Inverness and Ross-shire Railway

The Inverness and Ross-shire Railway was incorporated on 3 July 1860 with the aim to build a line to Invergordon. The line opened in stages - from Inverness to Dingwall on 11 June 1862 and from Dingwall to Invergordon on 23 March 1863.

Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
LocaleScotland
Dates of operation11 June 1862 – 30 June 1862
Successor lineInverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
Line length57.5 miles
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Sutherland Railway
Ardgay
Mid Fearn
Edderton
Meikle Ferry
Tain
Fearn
Nigg
Kildary
Delny
Invergordon
Alness
Evanton
Foulis
Dingwall and Skye Railway
Dingwall
Conon
Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway
partially built
Fortrose Branch
Muir of Ord
Beauly
Clunes
Lentran
Bunchrew
Clachnaharry
River Ness Viaduct
Inverness
Rose Street Junction
Welsh's Bridge Junction
Millburn Junction
Inverness and Nairn Railway
Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway

Mergers

On 30 June 1862 the railway was incorporated into the Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway, which had previously absorbed the Inverness and Nairn Railway. Ultimately the line became part of the Highland Railway on 1 February 1865.

Extension

The extension to Bonar Bridge (latterly Ardgay) was authorised as the Ross-shire Extension Act on 11 May 1863, opening to Meikle Ferry on 1 June 1864 and Bonar Bridge on 1 October 1864.

Closed stations

The former terminus at Meikle Ferry on the southern side of the Dornoch Firth is today the Dornoch Bridge Inn. Here mail was transferred from the train to cross the ferry (today replaced by Dornoch Firth Bridge) to continue its journey northwards to Sutherland, Caithness and the Orkney and Shetland Islands. It remained a station for only three years in the mid-1860s until the line was completed to Golspie. Beyond Meikle Ferry, the closed station at Edderton still exists as a private house next to the Balblair Distillery.

The route today

The line is still open, being part of the Far North Line.

Connections

References

  • Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
  • 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.
  • Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
  • RAILSCOT article on Inverness and Ross-shire Railway


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.