Tain railway station

Tain railway station is a railway station serving the burgh of Tain in the Highland council area of Scotland. The station is on the Far North Line and is currently (2012) unmanned.

Tain
Scottish Gaelic: Baile Dhubhthaich[1]
Location
Place	Tain
Local authority	Highland
Coordinates	57.8144°N 4.0519°W / 57.8144; -4.0519
Grid reference	NH781823
Operations
Station code	TAI
Managed by	Abellio ScotRail
Number of platforms	2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15	30,004
2015/16	27,896
2016/17	28,622
2017/18	29,774
2018/19	29,384
History
Original company	Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
Pre-grouping	Highland Railway
Post-grouping	LMSR
1 June 1864[2]	Opened
Listed status
Listing grade	Category B
Entry number	LB41910[3]
Added to list	6 October 1978
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Tain from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

In its heyday the station had a staff of approximately thirty people. The station was opened on 1 June 1864 by the Highland Railway.[2] Murdoch Paterson was the engineer involved in the construction of the station (1863–1864).

Facilities

The station is 44 miles 23 chains (71.3 km) from Inverness, and has a passing loop 24 chains (480 m) long, flanked by two platforms. Platform 1 on the up (southbound) line can accommodate trains having seven coaches, whereas platform 2 on the down (northbound) line can hold eight.[4]

Engine shed

1st shed

• Former Invergordon Shed (Timber Built) was re-erected and opened in June 1864 (located approximately NH7068.01/1A) - facilities included turntable. Burned down 20 April 1877.[5]

2nd shed

• Slated Gable Style (Stone Built) Opened in 1877 (Sub-Shed to Helmsdale)- no facilities at the shed but a water column and turntable located at station. Dept closed 18 June 1962 (Demolished).[5]

Turntable

• Demolished (Pit filled in but pit wall tops still visible)

Signal Box South

• Demolished

Signal Box North

• Demolished

Water tank

• Stone Built sub-structure supporting cast iron tank. Demolished

Services

There are four through trains northbound to Wick & Thurso in the May 2016 timetable and eight trains to Inverness southbound on weekdays & Saturdays. The additional departures to Inverness run mainly in the morning peak & evening and are run primarily for commuters. On Sundays there are four trains to Inverness and a single departure to Wick.[6]

References

Notes

1. Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
2. Butt 1995, p. 226.
3. "STATION ROAD RAILWAY STATION". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
4. Brailsford 2017, map 18D.
5. Griffiths & Smith 1999.
6. Table 239 National Rail timetable, May 2016

Sources

• Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• 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.
• Griffiths, Roger; Smith, Paul (1999). The directory of British engine sheds and principal locomotive servicing points : Southern England, the Midlands, East Anglia and Wales. Sparkford: Oxford. ISBN 0860935426.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

• photo of disused turntable pit before being filled in

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Fearn or Invergordon		Abellio ScotRail Far North Line		Ardgay
	Historical railways
Fearn Line and station open		Highland Railway Inverness and Ross-shire Railway		Meikle Ferry Line open; Station closed