Loch Awe railway station

Loch Awe

Scottish Gaelic: Loch Obha[1]
National Rail
An Oban to Glasgow train approaching Loch Awe station
General information
LocationLoch Awe, Argyll and Bute
Scotland
Coordinates56°24′08″N 5°02′28″W / 56.4021°N 5.0412°W / 56.4021; -5.0412
Grid referenceNN124274
Managed byScotRail
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeLHA[2]
History
Original companyCallander and Oban Railway
Pre-groupingCallander and Oban Railway operated by Caledonian Railway
Key dates
1 July 1880Opened
5 May 1902Second platform brought into use
1 November 1965Closed
10 May 1985Re-opened (using the newer platform)
29 May 1988SC4494 delivered to be a tea room
Passengers
2019/20Increase 5,512
2020/21Decrease 4,562
2021/22Increase 7,010
2022/23Increase 8,394
2023/24Decrease 7,546
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Loch Awe railway station is a railway station serving the village of Lochawe, on the northern bank of Loch Awe, in western Scotland. This station is on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway. It is sited 49 miles 48 chains (79.8 km) from Callander via Glen Ogle, between Dalmally and Falls of Cruachan.[3] ScotRail manage the station and operate all services.

History

The station seen in 2015, with the old second platform clearly visible

This station was opened on 1 July 1880 by the Callander and Oban Railway when it opened the Dalmally to Oban section of line.[4][5] The station originally had one platform on a passing loop with sidings on both sides of the line,[6] but a second platform, on the north side of the loop, was brought into use on 5 May 1902.[citation needed] On 8 August 1897, the station building was destroyed by fire.[7]

A camping coach was also positioned here by the Scottish Region from 1952 to 1958, and two coaches were here in 1959 and 1960.[8]

The station closed on 1 November 1965 but reopened on 10 May 1985 using only the more recent platform.[4] The original platform remains in situ, but disused.

Facilities

The station only comprises a shelter, a help point, a bench and a small car park. There is step-free access form the car park.[9] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.

Passenger volume

Passenger Volume at Loch Awe[10]
2002–03 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23
Entries and exits 2,059 2,446 2,775 2,168 2,321 2,526 2,926 3,160 2,544 2,726 3,034 4,752 4,804 4,140 5,394 5,002 5,512 4,562 7,010 8,394

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

There are 6 departures in each direction on weekdays and Saturdays, eastbound to Glasgow Queen Street and westbound to Oban. On weekdays only, an additional service in each direction between Dalmally and Oban calls here in the late afternoon. On Sundays, there are 3 departures each way throughout the year, plus a fourth in the summer months only which operates to Edinburgh Waverley from late June–August.[11][12]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Dalmally   ScotRail
West Highland Line 		  Falls of Cruachan
or Taynuilt
  Historical railways  
Dalmally
Line and Station open 		  Callander and Oban Railway
Operated by Caledonian Railway
   Falls of Cruachan
Line and Station open

References

  1. ^ Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. "Gaelic/English Station Index". Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
  2. ^ Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ^ 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. pp. 87, 88. ISBN 978-1909431-26-3.
  4. ^ a b Quick, Michael (2022) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.04. Railway & Canal Historical Society. p. 289. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2022.
  5. ^ Thomas, John; Turnock, David (1989). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Vol. 15 The North of Scotland (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. p. 317. ISBN 0-946537-03-8.
  6. ^ "Lochawe station on OS Six-inch map Argyll and Bute Sheet CI.SW (includes: Ardchattan and Muckairn; Glenorchy and Inishail)". National Library of Scotland. 1900. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Lochawe". Highland News. 14 August 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 13 July 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. pp. 13 & 15–16. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
  9. ^ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  11. ^ eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218
  12. ^ eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 218

Bibliography

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