Aberdeen to Inverness Line

Aberdeen to Inverness Line
A ScotRail train at Inverurie station
Overview
Type	Rural
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Aberdeenshire Highland Scotland
Termini	Inverness Aberdeen
Stations	10
Operation
Opened	1858
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Abellio ScotRail
Character	Rural
Rolling stock	Class 158 "Express Sprinter"
Technical
Number of tracks	Double track and Single line
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The Aberdeen to Inverness Line is a railway line in Scotland linking Aberdeen and Inverness.

History

The line was built in three parts:-

• Inverness and Nairn Railway between Inverness and Nairn, which opened on 5 November 1855.
• Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway between Nairn and Keith which opened in 1858.
• Great North of Scotland Railway between Keith and Aberdeen which opened on 19 September 1854, with the southern portion (between Port Elphinstone and Aberdeen Waterloo) being built over the route of the Aberdeenshire Canal.

A Highland Railway 'Clan Goods' locomotive at Forres

Most of the line is single-track, other than the part of the line between Insch and Kennethmont, which is double-track.

The first two parts of the line merged to form the Highland Railway. The Highland Railway operated the line from Inverness to Keith with the Great North operating the line from there to Aberdeen. The Highland was grouped with other railways into the London Midland and Scottish Railway and the Great North was grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway by the Railways Act 1921, before eventually becoming part of British Railways in 1948.

Since 1948

Many intermediate stations were closed at various dates during the 1950s and 1960s to both passenger and goods traffic. The 1963 Reshaping of British Railways report recommended the closure of Inverurie and Insch stations but these remain open. Dyce station was reopened to serve the adjacent Aberdeen Airport.

A new freight interchange known as Raith's Farm was opened in 2009 at Dyce.^[1]

Current services

Aberdeen to Inverness Line
Legend
Kyle of Lochalsh Line & Far North Line Rose Street Junction Welsh's Bridge Junction Inverness ( to ) Millburn Junction Highland Main Line Dalcross Nairn Forres Elgin Keith and Dufftown Railway Keith Town Keith Huntly Insch Inverurie Kintore Dyce ( to ) Aberdeen Glasgow to Aberdeen Line & Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line

Passenger services are operated by Abellio ScotRail with less regular London trains operated by Virgin Trains East Coast during diversions. There is some limited freight traffic, with Elgin retaining a goods yard, whilst Keith, Huntly and Inverurie retain smaller, less frequently used goods yards. Raith's Farm freight yard at Dyce serves Aberdeen.^[1]

The line serves the following stations:

Station	Grid reference
	and other notes
Aberdeen	NJ941058
	Connection with the Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line
	Connection with the Glasgow to Aberdeen Line
	Connection with the Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston
	Connection with NorthLink Ferries to Orkney and Shetland
Dyce	NJ884128
	Connection with 80 Dyce Airlink shuttle bus to Aberdeen Airport
Inverurie	NJ775218
Insch	NJ629275
Huntly	NJ535396
Keith	NJ429516
	Connection with the preserved Keith and Dufftown Railway
Elgin	NJ218621
Forres	NJ029589
Nairn	NH881560
Inverness	NH667454
	Connections with the Highland Main Line, the Far North Line and, via Dingwall on the Far North Line, the Kyle of Lochalsh Line
	Connection with the Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston
	Bus connection to Inverness Airport

Plans

There are currently plans to extend some of the services and increase the frequency of trains between Inverurie and Aberdeen. This will be part of the Aberdeen Crossrail project. Transport Scotland is also funding an infrastructure improvement project on the route between 2015 and 2030. Phase 1 of this scheme (costing £170 million) is due for completion by 2019 and will see the southern end of the line redoubled, the passing loop at Forres extended into a relocated station, new stations built at Dalcross & Kintore, platforms extended at Elgin & Insch and signalling & level crossings on the route upgraded.^[2]

Notes

1. Raiths Farm at Railscot Retrieved 2010-03-15
2. "Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvement Project, Scotland"Railway-technology.com article; Retrieved 19 August 2016

External links

• Inverness-Aberdeen Timetable May 2013