Conon Bridge railway station

Conon Bridge is a railway station on the Far North and Kyle of Lochalsh Lines, which serves the villages of Conon Bridge and Maryburgh in the Scottish Highlands. Initially known as Conon, it originally closed in 1960 and reopened on 8 February 2013. The station is 16 miles 21 chains (26.2 km) from Inverness, between Muir of Ord and Dingwall.[3]

Conon Bridge

Scottish Gaelic: Drochaid Sguideil
National Rail
The platform at Conon Bridge, looking south
General information
LocationConon Bridge, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates57.5617°N 4.4404°W / 57.5617; -4.4404
Grid referenceNH540550
Managed byScotRail
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeCBD[1]
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companyInverness and Ross-shire Railway
Pre-groupingHighland Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
11 June 1862Opened as Conon[2]
13 June 1960Closed[2]
8 February 2013Reopened as Conon Bridge
Passengers
2017/18Decrease 15,100
2018/19Increase 17,530
2019/20Increase 18,022
2020/21Decrease 2,598
2021/22Increase 9,212
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History
Site of Conon station, 2010
The station in 2013

Original station

The original railway station (then named just Conon) was opened by Inverness and Ross-shire Railway on 11 June 1862[2] and closed on 13 June 1960.[2] The original station had two platforms and was the junction with the partially constructed Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway.

2013 reopening

The rebuilt station was projected to open by 2012 as Conon Bridge.[4][5] In March 2012, Network Rail revealed that agreement had been reached with the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership for it to provide £100,000 towards the construction of a single four-carriage platform at the station site.[6] The new station was forecast to handle 36,000 passengers a year, including tourists and commuters to Inverness.[6]

In September 2012, Scottish Government Transport Minister Keith Brown announced that a new station, expected to cost £600,000, would be built in time for a February 2013 opening, in time to help relieve traffic during the delayed £18 million pound resurfacing works to be carried out on the Kessock Bridge.[7]

Construction was begun in November 2012 by Network Rail. A single platform around 15 metres long (similar to that at nearby Beauly railway station[8]) was provided, together with a new waiting shelter, passenger information systems, cycle racks and lockers and a new car park, wider road access and enhanced street lighting.[9] The project was supported by Highland Council, HiTRANS, Network Rail and First ScotRail.[10] It reopened as scheduled and on budget on 8 February 2013.[9][11] In the month following the station's opening, more than 2,000 journeys were made to or from it.[12] According to Minister for Transport Keith Brown, the numbers "show that it was an extremely worthwhile investment".[12]

Facilities

The station has only basic facilities, these being a small waiting shelter, a car park, bike racks and a help point.[13] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.

Platform layout

The station has a single platform which is long enough for a one-coach train.[14]

Services

As of the December 2021 timetable, on weekdays and Saturdays, the station sees 11 trains northbound (3 to Wick via Thurso, 4 to Kyle of Lochalsh, 1 to Dingwall, 1 to Invergordon, 1 to Ardgay and 1 to Tain), and 13 trains southbound to Inverness. On Sundays, the station sees 6 trains northbound (1 to Wick, 1 to Kyle of Lochalsh, 1 to Invergordon and 3 to Tain), and 6 trains southbound.[15]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Muir of Ord   ScotRail
Far North Line
Kyle of Lochalsh line		   Dingwall
  Historical railways  
Muir of Ord   Highland Railway
Inverness and Ross-shire Railway
   Dingwall
Alcaig   Highland Railway
Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway
   Terminus

References
  1. Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. Butt 1995, p. 67
  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. p. 99. ISBN 978 1909431 26 3.
  4. Abbot, J.; Sully, J. (October 2008). "Hoisting the saltire high". Modern Railways. Ian Allan Publishings. 65 (721).
  5. "Railway link proposed for airport". BBC News. 17 July 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  6. "New Conon Bridge railway station 'could open soon'". BBC News Online. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  7. "Conon Bridge railway station to reopen in 2013". BBC News Online. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  8. "Inverness to Plockton". Great British Railway Journeys. Series 4. Episode 14. 24 January 2013. BBC. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  9. Nigel Harris, ed. (6–19 March 2013). "Conon Bridge station re-opens". RAIL (717): 19.
  10. "Construction underway at Conon Bridge". Caithness Business Index. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  11. "Conon Bridge station open after 50 years". Rail Technology Magazine. Cognitive Publishing Ltd. 12 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  12. Nigel Harris, ed. (3–16 April 2013). "Kessock boosts the Far North line". RAIL (719): 15.
  13. "National Rail Enquiries - Station facilities for Conon Bridge". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  14. Brailsford 2017, map 18C.
  15. eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 219

Bibliography
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