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Connel Ferry railway station is a railway station serving the village of Connel in western Scotland. This station is on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway, between Oban and Taynuilt, sited 65 miles 30 chains (105.2 km) from Callander via Glen Ogle.[4][page needed] All services are operated by ScotRail, who also manage the station.
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| General information | |||||
| Location | Connel, Argyll and Bute Scotland | ||||
| Coordinates | 56°27′09″N 5°23′00″W / 56.4524°N 5.3834°W | ||||
| Grid reference | NM916340 | ||||
| Managed by | ScotRail | ||||
| Line(s) | West Highland Line Ballachulish branch line | ||||
| Platforms | 1 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | CON[2] | ||||
| History | |||||
| Original company | Callander and Oban Railway | ||||
| Pre-grouping | Callander and Oban Railway operated by Caledonian Railway | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 1 July 1880[3] | Opened | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2018/19 |  6,996 | ||||
| 2019/20 |  7,220 | ||||
| 2020/21 | 14,552 | ||||
| 2021/22 | 15,630 | ||||
| 2022/23 | 18,620 | ||||
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History
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The station was opened in either 1880[5][6] or 1903,[7] and in its heyday, when it served a branch to Ballachulish, it had three platforms, a goods yard and a turntable. Later this was reduced to just the single platform, after the branch closed in 1966,[6] as it remains today.[5]
Accidents and incidents
editDuring the 1968 demolition of Connel Ferry West signal box, contractors burning the wooden remains set fire to the track formation. Despite efforts to put the fire out, it continued to burn for several days, causing the embankment to crumble and smoke to issue from fissures in the trackbed. This resulted in a 5 mph speed restriction being imposed and, at the time, caused concerns that the line may be forced to close.[8]
Facilities
editFacilities at the station are basic, consisting of just a shelter, a bench, bike racks, a help point and a small car park.[9] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.
Passenger volume
edit| 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 | 2022–23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entries and exits | 2,686 | 3,268 | 3,482 | 3,834 | 4,058 | 4,330 | 4,088 | 4,056 | 4,316 | 4,004 | 4,400 | 8,564 | 6,592 | 6,262 | 7,272 | 6,996 | 7,220 | 14,552 | 15,630 | 18,620 |
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Services
editThere are 7 departures in each direction weekdays, with 6 on Saturdays, with trains heading eastbound to Glasgow Queen Street and westbound to Oban. On weekdays only, the 7th service in each direction runs from Oban to Dalmally and back. On Sundays, there are three departures each way throughout the year, plus a fourth in the summer months only to Edinburgh Waverley, which only runs from late June–August.[11][12]
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taynuilt | ScotRail West Highland Line |
Oban | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Ach-na-Cloich Line open; Station closed |
Callander and Oban Railway Caledonian Railway |
Oban Line and station open | ||
| Callander and Oban Railway Ballachulish Branch Caledonian Railway |
North Connel Line and station closed | |||
References
edit- ^ Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. "Gaelic/English Station Index". Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
- ^ Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ^ Railway Passenger Stations by M.Quick page 142
- ^ 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. ISBN 978-1909431-26-3.
- ^ a b "Connel Ferry Railway Station from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Connel Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland". www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ "Connel Ferry, Station | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ "Locomotive News". Railway Magazine: 684. November 1968.
- ^ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218
- ^ eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 218
Bibliography
edit- Butt, R. V. J. (October 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. OL 11956311M.
- Fryer, Charles (1989). The Callander and Oban Railway. Oxford: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-8536-1377-X. OCLC 21870958.
- 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.
External links
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- Train times and station information for Connel Ferry railway station from National Rail