Falls of Cruachan railway station
Encyclopedia
Falls of Cruachan railway station is a railway station located at the foot of Ben Cruachan
in Scotland
. This station is on the Oban
branch of the West Highland Line
, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway
.
.
The station is a request stop
, used mainly by hikers
during the warmer months who walk past the falls to climb Ben Cruachan. It is open only during the summer months, during a period formerly associated with the summer timetable, prior to the timetable change date moving from September to December. Cruachan hydro-electric
power station
is nearby.
Falls of Cruachan station was reopened in 1988 by BR's West Highland Area Business Group for just £10,000 – achieved by collecting ‘dumped’ concrete sleepers from the lineside all over the Highlands and having them stacked at the site of the old station here. They were topped by slabs and BR's Business Manager Highland Callum MacLeod persuaded the then Strathclyde Regional Council to rebuild the footpath down to the A85 and to install a pavement from there to the Ben Cruachan Visitors Centre about 300 yards away. There is no station lighting so trains call (by request) during daylight hours only. Col. Dalziel, retiring as Chairman of the Scottish TUCC, performed the opening ceremony. Some years later, a shelter and better signing were added to the halt.
directly associated with it, its platform falls within the four mile stretch of railway that is protected by the Pass of Brander stone signals
.
to derailed near Falls of Cruachan station
. The train derailed shortly before 8.53pm and was left balanced precariously on a 15-metre embankment. There was briefly a minor fire. Sixty passengers had been on board the train, but all were safely evacuated down the line to the station with no major injuries. Nine people were injured. It is thought that the train hit a rock on the line.
Ben Cruachan
Ben Cruachan is a 1126 m mountain that is the highest point in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It gives its name to the Cruachan Dam, a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in a cavern inside the mountain, as well as providing the slogan for Clan Campbell.It is the high point of a...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. This station is on the Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
branch of the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway
Callander and Oban Railway
The Callander and Oban Railway company was formed in 1864 with the objective of linking Callander, Scotland to the west coast port of Oban over challenging terrain, particularly at Glen Ogle and the Pass of Brander at Loch Awe. Callander had been reached in 1858 by the Dunblane, Doune and Callander...
.
Services
Services are operated by First ScotRailFirst ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
.
The station is a request stop
Request stop
In public transport, a request stop or flag stop describes a stopping point at which trains or buses stop only on an as-need or request basis; that is, only if there are passengers to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, infrequently used stopping points can be served efficiently.Trains save...
, used mainly by hikers
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
during the warmer months who walk past the falls to climb Ben Cruachan. It is open only during the summer months, during a period formerly associated with the summer timetable, prior to the timetable change date moving from September to December. Cruachan hydro-electric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
is nearby.
History
The station opened on 1 October 1893 with a single platform on the south side of the line. Although it was closed on 1 November 1965, it re-opened on 20 June 1988.Falls of Cruachan station was reopened in 1988 by BR's West Highland Area Business Group for just £10,000 – achieved by collecting ‘dumped’ concrete sleepers from the lineside all over the Highlands and having them stacked at the site of the old station here. They were topped by slabs and BR's Business Manager Highland Callum MacLeod persuaded the then Strathclyde Regional Council to rebuild the footpath down to the A85 and to install a pavement from there to the Ben Cruachan Visitors Centre about 300 yards away. There is no station lighting so trains call (by request) during daylight hours only. Col. Dalziel, retiring as Chairman of the Scottish TUCC, performed the opening ceremony. Some years later, a shelter and better signing were added to the halt.
Signalling
Although Falls of Cruachan station has never had any signallingRailway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
directly associated with it, its platform falls within the four mile stretch of railway that is protected by the Pass of Brander stone signals
Pass of Brander stone signals
The Pass of Brander stone signals are a series of railway signals situated in the Pass of Brander, between and stations on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line in Scotland. They are part of a warning system that advises train drivers to exercise caution in the event of a rock-fall.The...
.
Accidents
On 6 June 2010, a two carriage train from GlasgowGlasgow Queen Street railway station
Glasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini and the third-busiest station in Scotland. It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to...
to derailed near Falls of Cruachan station
Falls of Cruachan derailment
The Falls of Cruachan derailment occurred on 6 June 2010 on the West Highland Line in Scotland, when a passenger train travelling between Glasgow and Oban hit boulders on the line and derailed near Falls of Cruachan railway station, after a landslide. The two-car diesel multiple unit caught fire...
. The train derailed shortly before 8.53pm and was left balanced precariously on a 15-metre embankment. There was briefly a minor fire. Sixty passengers had been on board the train, but all were safely evacuated down the line to the station with no major injuries. Nine people were injured. It is thought that the train hit a rock on the line.