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Corrour railway station

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Corrour railway station (/kəˈraʊər/ kər-OUR) is on the West Highland Line, near Loch Ossian on the Corrour Estate, in the Highland council area (formerly Inverness-shire) of Scotland. It is the highest mainline railway station in the United Kingdom at an elevation of 1,340 feet (410 m) above sea level.[4][5] It is located between Rannoch and Tulloch, and is sited 71 miles 54 chains (115.3 km) from Craigendoran Junction, near Helensburgh.[6] ScotRail manage the station and provide most services, along with Caledonian Sleeper.

Corrour

Scottish Gaelic: An Coire Odhar[1]
National Rail
Corrour station, looking southeast
General information
LocationLoch Ossian, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates56°45′37″N 4°41′27″W / 56.7602°N 4.6907°W / 56.7602; -4.6907
Grid referenceNN356663
Managed byScotRail
Platforms2 (1 in regular use)
Other information
Station codeCRR[2]
History
Original companyWest Highland Railway
Pre-groupingNorth British Railway
Post-groupingLNER
Key dates
7 August 1894Opened[3]
Passengers
2019/20Decrease 12,630
2020/21Decrease 2,268
2021/22Increase 11,518
2022/23Increase 14,108
2023/24Increase 17,930
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

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Map showing location of Corrour railway station with reference to other geographical features mentioned in the article

Corrour station was built by the West Highland Railway between 1893 and 1894 on its line linking Glasgow with Fort William, and was operated from its opening on 7 August 1894 by the North British Railway.[7][8] It has a passing loop around an island platform with a siding on the east side. In common with the line's two other remote passing places, Gorton and Glen Douglas, it was built with a tall signalbox and an adjacent low building in which the signalman lived.[9][10] The adjacent low building (in Corrour's case) was also used as a sub post office from 15 December 1896 and a Post Office telegraph office from 16 August 1898; Corrour even qualified as a post town.[11] Later, the railway constructed a station house for the signalman on the east side of the tracks, and the original building became purely office accommodation for the railway and the post office.[12]

Corrour was originally intended[13] to be merely a passing place on the long section between Rannoch and Tulloch, called Luibruaridh (sic)[14] after the nearest habitation, Luibruairidh, on the old drove road between Rannoch and Spean Bridge, about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) northwest of the passing place.[15] However, from its opening, its small island platform was used as a station, and the name Corrour was also used[16] although Corrour Lodge at that time was where the drove road crossed Coire Odhar, some 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of the station.[15] However, when the station opened, estate traffic was facilitated by the building of a mile-long (1.6 km) track connecting the station to the old drove road as it passed near the head of Loch Ossian.[17]

In the early days, there was so much estate business that the railway employed an extra clerkess during the grouse season. It was theoretically a private station for the use of the estate, but it was also used by the public from the start, despite its not appearing in public timetables until September 1934.[18][19]

In 1897, the estate built a new lodge at the foot of Loch Ossian, 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) northeast of the station. There was, however, no vehicular access to the lodge from the public road system, so all goods (including vehicles) had to come and go by rail via Corrour station. Until the track along the south shore of Loch Ossian was built, the estate ran a small steamer from the lodge to the head of Loch Ossian (where Loch Ossian youth hostel is now), from which the station was only a little over a mile (1.6 km) away.[20] In 1972, the Forestry Commission built a private macadamized road from the A86 at near Moy Lodge to Corrour Lodge, so for the first time there was vehicular access to the station, via Corrour Lodge and Moy Lodge – a total distance of 15 miles (24 km).[21]

 
Corrour station from the south in March 1982, showing the original station house and the footbridge before its removal to Rannoch

Corrour sub post and telegraph office closed on 5 March 1977.[11]

During the construction of the Lochaber hydroelectric scheme in the 1930s, a small halt was located at Fersit, between Corrour and Tulloch, about 2 miles (3.2 km) short of the latter.[citation needed]

Since November 1985, all passenger trains have used the original "down" platform. The "up" loop remains, and is serviceable, but it is no longer used by passenger trains.[10] There was originally a footbridge at Corrour station, providing an exit to the east side, but it was moved to Rannoch station, following the downgrading of the "up" loop at Corrour.[22] Passengers now cross the line by a barrow crossing.[23]

In 1998/1999, Corrour Estate replaced the former signalman's house with a new station house. This included business premises and lodging for their managers, and had electric power from a diesel generator.[12][24] The station house subsequently had a number of tenants over the years, becoming an independent hostel, an SYHA hostel (in addition to the SYHA’s nearby hostel at Loch Ossian), and a restaurant. In 2015, the estate took over the running of the building, and after closure for refurbishment, reopened it as a bar and restaurant.[25]

In 2012, the red stone chippings on the platform, which Network Rail acknowledged would be hazardous to wheelchair passengers, were replaced by a hard surface.[26]

In 2013, Historic Scotland listed the disused signalbox (called the "old watchtower" by Network Rail) and the adjacent building as Category C (the tall boxes at Gorton and Glen Douglas had been demolished).[27] Subsequently, Network Rail, in conjunction with the Corrour Estate and the Railway Heritage Trust, refurbished the signalbox, and in 2016, the estate opened three guest rooms in it.[10]

Location

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The station is one of the most remote in the United Kingdom, at an isolated location on the northern edge of Rannoch Moor.[28] It is not accessible by any public roads. The nearest road, the B846 road from Loch Rannoch to Rannoch station, is a ten-mile (16 km) walk away by hill track,[29] although Rannoch station itself is only 7¼ route-miles (11.5 km) away by rail.[30] Vehicular access is by a 15-mile (24 km) private road from a little west of Moy Lodge on the A86. Until the late 1980s, the only electrical power at the station was provided by batteries. The only telephone was the railway's system which linked Corrour only to the adjacent signal boxes at Rannoch and Tulloch, which were on the public telephone system.[31]

At 1,340 ft (410 m) above sea level[4] the station provides a starting point for hill-walkers and Munro-baggers. There is accommodation and a bar/restaurant available at the station[32] and an SYHA youth hostel just over a mile (1.6 km) away at the head of Loch Ossian.[33]

Facilities

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The little-used (since 1985) platform at Corrour; the old signal box can be seen immediately beyond the platform.

Corrour is unstaffed and there are no ticket-issuing facilities. There are no departure announcements but there is WiFi, a telephone help point, an electronic departure display and a Caledonian Sleeper digital information point. There is a shelter with bench seats and cycle racks. The station is lit by electric lights.[23][34]

Passenger volume

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Its estimated usage of 14,344 (2018–2019) made it the busiest station on the line north of Crianlarich, apart from Fort William and Mallaig.[35]

Passenger Volume at Corrour[35]
2002-03 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
Entries and exits 9,887 10,817 9,885 11,045 13,226 12,724 12,280 12,782 12,222 12,058 13,138 12,856 11,156 11,092 13,302 14,344 12,630 2,268 11,518

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

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A First ScotRail train to Mallaig
 
A Caledonian Sleeper train approaching Corrour, bound for Fort William

Corrour station is served by regular ScotRail passenger trains between Glasgow Queen Street and Fort William and Mallaig. Its station map is available on National Rail's website which shows station information.[36]

These local services run three times a day in each direction on weekdays and Saturdays, but less frequently on Sundays (twice each way). In addition, Corrour is served by the Caledonian Sleeper service between Fort William and London Euston via Glasgow Queen Street (Low Level) and Edinburgh (these run daily except Saturday nights in each direction). The sleeper also conveys seated coaches and can therefore also be used by regular West Highland passengers travelling to or from Glasgow or Edinburgh.[37][38][39]

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Rannoch   ScotRail
West Highland Line 		  Tulloch
Rannoch   Caledonian Sleeper
(Highland Sleeper) 		  Tulloch
  Historical railways  
Rannoch   North British Railway
West Highland Railway
   Tulloch

Cultural references

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The station, and the nearby mountain Leum Uilleim, gained fame when they were featured in a scene from the film Trainspotting. It also appeared in the fourth episode of the 2010 BBC series Secret Britain. The station also featured in the Young Guns video for the single "Weight of the World". The station is the primary location in Jos Stelling's film De Wisselwachter. It was also visited by Paul Merton in Episode 3 of his Channel 4 documentary series Paul Merton's Secret Stations.[40] It also featured in an All the Stations documentary in 2019.[41]

The route south from Corrour across the Moor of Rannoch to Rannoch Station itself was used as a filming location in the Harry Potter films where a Death Eater was seen to stand between the rails with an outstretched arm, to bring the approaching Hogwarts Express to a stand for the train to be inspected. Warner Brothers spent a couple of days with equipment based at Rannoch to facilitate the filming sequences.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
  2. ^ Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ^ Butt (1995)
  4. ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "Corrour Station (105961)". Canmore. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  5. ^ Marius, Callum (19 August 2021). "Remote station is 10 miles from nearest road but has direct trains to London". MyLondon. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  6. ^ Bridge, Mike, ed. (2017). TRACKatlas of Mainland Britain: A Comprehensive Geographic Atlas Showing the Rail Network of Great Britain (3rd ed.). Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. p. 90. ISBN 978-1909431-26-3.
  7. ^ Thomas, chapters 3 and 4; dates from pp 64 and 170
  8. ^ "Heritage Locations". Transporttrust.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  9. ^ McGregor, p 39
  10. ^ a b c "Railway Heritage Trust, Annual Report and Accounts, 2015/2016" (PDF). Railwayheritagetrust.co.uk. p. 17. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Scotland - UK Post Offices by County". Sites.google.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  12. ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "Recording Your Heritage Online (563613)". Canmore. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  13. ^ Thomas p 135
  14. ^ Mountain Moor & Loch p114
  15. ^ a b "Ordnance Survey six-inch 1st edition (1843-1882)". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  16. ^ Mountain Moor & Loch, distance table in frontispiece
  17. ^ Robertson, Jennifer G. (December 2009). "An Archaeological Survey of Parts of Corrour Estate [etc]" (PDF).
  18. ^ Thomas pp 72,73
  19. ^ Thomas p 171 gives the date of its being open to the public as 15 September, a Saturday; Canmore 105961 gives 11 September 1934, a Tuesday, possibly following Butt
  20. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Corrour Lodge (GDL00107)". Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  21. ^ "Architecture & History - Corrour Estate - Highlands Scotland". Corrour.co.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  22. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Archaeology Notes (796121)". Canmore. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  23. ^ a b "National Rail Enquiries - Station facilities for Corrour". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  24. ^ "Magic of the Moor : Scotland Magazine Issue 49". Scotlandmag.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Corrour Station House: now closed". Jimsloire.blogspot.co.uk. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  26. ^ Covanburn.net. "Recent Projects At Covanburn Contracts". Covanburn.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  27. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Corrour Station, Waiting Room and Signal Box (Category C Listed Building) (LB52057)". Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  28. ^ Mountain Moor and Loch, p114.
  29. ^ Somerville, Christopher (15 June 2001). "Scotland: Walk of the month". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  30. ^ British Rail Passenger Timetable, summer 1992, p1322
  31. ^ Thomas, p 65
  32. ^ Corrour Station House, West Word, August 2015 issue, https://www.westword.org.uk/august2015.html
  33. ^ "Loch Ossian - SYHA Hostelling Scotland". Syha.org.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  34. ^ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  35. ^ a b "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  36. ^ "Discover Corrour railway station. Getting to & from, buying & collecting train tickets, staffing, facilities, accessibility, & mobility access". October 2024.
  37. ^ eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218
  38. ^ eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 218
  39. ^ eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 220
  40. ^ [1] Archived 30 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine Channel 4 Programme Information website; Retrieved 16 May 2016
  41. ^ Behind The Scenes At Corrour - Documentary, 23 February 2020, archived from the original on 13 December 2021, retrieved 30 July 2021

Bibliography

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