Kyle of Lochalsh railway station

Kyle of Lochalsh National Rail
Scottish Gaelic: Caol Loch Aillse

Kyle of Lochalsh station
Location
Place Kyle of Lochalsh
Local authority Highland
Coordinates 57°16′48″N 5°42′50″W / 57.2800°N 5.7138°W / 57.2800; -5.7138Coordinates: 57°16′48″N 5°42′50″W / 57.2800°N 5.7138°W / 57.2800; -5.7138
Grid reference NG762271
Operations
Station code KYL
Managed by Abellio ScotRail
Number of platforms 2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05  44,263
2005/06 Increase 44,770
2006/07 Increase 46,749
2007/08 Increase 48,290
2008/09 Increase 52,672
2009/10 Increase 60,164
2010/11 Increase 60,528
2011/12 Increase 66,272
2012/13 Increase 66,828
2013/14 Increase 67,278
2014/15 Decrease 64,256
History
Original company Dingwall and Skye Railway
Pre-grouping Highland Railway
Post-grouping LMS
2 November 1897 Opened[1]
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Kyle of Lochalsh from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Kyle of Lochalsh railway station is the terminus of the Kyle of Lochalsh Line in the village of Kyle of Lochalsh in the Highlands, northern Scotland.

The station is located next to the piers that used to offer sailings to Skye, the ferries being superseded by the Skye Bridge that lies close to the station.

History

Kyle station in September 1973

The station was opened on 2 November 1897 by the Highland Railway, following the completion of the extension of the Dingwall and Skye Railway from Stromeferry. The extension took more than four years to complete due to the unforgiving nature of the terrain through which it was driven - 29 bridges had to be constructed and more than 30 cuttings excavated through solid rock, which led to it costing £20,000 per mile[2] (making it the most expensive rail route to be built in the UK at the time). As built, the station consisted of a broad island platform on a pier next to the water's edge and a chalet-style station building close to the western end. Access to the station was (and still is) via a sloping access road. Several sidings were provided, along with a signal box and small locomotive shed.[3]

The signal box closed in 1984, when Radio Electronic Token Block working was introduced on the line by British Rail - although no longer operational it is still intact and has been adapted for use as a holiday cottage.[4] Both platforms however remain, though only the southern face (platform 1) is normally used by passenger trains. Three sidings are also still intact, including a run-round loop for loco-hauled trains alongside platform 1 and a loading bank siding adjacent to this (which has seen use by timber trains in recent years). Access to each of the sidings and platform 2 is by means of ground frames.[5]

Services

There are four daily departures from the station to Dingwall and Inverness during the week and either one (winter) or two (summer) services on Sundays.[6]

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Duirinish   Abellio ScotRail
Kyle of Lochalsh Line		   Terminus
Historical railways
Duirinish   Highland Railway
Dingwall and Skye Railway
   Terminus

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Butt (1995), page 137
  2. ↑ The Kyle Line - History www.kylerailway.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-010-08
  3. ↑ Railscot - Kyle of Lochalsh www.railbrit.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-10-08
  4. ↑ The Kyle Line - Signal Box Holiday Apaprtment www.kylerailway.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-10-08
  5. ↑ Scot Rail - RETB Inverness www.scot-rail.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-10-08
  6. ↑ GB eNRT May 2016 Edition, Table 239 (Network Rail)

Sources

External links

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