerful crane to lift the lower sections of a new bridge into place across a river in the Highlands.
Strathspey Steam Railway needs a crossing on the River Dulnain so it can offer journeys between Aviemore and Grantown-on-Spey. (Permalink) Inverness and Perth Junction Railway Strathspey Railway [Preserved] ![]() Millburn Yard: Leaving Millburn Yard for Aviemore in October 2008, with the bridge sections that will eventually span the River Dulnain. ![]() Ravenscraig Steel Works: A class 08 working on the Mossend - Ravenscraig no 3 line crossing the bridge over Merry Street, Motherwell, in the 1980s. This bridge was removed in 2008 and transported by rail to the Strathspey Railway, (see old news item) where it will carry the planned extension of the line to Grantown-on-Spey over the River Dulnain.
![]() Broomhill Junction: Strathspey Railway Class 27 No 5394/27106 near Broomhill Junction on 13 February hauling the Colas Crane towards Broomhill. The crane will be used to lift the replacement bridge into position across the River Dulnain. |
A major step in the return of steam engines to Grantown is set to start soon as part of a project costing more than £30,000.
A steel bridge structure which used to cross Merry Street in Motherwell and was donated by Network Rail in 2008 will be installed over the River Dulnain. A massive rail-borne Kirow 1200 crane, operated by Colas Rail, is coming north to lift the bridge beams into position in mid-February. Members of 39 Engineer Regiment, based at Kinloss Barracks, will assist with later bridge works. (Permalink) Inverness and Perth Junction Railway Strathspey Railway [Preserved] ![]() Ravenscraig Steel Works: A class 08 working on the Mossend - Ravenscraig no 3 line crossing the bridge over Merry Street, Motherwell, in the 1980s. This bridge was removed in 2008 and transported by rail to the Strathspey Railway, (see old news item) where it will carry the planned extension of the line to Grantown-on-Spey over the River Dulnain.
![]() River Dulnain Viaduct: Photograph showing the the gap between the abutments over the River Dulnain to be spanned by the former Merry Street bridge following its relocation. [Photo with kind permission of the Strathspey Railway.] ![]() Findhorn Viaduct [Tomatin]: Sections of the bridge that once carried the line into Ravenscraig Steelworks over Merry Street, Motherwell, are seen crossing Findhorn Viaduct on their way north on 3 October. The bridge, donated by Network Rail, is destined to carry the Strathspey Railway across the River Dulnain as part of the extension of the line to Grantown on Spey. |
What was once the 'highest railway station in Britain' has been taken apart and will be rebuilt at the site of a music festival.
The wooden Victorian building was built at about 1,400ft at Dalnaspidal and was opened in 1864. In the 1970s it was taken down and rebuilt in Aviemore and had been in the care of Strathspey Steam Railway. After becoming surplus to requirements, it has been moved to Inshriach, home of the Insider Festival. (Permalink) Aviemore Speyside Dalnaspidal Inshriach Inverness and Perth Junction Railway Strathspey Railway [Preserved] |