Invergordon railway station

Invergordon

Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Ghòrdain[1]
National Rail
General information
LocationInvergordon, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates57°41′21″N 4°10′28″W / 57.6891°N 4.1745°W / 57.6891; -4.1745
Grid referenceNH704686
Managed byScotRail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeIGD[2]
History
Original companyInverness and Ross-shire Railway
Pre-groupingHighland Railway
Post-groupingLMSR
Key dates
23 March 1863[3]Opened
Passengers
2019/20Decrease 27,826
2020/21Decrease 3,134
2021/22Increase 13,308
2022/23Increase 18,758
2023/24Increase 28,580
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Invergordon railway station is a railway station serving the town of Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth, in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is located on the Far North Line, 31 miles 37 chains (50.6 km) from Inverness, between Alness and Fearn.[4] ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.

History

The station opened on 23 March 1863,[5] as part of the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway, later the Highland Railway and then the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

Accidents and incidents

On 26 November 1944, Royal Air Force Short Sunderland DD851 of the No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit departed Cromarty Firth, RAF Alness on an anti-submarine patrol of the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. During the initial climb a connecting rod on the starboard inner engine broke, the engine caught fire and fell off. The Sunderland, with a full load of fuel and depth charges then crashed into the railway line 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Invergordon railway station where all 11 of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) crew were killed.[6] The crew are buried in the Stonefall Air Force Cemetery in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.[7]

Facilities

The station as seen in 2017
A train calling at Invergordon in 2021

Both platforms have a help point and benches, whilst only platform 2 has a shelter (passengers on platform 1 have to use the old station buildings for shelter). There is a car park and bike racks adjacent to platform 1. Both platforms have multiple entries, all with step-free access.[8] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.

Platform layout

The station consists of two side platforms, which can each accommodate an eight-coach train, flanking a passing loop 34 chains (680 m) long on the predominantly single-track line from Dingwall to Thurso and Wick.[9]

Passenger volume

Passenger Volume at Invergordon[10]
2002–03 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23
Entries and exits 7,069 8,109 9,195 12,949 15,853 19,974 20,648 23,444 34,564 34,974 36,355 31,962 29,054 27,886 28,958 28,806 27,826 3,134 13,308 18,758

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

The station has seen a number of timetable improvements since 2008, with the addition of an extra through train each way to/from Wick on weekdays and further shorter distance services to/from Inverness aimed at the commuter market (these mainly run as far as Tain or Ardgay). Prior to this, 3 departures in each direction was the standard service on the line for many years.[11]

In the December 2021 timetable, the station sees 6 services northbound on weekdays (4 to Wick via Thurso, 1 to Ardgay, 1 to Tain) and 4 northbound on Sundays (1 to Wick, 3 to Tain). On weekdays and Saturdays, there are 9 services southbound to Inverness, with 5 on Sundays.[12]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Alness or Dingwall   ScotRail
Far North Line 		  Fearn or Tain
or Terminates here
  Historical railways  
Alness
Line and station open 		  Highland Railway
Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
   Delny
Line open; Station closed

References

  1. ^ Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. "Gaelic/English Station Index". Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
  2. ^ Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ^ Quick 2022, p. 256.
  4. ^ Bridge, Mike, ed. (2017). TRACKatlas of Mainland Britain: A Comprehensive Geographic Atlas Showing the Rail Network of Great Britain (3rd ed.). Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. p. 99. ISBN 978-1909431-26-3.
  5. ^ Quick 2022, p. p=256.
  6. ^ Form 1160 Crash Report (Report). Air Ministry. 1944.
  7. ^ Allison, Les; Hayward, Harry (June 1992). "They Shall Not Grow Old" A book of Remembrance. Brandon, MB: Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum Inc. ISBN 0920436412.
  8. ^ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  9. ^ Brailsford 2017, map 18D.
  10. ^ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  11. ^ Table 239 National Rail timetable, May 2006.
  12. ^ eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 219

Bibliography

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