Achnashellach railway station

Achnashellach railway station is a railway station serving Achnashellach on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, in Wester Ross, Scotland. The station lies between Strathcarron and Achnasheen, 40 miles 34 chains (65.1 km) from Dingwall.^[4] ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.

Achnashellach Scottish Gaelic: Achadh nan Seileach[1]
Achnashellach station in November 2019
General information
Location	Achnashellach, Highland Scotland
Coordinates	57.4821°N 5.3331°W / 57.4821; -5.3331
Grid reference	NH002484
Managed by	ScotRail
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	ACH[2]
History
Original company	Dingwall and Skye Railway
Pre-grouping	Highland Railway
Post-grouping	LMSR
Key dates
August 1870	Station opened[3]
Passengers
2018/19	820
2019/20	836
2020/21	130
2021/22	650
2022/23	752
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The station seen in 1970

The station was privately opened by the Dingwall and Skye Railway in August 1870, primarily to serve Achnashellach Lodge near Loch Dughaill,^[5] but was operated from the outset by the Highland Railway (HR), and only opened to the public a year later, on 1 May 1871.^[6] The passing loop at the station was removed in 1966, and the wooden station buildings removed a few years after, although he remains of the second platform are partially visible.^[7]

Accidents and incidents

On 14 October 1892, Achnashellach was the scene of a runaway train in which the brake in the brake van had malfunctioned. Subsequently, this train moved off down the slope at considerable speed without a locomotive to keep it under control. Reaching the bottom of the slope, it had enough energy to proceed back uphill, before running down the slope once again. Unfortunately, another train was approaching Achnashellach in the opposite direction at that very moment, and the two trains collided at the bottom of the slope with great force. Eight passengers were injured, though none seriously, and the track was not damaged with only minor damage occurring to the rolling stock.^[8]

Facilities

Facilities, like at many other stations on the line, are incredibly basic, comprising just a shelter, help point and bike racks, although the station is fully accessible.^[9] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.

Passenger volume

The main origin or destination station for journeys to or from Achnashellach in the 2022–23 period was Inverness, making up 410 of the 752 journeys (54.5%).^[10]

Passenger Volume at Achnashellach^[10]

	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	664	691	593	540	655	646	778	738	1,084	1,054	976	800	1,078	878	870	820	836	130	650	752

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

Four trains each way call (on request) on weekdays and Saturdays and one each way all year on Sundays, plus a second from May to late September only.^[11][12]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Achnasheen		ScotRail Kyle of Lochalsh Line		Strathcarron
	Historical railways
Glencarron Platform		Highland Railway Dingwall and Skye Railway		Strathcarron

References

1. Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
2. Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
3. Caton 2018.
4. 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. 97. ISBN 978-1909431-26-3.
5. Caton 2018, p. 253.
6. Quick 2022, p. 44.
7. Caton 2018, p. 254.
8. "The railway accident at Achnashellach". Inverness Courier. 2 December 1892. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
9. "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
10. "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
11. eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 219
12. eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 219

Bibliography

• Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
• 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.
• Caton, Peter (2018). Remote Stations. Leicestershire: Matador. ISBN 978-1-78901-408-2.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
• 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.
• Quick, Michael (2022). Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain: A Chronology (PDF) (5th ed.). London: Railway and Canal Historical Society.

External links

• Train times and station information for Achnashellach railway station from National Rail
• Dingwall and Skye Railway (map of the line)