Morar railway station

Morar Scottish Gaelic: Mòrar[1]
Morar railway station, looking towards the level crossing and Arisaig
General information
Location	Morar, Highland Scotland
Coordinates	56.9690°N 5.8222°W / 56.9690; -5.8222
Grid reference	NM677929
Managed by	ScotRail
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	MRR[2]
History
Original company	Mallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway
Pre-grouping	North British Railway
Post-grouping	LNER
Key dates
1 April 1901	Station opened
Passengers
2019/20	4,074
2020/21	804
2021/22	3,218
2022/23	3,204
2023/24	4,288
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Morar railway station is a railway station serving the village of Morar in the Highland region of Scotland. This station is on the West Highland Line, between Arisaig and Mallaig, 36 miles 59 chains (59.1 km) from the former Banavie Junction, near Fort William.^[3] ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all the services here.

History

Morar station was opened on 1 April 1901 when the Mallaig Extension Railway opened.^[4][5] The station was host to a LNER camping coach from 1936 to 1939.^[6] A camping coach was also positioned here by the Scottish Region from 1952 to 1959, the coach was replaced in 1960 by a Pullman camping coach which was joined by another Pullman in 1964 until all camping coaches in the region were withdrawn at the end of the 1969 season.^[7] These coaches were converted from a Pullman car, and were fitted with a full kitchen, two sleeping compartments and a room with two single beds.^[8]

Facilities

The station, looking westbound, seen from the level crossing

The station has a small car park, a help point, cycle racks and some seats, and has step-free access.^[9] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.

Passenger volume

Passenger Volume at Morar^[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	3,548	3,556	3,646	4,009	3,733	3,216	3,828	4,086	4,826	4,800	4,626	4,312	4,332	4,576	4,996	4,372	4,074	804	3,218	3,204

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

On weekdays and Saturdays, there are 4 trains in each direction to Mallaig and Fort William. Three of the four Fort William trains extend to Glasgow Queen Street. On Sundays, this decreases to three each way, with one eastbound train terminating at Fort William.^[11][12]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Arisaig		ScotRail West Highland Line		Mallaig
	Historical railways
Arisaig Line and Station open		North British Railway Mallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway		Mallaig Line and Station open

References

1. Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
2. Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
3. 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. 89. ISBN 978-1909431-26-3.
4. Butt (1995), page 163
5. Thomas & Turnock (1989), pages 279 - 280 & 317
6. McRae (1997), page 11
7. McRae (1998), page 28
8. "Pullman Cars as Camping Coaches". Railway Magazine. 107 (711): 449–450. July 1960.
9. "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
10. "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
11. eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218
12. eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 218

Bibliography

• Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
• McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
• Thomas, John; Turnock, David (1989). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Vol. 15 The North of Scotland (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-946537-03-8.

• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.

External links

• Train times and station information for Morar railway station from National Rail
• RAILSCOT on Mallaig Extension Railway