Dalcross railway station

Dalcross was a railway station located at Dalcross, to the east of Inverness, Scotland (now in the Highland Council Area). It opened in 1855 and closed in 1965. A new station in Dalcross was proposed in the early 21st century, and was projected to open in 2019, but has been set back to the 2020s.

Dalcross
LocationDalcross, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates57.5267°N 4.0707°W / 57.5267; -4.0707
Grid referenceNH761503
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyInverness and Nairn Railway
Pre-groupingHighland Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
5 November 1855[1]Opened
3 May 1965[1]Closed

Original station

The Inverness and Nairn Railway was formally opened on 5 November 1855, public services beginning the following day,[2] and Dalcross was one of the four intermediate stations originally provided.[3] In September 1925, the distances of the station were given as 137 miles 10 chains (220.7 km) from Perth (measured via Dava), and 48 miles 6 chains (77.4 km) from Keith Junction.[4]

Dalcross station closed on 3 May 1965,[1] and the signal box closed on 12 March 1967.[5] The station building remains however and is now a private residence. The level crossing at the eastern end of the station is now equipped with automatic half-barriers, and is 137 miles 17 chains (220.8 km) from Perth (via Dava).[6]

Proposed new station

In June 2006 a proposal was announced to open a new station at Dalcross,[7] which would serve Inverness Airport and also provide park-and-ride facilities for commuters to Inverness,[8] relieving road congestion to the east of Inverness,[9] and so helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.[10] The proposal was still open in 2010, and it was specified that the station could have one platform on the north side of the line, 150 metres (490 ft) long, enough for a six-carriage Class 170 train. The proposed location of the station was given as having an eastern end at an overbridge at 136 miles 38 chains (219.6 km) (grid reference NH770511), extending westward to 136 miles 46 chains (219.8 km). There was also the possibility of providing a passing loop, which could not extend further west than the level crossing; a second platform would be built on the south side of the loop.[11] In February 2011, Keith Brown, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure in the Scottish Government, stated that discussions on the proposed station (and another at Kintore) were being held between Transport Scotland and Network Rail.[12] A £170 million infrastructure upgrade project for the line, funded by Transport Scotland, was announced in 2014. Provision for station reopenings here and at Kintore were included in the plans, along with signalling & track improvements, relocation of the station at Forres and platform extension works along the route.[13]

The station was intended to open by 2019,[14] but construction didn't start as expected in 2017, and the station is now expected to open in the first half of Network Rail's Control Period 6, which runs from 2019-2024.[15]

Services

Preceding station Future services Following station
Nairn   Abellio ScotRail
Aberdeen–Inverness line
  Inverness
  Historical railways  
Gollanfield Junction
Station closed; Line open
  Inverness and Nairn Railway   Castle Stuart Platform
Station closed; Line open

References

Sources

  • Butt, R. V. J. (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.
  • Catford, Nick (20 April 2010). "Dalcross Station". Disused Stations. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  • Pringle, Gordon (22 October 2010). "Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvement" (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  • Vallance, H.A.; Clinker, C.R.; Lambert, Anthony J. (1985) [1938]. The Highland Railway (4th ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-946537-24-0.
  • Yonge, John (December 2007) [1987]. Jacobs, Gerald (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (5th ed.). Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-3-6.
  • "Rail Users Group - Issues for Consideration by HITRANS RAG Meeting". The Friends of the Far North Line - Newsletter. May 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  • "Strategic Transport Projects Review - Report 3 Generation, Sifting and Appraisal of Interventions - Annex 2" (PDF). Transport Scotland. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  • "Talks on new rail stations at Kintore and Dalcross". BBC News Highlands & Islands. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
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