Georgemas Junction railway station

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Template other Georgemas Junction railway station is a railway station on Far North Line in the far north of Scotland. The station, which is in the Highland council area, serves several rural hamlets in the historic county of Caithness, including Georgemas, Roadside and Banniskirk and the village of Halkirk, which lies approximately west of the station. It is the penultimate station before the line terminus at Template:Rws ( from Template:Rws).

The station has a single platform which is long enough to accommodate a six-carriage train.Template:Sfn The station is managed by ScotRail, who operate the services at the station. West of the station is Georgemas junction which is the branch line to Template:Rws starts. The junction is the northernmost railway junction in the United Kingdom.

History

File:Georgemas Junction.jpg

Georgemas Junction station in 2007, before removal of the footbridge and second platform in connection with provision of a new freight handling facility

The station was built by the Sutherland and Caithness Railway (S&CR). The station buildings were designed by Murdoch Paterson and it opened on 28 July 1874 and on that date the Highland Railway absorbed the S&CR and operated the newly completed line from Helmsdale to Thurso and Wick. A wrought-iron turntable of diameter built by the Railway Steel and Plant Company of Manchester was installed at the station.

In 1902, Donald Mackenzie, station master was appointed first station master of Dornoch railway station.

From 1 January 1923 the station was operated by the London Midland and Scottish Railway.

At the end of February 1937 trains were stranded at Georgemas Junction because of heavy snow. A goods train from Inverness got stuck in a drift deep. An engine with a snow plough was also stuck at the same location.

Trains via Thurso

Until diesel multiple unit trains were introduced by British Rail in the early 1990s, all trains on the Far North Line were locomotive-hauled, initially by Highland Railway steam locomotives, then by LMSR steam locomotives and latterly by British Railways steam and finally Class 37 diesel locomotives. Northbound passenger trains would divide at Georgemas Junction, with the rear portion for Thurso and the front portion for Wick. A locomotive was stabled at Georgemas Junction to haul the Thurso carriages.

Following the introduction of Class 156 diesel multiple units on the line, trains were always composed of two trainsets (four cars) and at Georgemas, these would split in half with the front portion heading to Wick, the rear to Thurso. This practice was halted with the introduction of Class 158 sets which operate as single sets - on arrival at Georgemas Junction from Inverness, trains reverse to reach Thurso, and then reverse again from Thurso back to Georgemas Junction (stopping a second time) and on to Wick. An easement to the National Routeing Guide allows passengers for Wick to stay on the train between Georgemas Junction and Thurso, which would otherwise technically be off-route.

Transhipment hub

Georgemas Junction station has been used for freight services that transport containers on to lorries which are taken by road to Wick and Thurso, as well as by ferry to Orkney. In the early 2000s, EWS operated a freight train for Safeway supermarket, running containers from Mossend to be unloaded at Georgemas.

In 2012, platform 1 and the station footbridge were removed when Direct Rail Services constructed a new freight terminal at Georgemas. The platform, which was located on a passing loop, was little used by passenger trains since all trains travelling to and from Inverness no longer split at the station. The passing loop dated back to the time loco-hauled trains divided/attached at the station Template:En dash an Inverness-bound train from Wick would loop around the Thurso portion standing on the second (remaining) platform, and attach to it from behind.

The freight terminal has been used for taking nuclear material from Dounreay to Sellafield.

Facilities

Facilities at this station include a payphone that accepts card and coins, a waiting room and designated seating area, a cycle rack with 10 spaces, and a free car park with 2 spaces. The nearest bus stop to the station is located to the north.

Passenger volume

Passenger Volume at Georgemas Junction

	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	1,129	1,108	1,018	989	893	1,500	1,482	1,630	1,682	1,906	1,652	1,696	1,572	1,502	1,320	1,576	1,570	234	1,032	1,318

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

File:158717 Georgemas Junction.jpg

A Class 158 at Georgemas Junction

On weekdays and Saturdays, there are four trains per day each way between Template:Rws and Template:Rws, resulting in 8 trains per day to Thurso, as all trains in both directions go to Thurso on their way to Inverness or Wick. On Sundays, the frequency is reduced to one train per day each way, meaning two trains go to Thurso.

Preceding station	National Rail National Rail			Following station
Scotscalder or Forsinard		<div style="height:8px; background-color:#; color:inherit; border:none; margin:0 -5px -2px;">		Wick
Thurso
	Historical railways
Halkirk line open, station closed		<div style="height:8px; background-color:#; color:inherit; border:none; margin:0 -5px -2px;">		Bower line open, station closed
Hoy line open, station closed

External links

• Train times and station information for Georgemas Junction railway station from National Rail