Inverness railway station

, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Inverness Station 2.jpg
, caption = Inverness railway station
, borough = Inverness, Highland
, country = Scotland
, coordinates =
, grid_name = Grid reference
, grid_position =
, owned = Network Rail
, manager = ScotRail
, platforms = 7
, code = INV
, original = Inverness and Nairn Railway
, pregroup = Highland Railway
, postgroup = LMS
, years = 5 November 1855
, events = Opened
, mpassengers =

, footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Inverness railway station is the railway station serving the Scottish city of Inverness. It is the terminus of the Highland Main Line, the Aberdeen–Inverness line (of which the Inverness and Nairn Railway is now a part), the Kyle of Lochalsh line and the Far North Line.

The Aberdeen and Perth lines diverge at ''Millburn Junction'' a short distance beyond Welsh's Bridge. Platforms 1–4 are from (measured via ); Millburn Junction, from Perth, is also from Perth (measured via ). The station is the zero point for the Far North Line, and platforms 5–7 are along this line; Rose Street Junction, along the Far North Line, is from Perth.

History

Inverness station was opened on 5 November 1855 as the western terminus of the Inverness and Nairn Railway to designs by the architect, Joseph Mitchell. The station originally comprised a single covered passenger platform with three lines of rails, one for arrivals, one for departures and a spare line for carriages.

In 1857 the railway company erected a clock in front of the station facing Academy Street. This clock by Bryson & Sons, Princes Street, Edinburgh, was illuminated at night.

In 1865 the station was enlarged. The platform was lengthened to and a shed added which was long, wide and high. There were double lines for north and south traffic.

The platforms were extended again to and the platform roofs were extended in 1876 by Murdoch Paterson. The station platforms were lit by electricity for the first time in 1908.

In 1933, as part of an internal reorganization, the London and North Eastern Railway closed their offices at the station and the staff relocated to Aberdeen.

Between 1966 and 1968 under British Rail the station buildings were replaced, the new design by Thomas Munro and Company.

A revamp by Mott Macdonald of the station's frontage, forecourt and concourse was planned to be completed by 2018. However this was delayed. The nearby Royal Highland Hotel refused to give up their lease of parking spaces in front of the station.

Location

The station is located between three roads in the city centre - Falcon Square, Academy Street and Strothers Lane. It is a 2-minute walk from the Eastgate Shopping Centre, and approximately 8 minutes from Inverness Castle and the Museum & Art Gallery. A taxi rank is located on the corner of Academy Street and Falcon Square.

Rose Street Curve

This line is a rarely-used piece of track which avoids the station, linking the Far North and Kyle of Lochalsh lines to the Highland Main Line and the line to Aberdeen. In recent years it has fallen in to disuse, but up to 2019 it was used weekly on Saturdays by a train from Kyle of Lochalsh to Elgin. Such trains would not easily be visible from the station.

Facilities

Platform destination LED screens are installed, along with a main departures and arrivals information board. Each of Platforms 1-7 has its own screen showing departures from that platform. Screens are also present behind the wall for all platforms from 3–6. In addition, several other screens are also visible for general information. The main concourse is equipped with a ticket office and ticket machines, a barber shop, a bar, a cafe, toilets, a waiting room, a lost property office, a vending machine, a cash machine, payphones and help points. The station has 3 car parks and all of the station has step-free access.

Platform layout

Inverness is owned by Network Rail. However, it is operated by ScotRail who run most of the services using the station. Caledonian Sleeper and London North Eastern Railway run the only non-ScotRail services.

The station itself sits at one apex of a triangular junction in the centre of Inverness, with each half of the station connected to one line. The Highland Main and Aberdeen Lines both approach the station from the east and use Platforms 1–4, while the Far North Line (which also carries traffic heading for the Kyle Line) approach from the north-west and use Platforms 5–7. Platform 5 also has a connection from the east side, but it is only usable by a two car train, and even then, it must not be in passenger service and movements ''from'' Platform 5 to the east line are not allowed. Platform 1 is long enough for a 13-coach train; platform 2 can hold 15 coaches; platforms 3 and 4, eight each; and platforms 5–7 will accommodate five coaches each.

Passenger volume

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

Rail

As of May 2022, Inverness has the following Monday–Saturday services:eNRT May 2022 Edition, Tables 213, 214, 219, 220
*6 trains per day to Edinburgh Waverley (6 via Aviemore and 1 via Aberdeen)
*7 trains per day to Glasgow Queen Street via Perth
*11 trains per day to Aberdeen (one of which extends to Stonehaven)
*6 trains per day to Elgin only
*4 trains per day to Wick via Thurso
*4 trains per day to Kyle of Lochalsh
*1 train per day to eac