Achnashellach railway station is a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
serving
Achnashellach
Achnashellach (Gaelic: ''Achadh nan Seileach'') is an area in Wester Ross in the Highlands of Scotland, and within the Highland council area. It is at the eastern end of Loch Dùghaill, and on the A890 road. It has a railway station on the Kyl ...
on the
Kyle of Lochalsh Line, in
Wester Ross
Wester Ross () is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to th ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. The station lies between
Strathcarron and
Achnasheen
Achnasheen (Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic ''Achadh na Sìne'') is a small village in Ross-shire in the Highland Council area, Highland council area of Scotland.
The village is situated on the River Bran at the junction of two roads built by Thomas Te ...
, from .
ScotRail
ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail (), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise as an operator of las ...
, who manage the station, operate all services.
History
The station was privately opened by the
Dingwall and Skye Railway
The Dingwall and Skye Railway was authorised on 5 July 1865 with the aim of providing a route to Skye and the Hebrides. However, due to local objections, another Act of Parliament was required before work could commence. This was passed on 29 Ma ...
in August 1870, primarily to serve Achnashellach Lodge near
Loch Dughaill, but was operated from the outset by the
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway (HR) was one of the two smallest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping, operating north of Perth railway station, Scotland, Perth railway station in Scotland and serving the farthest north o ...
(HR), and only opened to the public a year later, on 1 May 1871. The passing loop at the station was removed in 1966, and the wooden station buildings removed a few years after, although he remains of the second platform are partially visible.
Accidents and incidents
On 14 October 1892, Achnashellach was the scene of a runaway train in which the brake in the
brake van
Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Ireland, Australia and India for a Rolling stock, railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the Conductor (transportation), guard. The equivalent North Americ ...
had malfunctioned. Subsequently, this train moved off down the slope at considerable speed without a locomotive to keep it under control. Reaching the bottom of the slope, it had enough energy to proceed back uphill, before running down the slope once again. Unfortunately, another train was approaching Achnashellach in the opposite direction at that very moment, and the two trains collided at the bottom of the slope with great force. Eight passengers were injured, though none seriously, and the track was not damaged with only minor damage occurring to the rolling stock.
Facilities
Facilities, like at many other stations on the line, are incredibly basic, comprising just a shelter, help point and bike racks, although the station is fully accessible. As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.
Passenger volume
The main origin or destination station for journeys to or from Achnashellach in the 2022–23 period was
Inverness
Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...
, making up 410 of the 752 journeys (54.5%).
Services
Four trains each way call (on request) on weekdays and Saturdays and one each way all year on Sundays, plus a second from May to late September only.
[eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 219]
References
Bibliography
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External links
Dingwall and Skye Railway (map of the line)
{{Railway stations served by Abellio Scotrail
Railway stations in Highland (council area)
Former private railway stations
Railway stations served by ScotRail
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1870
Former Highland Railway stations
Railway request stops in Great Britain
1870 establishments in Scotland