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Helmsdale railway station

Coordinates: 58°07′04″N 3°39′32″W / 58.1177°N 3.6590°W / 58.1177; -3.6590
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Helmsdale

Scottish Gaelic: Bun Ilidh[1]
National Rail
158715 approaching the station in 2021
General information
LocationHelmsdale, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates58°07′04″N 3°39′32″W / 58.1177°N 3.6590°W / 58.1177; -3.6590
Grid referenceND023155
Managed byScotRail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeHMS[2]
History
Original companyDuke of Sutherland's Railway
Pre-groupingHighland Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
British Railways
Key dates
19 June 1871 (1871-06-19)Opened as terminus
28 July 1874Altered to through station
Passengers
2019/20Increase 5,086
2020/21Decrease 564
2021/22Increase 3,168
2022/23Increase 3,484
2023/24Increase 4,038
Listed Building – Category B
Designated23 July 1987
Reference no.LB7184[3]
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Helmsdale railway station is a railway station serving the village of Helmsdale in the Highland council area, northern Scotland. It is located on the Far North Line, between Brora and Kildonan, 101 miles 40 chains (163.3 km) from Inverness.[4] ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.

History

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Looking south from Helmsdale in 2015

The Duke of Sutherland's Railway had opened between Dunrobin and West Helmsdale (near Gartymore) on 1 November 1870.[5] Extensions of this line southward to Golspie and northward to Helmsdale were opened on 19 June 1871.[6][7] The station buildings were designed by the architect William Fowler.

Another company, the Sutherland and Caithness Railway (S&CR), was authorised on 13 July 1871 to take over the powers of the projected Caithness Railway and link Helmsdale with that line at Georgemas Junction, and the S&CR opened on 28 July 1874.[8]

The station master's house on the platform was abandoned in the 1980s. In 2013 it was refitted as self-catering holiday accommodation.[9]

On 7 August 2024, King Charles III visited Helmsdale Railway Station to mark the 150th anniversary of the Sutherland and Caithness railway line. The King, met railway workers, representatives of Helmsdale Community Council and members of Sutherland Schools Pipe Band. He afterwards laid flowers at Helmsdale War Memorial to mark its Centenary and met veterans and members of the local community.[10]

Accidents and incidents

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On 29 April 1891 there was a collision between a down mixed train from Inverness which ran into an engine which had arrived earlier. Major Marindin of the Board of Trade investigated and found that the driver Robert Lindsay deliberately ignored the signals as he would have had difficulty in restarting the train on the rising gradient of 1 in 59.[11]

Facilities

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Both platforms have waiting areas and benches, whilst platform 2 also has a help point. Bike racks and a car park are adjacent to platform 2. There is step free access to platform 2 only; platform 1 can only be accessed via the footbridge.[12]

Passenger volume

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Passenger Volume at Helmsdale[13]
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 3,972 3,513 3,514 4,456 5,348 5,646 5,680 5,656 6,086 5,828 5,778 5,096 6,204 5,768 4,636 5,044 5,086 564 3,168 3,484

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

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Mondays to Saturdays, there are four train each way that call here - southbound to Dingwall & Inverness and northbound to Wick via Thurso. Sundays see a single departure each way.[14]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Brora   ScotRail
Far North Line 		  Kildonan
  Historical railways  
West Helmsdale
Line open, station closed 		  Highland Railway
Left arrow Duke of Sutherland's Railway
Sutherland and Caithness Railway Right arrow 		  Salzcraggie Platform
Line open, station closed

References

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  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. ^ "HELMSDALE RAILWAY STATION INCLUDING FOOTBRIDGE AND SIGNAL BOX". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  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. 103. ISBN 978-1909431-26-3.
  5. ^ Vallance, H.A.; Clinker, C.R.; Lambert, Anthony J. (1985) [1938]. The Highland Railway (4th ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 36, 176. ISBN 0-946537-24-0.
  6. ^ "Helmsdale Station". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  7. ^ Vallance, Clinker & Lambert 1985, pp. 36, 173.
  8. ^ Vallance, Clinker & Lambert 1985, pp. 37, 175.
  9. ^ "Self Catering Accommodation on a working railway station in the north of Scotland". Helmsdale Station. Helmsdale Station CIC. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  10. ^ "King visits Helmsdale as village marks centenary of war memorial and 150th anniversary of railway line". The Northern Times. The Northern Times. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Helmsdale. Board of Trade Report". Aberdeen Evening Express. British Newspaper Archive. 15 June 1891. Retrieved 14 August 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  14. ^ eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 219
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