Connel Ferry railway station

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.[3] All services are operated by ScotRail, who also manage the station.

Connel Ferry

Scottish Gaelic: Aiseag na Coingheil[1]
National Rail
General information
LocationConnel, Argyll and Bute
Scotland
Coordinates56.4524°N 5.3834°W / 56.4524; -5.3834
Grid referenceNM916340
Managed byScotRail
Line(s)West Highland Line
Ballachulish branch line
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeCON[2]
History
Original companyCallander and Oban Railway
Pre-groupingCallander and Oban Railway operated by Caledonian Railway
Key dates
1880 or 1903Opened
Passengers
2017/18Increase 7,272
2018/19Decrease 6,996
2019/20Increase 7,220
2020/21Increase 14,552
2021/22Increase 15,630
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History
The station seen in 1994

The station was opened in either 1880[4][5] or 1903,[6] and in its heyday, when it served a branch to Ballachulish, it had five platforms, a goods yard and a turntable. Later this was reduced to just the single platform, after the branch closed in 1966,[5] as it remains today.[4]

Accidents and incidents

During 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.[7]

Facilities

Facilities at the station are basic, consisting of just a shelter, a bench, bike racks, a help point and a small car park.[8] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.

Passenger volume
Passenger Volume at Connel Ferry[9]
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 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

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

There 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.[10][11]

Preceding station National Rail 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
  1. 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.
  2. Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. 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. pp. .page. ISBN 978 1909431 26 3.
  4. "Connel Ferry Railway Station from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  5. "Connel Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland". www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  6. "Connel Ferry, Station | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  7. "Locomotive News". Railway Magazine: 684. November 1968.
  8. "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  9. "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  10. eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218
  11. eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 218

Bibliography
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