, symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Falls of Cruachan station, May 2019.jpg , caption = The station in May 2019 , borough =

Ben Cruachan Ben Cruachan ( gd, Cruachan Beann) is a mountain that rises to , the highest in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It gives its name to the Cruachan Dam, a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in a cavern inside the mountain. It is the hig ...

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...

, country = Scotland , coordinates = , grid_name =

Grid reference A projected coordinate system, also known as a projected coordinate reference system, a planar coordinate system, or grid reference system, is a type of spatial reference system that represents locations on the Earth using cartesian coordin ...

, grid_position = , manager =

ScotRail ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail ( gd, Rèile na h-Alba), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise a ...

, platforms = 1 , code = FOC , original =

Callander and Oban Railway The Callander and Oban Railway company was established with the intention of linking the sea port of Oban to the railway network. This involved a long line from Callander through wild and thinly populated terrain, and shortage of money meant that ...

, pregroup =

operated by

Caledonian Railway The Caledonian Railway (CR) was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh an ...

, years = 1 October 1893 , events = Opened , years1 = 1 November 1965 , events1 = Closed , years2 = 20 June 1988 , events2 = Re-opened , years3 = 25 October 2020 , events3 = Closed (temporarily) , years4 = 17 May 2021 , events4 = Re-opened , mpassengers = , footnotes = Passenger statistics from the

Office of Rail and Road The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the economic and safety regulation of Britain's railways, and the economic monitoring of National Highways. ORR regulates Network Rail by setting its ...

Falls of Cruachan railway station is a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

located at the foot of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. This station is on the

Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...

branch of the

West Highland Line The West Highland Line ( gd, Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean - "Iron Road to the Isles") is a railway line linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow in Central Scotland. The line was voted the top rail journey in th ...

, originally part of the

. It is sited between

Taynuilt Taynuilt (; , meaning 'the house by the stream') is a large village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland located at the western entrance to the narrow Pass of Brander. Location The village is situated on the River Nant about a kilometre before the rive ...

and

Loch Awe Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Obha'') is a large body of freshwater in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such ...

, sited from

Callander Callander (; gd, Calasraid) is a small town in the council area of Stirling, Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the historic county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands. The town ser ...

via

Glen Ogle Glen Ogle (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Ogail) extends 7 miles north westwards from Lochearnhead to Lix Toll, where it opens into Glen Dochart. The Ogle Burn flows within the steep sides of the glen, from the Lochan Lairig Cheile at the glen's head. ...

manage the station and operate all services.

History

The station (on the lower slopes of

, above

) opened on 1 October 1893 with a single platform, but was later closed on 1 November 1965.

Reopening

The station was reopened on 20 June 1988.

Signalling

Although Falls of Cruachan station has never had any

signalling In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...

directly associated with it, its platform falls within the four mile stretch of railway that is protected by the

Pass of Brander stone signals The Pass of Brander stone signals, also known as Anderson's Piano, are a series of railway signals situated in the Pass of Brander, between and stations on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line in Scotland. A screen of wires, linked to sem ...

Accidents and incidents

The area near the station has been the site of five derailments due to the rock fall: in 1881, 1946, 1997, and in 2010, which proved the most significant. On 6 June 2010, a two carriage train from

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

to derailed near Falls of Cruachan station. The train derailed shortly before 8.53 p.m. and was left balanced precariously on a embankment. There was also a minor fire. Sixty passengers had been on board the train, but all were safely evacuated down the line to the station with no major injuries. Nine people were injured. The train hit a boulder that had fallen onto the track. The train crew later received a commendation for the actions they took to protect their passengers.

Facilities

The station has no facilities bar an electronic display and a bench. Surprisingly, there is no car park or drop-off point, as the only entrance is directly off the A85. The station does not have step-free access. As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train. Notably, as the station does not have lighting, trains cannot call between dusk and dawn.

Passenger volume

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

All services at Falls of Cruachan are operated by

. However, unlike other stations on the line, the station is only open in the summer months from March to October every year. This is because the station is mainly used by hikers in the summer months, who walk past the falls to climb Ben Cruachan. When the station is operational, there are five trains each way (eastbound to , westbound to ) on weekdays and Saturdays, along with four each way on Sundays.eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Video footage of Falls of Cruachan railway station
{{Railway stations served by Abellio Scotrail Railway stations in Argyll and Bute Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1893 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1965 Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1988 Railway stations served by ScotRail Low usage railway stations in the United Kingdom Beeching closures in Scotland Former Caledonian Railway stations Reopened railway stations in Great Britain