Place Altnabreac Station code ABC 2011/12 238 Number of platforms 1 | Grid reference ND003456 Managed by Abellio ScotRail 2012/13 296 | |
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Address Halkirk KW12 6UR, United Kingdom Original company Sutherland and Caithness Railway Similar Scotscalder railway station, Forsinard railway station, Georgemas Junction railway st, Invershin railway station, Achanalt railway station | ||
Altnabreac railway station is a rural railway station serving the area of Altnabreac, in the Highland council area of Scotland; a settlement in which the station is itself the main component. The station is on the Far North Line, within the former county of Caithness, 23 miles (37 km) as the crow flies west of Wick (27½ route miles by rail).
Contents
One of Britain's most isolated stations, it is a request stop used almost solely by walkers and those who enjoy visiting obscure locations.
History
The station was opened by the Sutherland and Caithness Railway on 28 July 1874 and later absorbed by the Highland Railway. Taken into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923, the line then passed on to the Scottish Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.
When Sectorisation was introduced by British Rail, the station became part of ScotRail until the Privatisation of British Rail.
The reason for the station's construction is a mystery, since it pre-dates the hotel/lodge one mile to the south – the only obvious source of trade. It had however a passing loop with a water-tank, so may have been established for purely operational reasons.
Some pupils of the former Altnabreac School arrived by train.
Services
Monday to Saturday, four trains per day operate eastbound to Wick and westbound to Inverness, with one train a day on Sundays.
The apparent almost 100% increase in patronage over the last few years may be due to a change in the methods used to measure passenger numbers; see Usage Notes. Despite these increases, Altnabreac remains the 8th-least-used station in Britain according to 2009-10 statistics.