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 GovernmentTransport MinisterKeith 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]
Passenger volume
The main origin or destination station for journeys to or from Conon Bridge station in the 2022/23 period was Inverness, making up 6,352 of the 10,898 journeys (58.29%).[15]
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
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.[16]
^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. ISBN978-1909431-26-3.
^Abbot, J.; Sully, J. (October 2008). "Hoisting the saltire high". Modern Railways. 65 (721). Ian Allan Publishings.
Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC22311137.
Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC228266687.