150 years for the Far North Line

Sunday 7th July 2024

Ian Budd, the enthusiastic knowledgable convenor of the Friends of the Far North Line (FoFNL) kindly invited me to speak at the organisation’s Annual Conference last month in Inverness.

It was wonderful to see and hear the passion and enthusiasm of everyone attending; all committed to making the Far North Line – which runs between Inverness and Thurso/Wick – as attractive as possible thereby encouraging more passengers to travel by train for business and leisure and enjoy the delights offered by this special railway line.

Other speakers at the Conference included Anthony Smith (recently retired Chief Executive of Transport Focus) and Robert Gardner (a Chartered Engineer working on high speed broadband using low orbit satellites for the line) as well as Mark Ilderton (Interim Service Delivery Director at ScotRail) and Frank Roach of HITRANS.

Frank has been a key player, not only being one of the founding members of FoFNL, but also through his work instigating and seeing through many of the positive developments on the line over the last couple of decades, including, for example, the recent introduction of ‘request to stop’ devices at the small request stations on the line.

The Conference was preceded by the FoFNL AGM when, as well as the usual administrative business to transact, Ian gave an interesting update of current issues impacting the line including the latest on the Delmore Loop (see below) and the unique circumstances surrounding the temporary closure of Altnabreac station, but also, hopefully, its imminent reopening,

This month is a very special one for the Far North Line as it was 150 years ago, on 28th July 1874, that the final stretch of track, from Helmsdale to Thurso and Wick, opened and the line began operating as it still does today. The Friends together with the Highland Railway Society and the Scottish Association for Public Transport are mounting an exhibition in Wick station to commemorate the anniversary.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the formation of the FoFNL itself and it’s interesting to see how the organisation has developed and adapted over that time, changing from a group intent on saving the line from possible threats of closure – which were still around in 1994 with new bridges cutting comparable journey times by road, the loss of freight traffic, falling passenger numbers and the uncertainty of looming rail privatisation.

The organisation quickly gained respect in the rail industry thanks to its professional and positive approach; being treated as a serious stakeholder and a critical friend. There’s no doubt its lobbying has been instrumental in achieving many initiatives including improvements to the timetable (increasing the number of end-to-end journeys from three to four a day, as well as additional commuter journeys at the southern end of the line); improving the interiors of Class 158s (all seats lining up with windows and installing retention toilets, before they became mandatory) and reopening the one platform stations at Beauly and Conon Bridge located between Dingwall and Inverness.

Incidentally, at just 15 metres, Beauly’s claim to fame is being Britain’s shortest platform with Conon Bridge said to be just 1 centimetre longer. Both platforms are less than one carriage long necessitating just a single door opening when trains stop.

Another of the Line’s claims to fame is the footbridge connecting Culrain and Invershin stations (both request stops) located either side of the Kyle of Sutherland…

… and, at 748 yards, said to be the shortest distance between two railway stations in Britain. Geoff Marshall and I paid a visit to them back in February last year.

One of the projects the FoFNL would like to see come to fruition is the installation of a passing loop at Delmore between Inverness and Beauly so in the event the first southbound journey from Wick at 06:18, due to arrive into Inverness at 10:39, is running more than five minutes late at Muir of Ord (at 10:15) it doesn’t have to frustratingly be held there for more than an hour to allow the 10:41 Inverness to Wick and 10:56 Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh trains to clear the long section of single track between Inverness and Muir of Ord – the Kyle train doesn’t reach Muir of Ord until 11:19.

Sadly, despite FoFNL campaigning for this relative small piece of infrastructure for the last 20 years and acknowledgement from Transport Scotland, ScotRail and Network Rail of its undoubted benefit, due to lack of funding it still remains in the implementation sidings, so to speak. When you see the funding going into the dualling of the A9 south of Inverness it does make you wonder about relative spending priorities.

Ian also points out the benefits from installing more passing loops further north on the line – between Dingwall and Invergordon and between Helmsdale and Forsinard – which would minimise the impact of a late running train on journeys in the opposite direction, helping to maintain a reputation for good timekeeping and reliability on the line.

Other improvements the FoFNL suggest include a curve at Georgemas Junction to overcome the need for trains to reverse on the way to Thurso as well as reopening the station at nearby Halkirk and, further south, reopen the station at Evanton between Dingwall and Alness.

I always enjoy a ride on the Far North Line. It may not be as renowned as the West Highland, Kyle of Lochalsh or the Highland main lines but, as I said at the Conference, in many ways that makes it all the more special, as you feel you’re travelling on a line that’s just as magical as the others but not so mainstream touristy.

Travelling on the line has also featured in some of my most memorable adventures including visiting Cape Wrath, travelling on one of Britain’s last post buses (Tongue to Lairg), and completing the Lands End to John O’Groats 24-hour challenge, albeit for the journey home afterwards (the bus is quicker).

It’s a shame the Far North Bus no longer connects with the lunch time northbound train arrival in Lairg, as that was a convenient way to reach Durness and the north western tip of Britain, but more positively, there’s now a bus on route 805 every day, Monday to Saturday, from Inverness to Durness leaving at 15:00 (16:00 Saturdays).

There’s also an 803 on TThS from Thurso to Tongue (continuing to Durness on Saturdays) leaving at 14:30 but that’s a little tight for a connection from the train arriving at 14:24, and I’m not sure I’d risk it.

The FoFNL suggests there’s scope for improvements to bus connections between Thurso station and Scrabster Harbour for the ferry to Orkney as well as from seaboard villages to Fearn station and the Dornoch to Tain bus service.

Members of FoFNL live all over Britain and as well as supporting the development of the line receive a thrice a year magazine called the Far North Express. Put together by Ian Budd, this really is a magnificent read and well worth the annual membership alone.

FoFNL Membership costs £18 a year, £15 per annum for continuous membership or £120 for life membership. You can easily sign up online. Your support will be much appreciated and I can vouch for the fact you’ll definitely be among friends.

Roger French

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