Highland Main Line
Encyclopedia
The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland
. It is 118 mi (189.9 km) long and runs through the Scottish Highlands
linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth
at one end and Inverness
at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edinburgh
, Glasgow
and London
use the line. At Inverness the line connects with the Far North Line
, the Aberdeen-Inverness Line
and services on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line
.
Much of the Highland Main Line is single track
, and trains coming in opposite directions are often timed to arrive at stations at the same time, where crossing loops
permit them to pass. Journey times between Inverness and Edinburgh or Glasgow are approximately three and a half hours.
with a small section of the line between Perth and Stanley
built by the Scottish Midland Junction Railway
, amalgamated with the Aberdeen Railway
to become the Scottish North Eastern Railway
in 1856, and then absorbed by the Caledonian Railway
in 1866. Originally, the line between Inverness and Perth went via Forres
, but the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway
was opened in 1898 to allow for a more direct routeing.
There are two significant summits on the line; Drumochter Summit
between Blair Atholl
and Dalwhinnie
, and Slochd Summit
between Carrbridge
and Inverness
. Other distinct features on the route include the viaducts at Culloden and Tomatin
, the spectacular mountain pass at Drumochter and the severe gradients encountered in both directions, particularly the extended climb from Inverness to the Slochd summit which averages around 1 in 60 the whole way.
Services on the line are provided by First ScotRail
and East Coast
. A roughly two-hourly First ScotRail service operates between Perth
and Inverness
throughout the day, with all services running from either (via Stirling
) or (via Kirkcaldy
). The East Coast
service is titled 'The Highland Chieftain'. Formed of a HST
unit, it departs Inverness
at around 8am and runs to London Kings Cross, via Perth, Stirling, Falkirk
, Edinburgh
and the East Coast Main Line
, arriving in London
at about 4pm. The return working leaves London at midday and reaches Inverness in the late evening.
There is also a First ScotRail-operated sleeping car
service that travels overnight between Inverness and London Euston via Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh Waverley and the West Coast Main Line
, under the title 'The Caledonian Sleeper
'. This joins portions from Aberdeen
and Fort William
at Edinburgh Waverley and south of there becomes the longest locomotive
-hauled passenger train in the UK - regularly loading to 17 Mark 2/3 coaches.
Reliability on the route is variable, due to many areas being single line. Also, because ScotRail are not fined for the late running or cancellation of trains in extreme weather, it means that a high number of trains on this route are allowed to run late or are cancelled in comparison to the rest of Scotland, as weather here is often snow for many weeks during winter.
|}
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...
. It is 118 mi (189.9 km) long and runs through the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
at one end and Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
use the line. At Inverness the line connects with the Far North Line
Far North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick.- Route :...
, the Aberdeen-Inverness Line
Aberdeen to Inverness Line
The Aberdeen to Inverness Line is a railway line in Scotland linking Aberdeen and Inverness.-Current services:Passenger services are operated by First ScotRail. There is some limited freight traffic, with Elgin retaining a goods yard, whilst Keith, Huntly and Inverurie retain smaller, less...
and services on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line
Kyle of Lochalsh Line
The Kyle of Lochalsh Line is a primarily single track railway line in the Scottish Highlands, running from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh. The population along the route is sparse in nature, but the scenery is beautiful and can be quite dramatic, the Kyle line having been likened to a symphony in...
.
Much of the Highland Main Line is single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
, and trains coming in opposite directions are often timed to arrive at stations at the same time, where crossing loops
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
permit them to pass. Journey times between Inverness and Edinburgh or Glasgow are approximately three and a half hours.
History
The vast majority of the line was built and operated by the Highland RailwayHighland Railway
The Highland Railway was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921; it operated north of Perth railway station in Scotland and served the farthest north of Britain...
with a small section of the line between Perth and Stanley
Stanley, Perthshire
Stanley is a village on the right bank of the River Tay in Perthshire, Scotland. The section of River Tay nearby is a popular location for canoeing and fishing.-Etymology:...
built by the Scottish Midland Junction Railway
Scottish Midland Junction Railway
The Scottish Midland Junction Railway was authorised on 31 July 1845 to link Scottish Central Railway at Perth to the Aberdeen Railway at Forfar. It opened on 4 August 1848, having incorporated the Newtyle, Eassie and Glamiss Railway and Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway between Coupar Angus and...
, amalgamated with the Aberdeen Railway
Aberdeen Railway
The Aberdeen Railway was a railway that ran mainly along the North East coast of Scotland south from Aberdeen to on the Arbroath and Forfar Railway. There were branches to Montrose and Brechin...
to become the Scottish North Eastern Railway
Scottish North Eastern Railway
The Scottish North Eastern Railway was a railway company in Scotland created when the Aberdeen Railway amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway on 29 July 1856...
in 1856, and then absorbed by the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
in 1866. Originally, the line between Inverness and Perth went via Forres
Forres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
, but the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway
Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway
The Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway was built by the Highland Railway to provide a direct route between Inverness and Aviemore.-History:...
was opened in 1898 to allow for a more direct routeing.
There are two significant summits on the line; Drumochter Summit
Pass of Drumochter
The Pass of Drumochter is the main mountain pass between the northern and southern central Scottish Highlands. The A9 road passes through here, as does the Highland Main Line, the railway between Inverness and the south of Scotland...
between Blair Atholl
Blair Atholl
Blair Atholl is a small town in Perthshire, Scotland, built about the confluence of the Rivers Tilt and Garry in one of the few areas of flat land in the midst of the Grampian Mountains. The Gaelic place-name Blair, from blàr, 'field, plain', refers to this location...
and Dalwhinnie
Dalwhinnie
Dalwhinnie "Meeting Place" is a small village in the Scottish Highlands.-Location:Dalwhinnie sits at an altitude of 351 m. It is one of the coldest villages in the UK, having an average annual temperature of 6.5oC, making it suitable for winter walking and mountaineering.It is north of Drumochter,...
, and Slochd Summit
Slochd Summit
The Slochd Summit is a mountain pass on the A9 road and the Highland Main Line Railway in the Scottish Highlands between Inverness and Aviemore. An old military road also goes through the pass...
between Carrbridge
Carrbridge
Carrbridge is a village in Badenoch and Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands. It lies off the A9 road on the A938 road, west of Skye of Curr, southeast of Findhom Bridge, near Bogroy.It has the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands and nearby ancient pine forest contains the Landmark Forest...
and Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. Other distinct features on the route include the viaducts at Culloden and Tomatin
Tomatin
Tomatin is a small village on the River Findhorn in Strathdearn in the Scottish Highlands about south of the city of Inverness. The name derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Tom-Ah-Tin . The river Findhorn rises at Coignafearn, a large game estate near Tomatin, and then passes through Tomatin...
, the spectacular mountain pass at Drumochter and the severe gradients encountered in both directions, particularly the extended climb from Inverness to the Slochd summit which averages around 1 in 60 the whole way.
Stations and services
As of 2004, there are stations on the line as follows:| Places served | Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with... grid references British national grid reference system The Ordnance Survey National Grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, different from using latitude and longitude.... |
| and other notes | |
| Perth Perth, Scotland Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire... |
|
| Dunkeld Dunkeld Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the... and Birnam Birnam, Perth and Kinross Birnam is a town in Perthshire, Scotland. The town originated from the Victorian era with the coming of the railway in 1856, although the place and name is well known because William Shakespeare mentioned Birnam Wood in Macbeth.-Location:... |
|
| Shared station | |
| Pitlochry Pitlochry Pitlochry , is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. Its population according to the 2001 census was 2,564.... |
|
| Blair Atholl Blair Atholl Blair Atholl is a small town in Perthshire, Scotland, built about the confluence of the Rivers Tilt and Garry in one of the few areas of flat land in the midst of the Grampian Mountains. The Gaelic place-name Blair, from blàr, 'field, plain', refers to this location... |
|
| Dalwhinnie Dalwhinnie Dalwhinnie "Meeting Place" is a small village in the Scottish Highlands.-Location:Dalwhinnie sits at an altitude of 351 m. It is one of the coldest villages in the UK, having an average annual temperature of 6.5oC, making it suitable for winter walking and mountaineering.It is north of Drumochter,... |
|
| Newtonmore Newtonmore Newtonmore is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of about 1000. The village is only a few miles from a location that is claimed to be the exact geographical centre of Scotland... |
|
| Kingussie Kingussie Kingussie is a small town in the Highland region of Scotland. It is one settlement in the Highland Council ward of Badenoch and Strathspey, and is the capital of the district of Badenoch. It lies beside the A9 road, although the old route of the A9 serves as the town's main street... |
|
| Aviemore Aviemore Aviemore is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and other winter sports, and for hill-walking in the Cairngorm... |
|
| Connection with Strathspey Railway | |
| Carrbridge Carrbridge Carrbridge is a village in Badenoch and Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands. It lies off the A9 road on the A938 road, west of Skye of Curr, southeast of Findhom Bridge, near Bogroy.It has the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands and nearby ancient pine forest contains the Landmark Forest... |
|
| Inverness Inverness Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland... |
|
Services on the line are provided by First ScotRail
First 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...
and East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
. A roughly two-hourly First ScotRail service operates between Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
throughout the day, with all services running from either (via Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
) or (via Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
). The East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
service is titled 'The Highland Chieftain'. Formed of a HST
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
unit, it departs Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
at around 8am and runs to London Kings Cross, via Perth, Stirling, Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
, arriving in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at about 4pm. The return working leaves London at midday and reaches Inverness in the late evening.
There is also a First ScotRail-operated sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
service that travels overnight between Inverness and London Euston via Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh Waverley and the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
, under the title 'The Caledonian Sleeper
Caledonian Sleeper
The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train service operated by First ScotRail and one of only two remaining sleeper services running on the railways of Great Britain, the other being the Night Riviera....
'. This joins portions from Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
at Edinburgh Waverley and south of there becomes the longest locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
-hauled passenger train in the UK - regularly loading to 17 Mark 2/3 coaches.
Reliability on the route is variable, due to many areas being single line. Also, because ScotRail are not fined for the late running or cancellation of trains in extreme weather, it means that a high number of trains on this route are allowed to run late or are cancelled in comparison to the rest of Scotland, as weather here is often snow for many weeks during winter.
Usage
Station usage at some stations remain stable. Overall usage on the line comparing April 2003 to April 2010 has increased 154%|}