Kyle station in 1939Kyle station in September 1973
The station was opened on 2 November 1897[6] by the Highland Railway, following the completion of the extension of the Dingwall and Skye Railway from Stromeferry. The extension took more than four years to complete due to the unforgiving nature of the terrain through which it was driven - 29 bridges had to be constructed and more than 30 cuttings excavated through solid rock, which led to it costing £20,000 per mile[7] (making it the most expensive rail route to be built in the UK at the time). As built, the station consisted of a broad island platform on a pier next to the water's edge and a chalet-style station building close to the western end. Several sidings were provided, along with a signal box and small locomotive shed.[citation needed] The station was host to two LMScaravans from 1935 to 1937 followed by one caravan in 1938 to 1939.[8]
Originally the station provided a connection to the ferry services for the Outer Hebrides. However, as the ferry terminal at the Kyle of Lochalsh was 71 miles (114 km) from Stornoway, in 1970 Ross and Cromarty council voted to create a new £460,000 (equivalent to £8,987,500 in 2023)[9] ferry terminal at Ullapool which was only 43 miles (69 km) from Stornoway.[10]
The signal box closed in 1984, when Radio Electronic Token Block working was introduced on the line by British Rail - although no longer operational it is still intact and has been adapted for use as a holiday cottage.[11]
The station is located next to the piers that used to offer sailings to Skye, the ferries being superseded on 16 October 1995 by the Skye Bridge that lies close to the station.
Facilities
The station is well-equipped, with a ticket office, accessible toilets, benches and a telephone. There is a small restaurant/gift shop on the platform. There are car parking places on the access bridge.[12]
Platform layout
The lesser used platform 2 at the station. The Class 158 is standing in platform 1, on the right.
The station has two platforms, which can each accommodate a nine-coach train, though only the western face (platform 1) is normally used by passenger trains.[13] Three sidings are also still intact, including a run-round loop for loco-hauled trains alongside platform 1, and a loading bank siding adjacent to this). Access to each of the sidings and platform 2 is by means of ground frames.[5] Use of platform 2 is rare, and is only booked to be used by one return train from Inverness on a Sunday.[14]
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Services
There are four daily departures from the station to Dingwall and Inverness during the week, and either one (winter) or two (summer) services on Sundays.[13][16]
^ abBridge, 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. 97. ISBN978-1909431-26-3.
^McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. p. 22. ISBN1-870119-48-7.
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.
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