Dingwall railway station

Dingwall engine shed in 1957

The station was built by the Inverness and Ross-shire Railway (I&RR) and opened on 11 June 1862 when the company's line was opened from Inverness to Dingwall. The extension to Invergordon came on 23 March 1863. The I&RR was consolidated with the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway on 30 June 1862. The operating name became the Highland Railway (HR) on 29 June 1865. Under Highland Railway ownership the current station buildings were erected in 1886 by architect Murdoch Paterson.[4]

The HR became a constituent of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSR) in 1923.[5]

The main passenger services through the station were to Wick and Thurso and to Kyle of Lochalsh. Between 1885 and 1946 there was a branch line service to Strathpeffer.[6]

The Highland Railway built a small steam locomotive shed near the station and this continued in use by the LMSR and British Railways until closure at the end of steam locomotive operations in the area in the early 1960s. It was a sub-shed of the large Inverness facility.[7]

The station is 18 miles 58 chains (30.1 km) from Inverness, and is the zero point for the Kyle of Lochalsh Line. It has a passing loop 32 chains (640 m) long, flanked by two platforms. Platform 1 on the down (northbound) line can accommodate trains having eight coaches, whereas platform 2 on the up (southbound) line can hold ten.[8]

The station formerly had two signal boxes to supervise the passing loop and junction between the two routes - both were however closed in 1985 when the Radio Electronic Token Block system was introduced by British Rail on the Far North Line. The system was initially worked from a control centre at the station, with the line southwards planned for inclusion in the Inverness area resignalling scheme. However, when the Inverness scheme was completed in 1988, RETB control was transferred to the new signalling centre there and one here was closed. The junction points were altered so that they were (and still are) power operated - drivers of northbound trains use a plunger on the down platform to select the correct route, whilst southbound trains trigger the correct setting by occupying track circuits on the approach to the station.[9]

Historic Scotland designate the current station and platforms as Category B.[3]

The town's name in Scottish Gaelic is Inbhir Pheofharain;[11] however, the Gaelic on the station sign reads Inbhirpheofharain (incorrectly written as one word). Transport Scotland has acknowledged the error and indicated that the correct signage will be erected during 2014.

New annunciator LED screens have been installed on both platforms, giving information on the next three trains to arrive, and general security information.

Service provision at Dingwall forms part of the Far North and Kyle of Lochalsh Lines

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Conon Bridge		Abellio ScotRail Kyle of Lochalsh Line		Garve
		Abellio ScotRail Far North Line		Alness or Invergordon
	Historical railways
Conon Line and station open		Highland Railway Inverness and Ross-shire Railway		Foulis Line open; station closed
		Highland Railway Dingwall and Skye Railway		Achterneed Line open; station closed
	Disused railways
Terminus		Highland Railway D&SR Strathpeffer Branch		Strathpeffer Line and station closed