Lochailort

Scottish Gaelic: Loch Ailleart[1]
National Rail
Looking towards Mallaig
General information
LocationLochailort, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates56°52′53″N 5°39′48″W / 56.8814°N 5.6634°W / 56.8814; -5.6634
Grid referenceNM768826
Managed byScotRail
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeLCL[2]
History
Original companyMallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway
Pre-groupingNorth British Railway
Post-groupingLNER
Key dates
1 April 1901Station opened
Passengers
2018/19Decrease 1,546
2019/20Increase 1,586
2020/21Decrease 254
2021/22Increase 1,116
2022/23Increase 1,220
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Lochailort railway station is a railway station serving the village of Lochailort in the Highland Council area in Scotland. This station is on the West Highland Line, between Glenfinnan and Beasdale, 28 miles 49 chains (46.0 km) from the former Banavie Junction.[3] ScotRail manage the station and operate all services.

History

The station seen in 1984

Lochailort station was opened on 1 April 1901 when the Mallaig Extension Railway opened.[4][5]

The station was constructed with two platforms and was an electric token block post, working to Glenfinnan on one side and Arisaig on the other, until the Up loop was lifted in 1966. The loops were lengthened during the Second World War and a new brick signal box erected, the foundations of which now can still be seen at the Arisaig end of the single platform now in use. The second platform fell into disuse in the 1970s.[6]

A camping coach was positioned here by the Scottish Region from 1960 to 1965, the first year a standard camping coach was used, then it was replaced with a Pullman camping coach.[7]

Facilities

The facilities here are very basic, consisting of just a shelter, a bench, a help point, some bike racks and a small car park. The station is step-free.[8] 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 Lochailort[9]
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 1,707 1,802 1,888 1,592 1,621 1,658 2,102 2,146 2,830 2,830 2,186 1,960 1,706 1,696 1,844 1,546 1,586 254 1,116 1,220

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

Four services call here on request each way on weekdays and Saturdays, and three each way on Sundays. These are mostly through trains between Mallaig and Glasgow Queen Street, through one each way only runs between Mallaig and Fort William.[10][11]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Glenfinnan   ScotRail
West Highland Line 		  Beasdale
  Historical railways  
Glenfinnan
Line and Station open 		  North British Railway
Mallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway
   Beasdale
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 147
  5. ^ Thomas & Turnock (1989), pages 279 - 280 & 317
  6. ^ Wills, Dixe (2014). Tiny Stations (Paperback, 1st reprint ed.). Basingstoke: AA Publishing. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-7495-7732-2.
  7. ^ McRae (1998), page 28
  8. ^ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  10. ^ eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218
  11. ^ eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 218

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lochailort railway station.


Railway stations served by ScotRail
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