In its heyday the station had a staff of approximately thirty people.[citation needed] The station was opened on 1 June 1864 by the Highland Railway.[3]Murdoch Paterson was the engineer involved in the construction of the station (1863–1864).
There have been two engine sheds at Tain in the past: the first was timber-built and originally from Invergordon, which included a turntable. It was re-erected and reopened in June 1864, but burned down on 20 April 1877.[6][page needed] The second was stone-built and opened in 1877. There were no facilities at the shed, although there was a water column and a turntable at the station. It was closed on 18 June 1962, and later demolished.[6][page needed] Both the turntable and the water tank were demolished at a later date, although the pit wall tops of the turntable remain visible.[citation needed] Two signal boxes have also been at the station, one at the north end and one at the south end, although both of these are now demolished.[citation needed]
Facilities
Both platforms have benches, although only platform 1 has a shelter. There is step-free access to both platforms (from two car parks, 1 adjacent to each platform), although the platforms are connected via a footbridge. The only help point is on platform 2.[7] 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 has a passing loop 24 chains (480 m) long, with two platforms. Platform 1 on the southbound line can accommodate trains having seven coaches, whereas platform 2 on the down northbound line can hold eight.[8]
Services
A ScotRail train at Tain station, with a service bound for Inverness
There are five through trains northbound (four to Wick & Thurso, one to Ardgay) in the December 2021 timetable, and eight trains to Inverness southbound on weekdays & Saturdays. The additional departures to Inverness run mainly in the morning peak & evening and are run primarily for commuters. On Sundays there are four trains to Inverness and a single departure to Wick.[9]
^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. 102. ISBN978-1909431-26-3.
^ abGriffiths, Roger; Smith, Paul (1999). The directory of British engine sheds and principal locomotive servicing points: Southern England, the Midlands, East Anglia and Wales. Oxford: Sparkford. ISBN0860935426.
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. ISBN978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC22311137.
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