The Friends of the Far North Line
Cairdean Na Loine Tuath
the campaign group for rail north of
Inverness - lobbying for improved services for the local user, tourist and freight
operator
We're looking forward to being in Wick Station on Saturday for the unveiling of the Far North Line 150th Anniversary plaque.
Our President, Jamie Stone MP, will do the honours - as he did 25 years ago.
The ceremony will take place at 12:00 in the station waiting area where the plaque will be erected in due course.
Posted 31-10-24
Huge thanks to the North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso, and its staff, for hosting our four-day exhibition to mark the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Far North Line to Thurso and Wick.
The exhibition was viewed by a surprisingly large number of visitors - the room the NCVC provided was perfect and the staff couldn't have been more welcoming and helpful.
We should book in for 2074 now!
Posted 20-10-24
Tomorrow (Saturday 19th October) is the last day of our Far North Line 150th anniversary exhibition.
It contains many wonderful photos, showing off the Far North Line in all its varied beauty. There's also some history and comment about the line.
We've been delighted with the number of visitors. It costs nothing to visit (and you get a chance to look round the rest of the wonderful North Coast Visitor Centre) and there are free copies of our magazines and FoFNL 25 booklet (unless they've all gone!).
You'll also find membership forms for FoFNL, SAPT and the Highland Railway Society.
Posted 18-10-24
We hope loads of people will pop in to the North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso this week and see our exhibition to mark the completion of the railway to Thurso and Wick.
Please share this as widely as you can!
Posted 15-10-24
The plaque, which was to have been placed in Wick Station in July to mark the 150th anniversary of the railway reaching Thurso and Wick, will now be unveiled on Saturday 2nd November.
It had to be postponed because of the disruption to the train service during the summer while pay negotiations continued.
We hope a good many people are able to get there to witness the occasion.
Posted 09-10-24
We're delighted to announce that FoFNL is marking this year's sesquicentenary of the completion of the Far North Line to Thurso and Wick with a photographic exhibition about the line.
Timed to coincide with the schools' October Week, the exhibition will run for four days from 16th-19th October in the North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso.
We're hoping many are inspired to come and have a look at some of the history of the line and the many photos we've assembled. We've devoted two display panels to the work of two photographers who venture out in all weathers to record the trains passing through our beautiful scenery, Niall Laybourne and Peter Moore.
Posted 30-09-24
If you enjoy walking, exploring and walking projects, have a look at the North Highland Way website.
The whole route is rather long, but it can easily be done in sections.
Posted 25-09-24
We received a small piece of welcome news - ScotRail is trying to run an extra service on both the FNL and Kyle lines on any days where there are additional crews available.
These are the 10:41 Inverness-Wick and 16:00 Wick-Inverness, along with the 13:35 Inverness-Kyle and 17:13 Kyle-Inverness, and are being confirmed the night before, when crew availability is known. They are in addition to the other services listed in the temporary timetable.
NEWSFLASH - We've now learned that these services will be added to the temporary timetable from 26 August. This means that all four normal full-line services will run in both directions.
Posted 21-08-24
Our colleagues at the Far North Line Community Rail Partnership have secured funding for a part-time Sustainable Transport Officer. We thought it appropriate to display the advert here. Full details in the job description.
The FNLCRP is well-placed to cover aspects of the use of the Far North Line and its promotion that FoFNL cannot cover. Our focus is on train services and railway infrastructure.
Posted 12-08-24
Finally some good news to pierce the Far North railway gloom. Having had to delay indefinitely the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at Wick on 27th July, along with the planned exhibition, we have fixed a new date and venue for the exhibition.
This will now be held from Wednesday 16th October until Saturday 19th, in the North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso.
Unfortunately, the unveiling of the plaque will have to wait until services are running normally again.
Posted 05-08-24
The temporary closure of Altnabreac Station is likely to come to an end around the beginning of September. Work is underway to solve the problem of access to the station for rail staff.
Posted 31-07-24
The front page of today's Herald carries the disappointing news that the Scottish Government's freight target for rail is not being met. The paper reveals that the figures for freight carried in Scotland are 20% down since 2020.
Posted 30-07-24
ScotRail is currently operating a reduced timetable on the Far North and Kyle Lines due to suspension of rest day and Sunday working.
Posted 22-07-24
The railway to Thurso and Wick was opened on 28 July 1874. We had intended to mark the occasion with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and a one-day photograph exhibition at Wick Station on Saturday 27 July.
Due to circumstances outwith our control we have had to postpone the placing and unveiling of the plaque. We have also decided to seek an alternative venue for the exhibition and our hope is that it might be in situ for longer than originally planned.
Once we have definite news we will post it here and on our Facebook page.
Posted 11-07-24
Our AGM & Conference took place on Saturday 22 June in the church hall of the Crown Church in Inverness. We had three guest speakers as well as Mark Ilderton, ScotRail's Interim Service Delivery Director, and Frank Roach from HITRANS. Mark updated us on current FNL matters and Frank gave his annual update on rail progress (or lack of) in the Highlands.
The theme of the day was rail travel from the passengers' point of view. The guest speakers gave us very interesting and enjoyable talks. First up was Dr Robert Gardner, of Scottish Futures Trust, who had exciting news about its project to equip six Class 158 units on the Far North Line with equipment to provide high-speed broadband. The initial six units should be ready to provide the service by the end of this year. The FNL will be the first railway in the UK to have this, and it will be transformational for work and entertainment while travelling. For most people living in the Far North the internet speed on the trains will be far faster than they receive at home.
The second speaker was Anthony Smith who was Chief Executive of Transport Focus for nearly 25 years until his retirement in 2023. He spoke very entertainingly about his experiences in that role and the importance of all the aspects of rail travel which affect the passenger experience. Our final guest speaker was Roger French OBE, who was for many years Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Buses. Since retirement in 2013 Roger has travelled all over the UK sampling public transport in all its guises and publishing his experiences in his 'Bus & Train User' blog. He had many stories to tell, but the high spot of the day was Roger recounting an attempt he made in 2019 on the record for the quickest journey from Land's End to John O'Groats by public transport. This was with Geoff Marshall of "All the Stations" fame. By chance, at the start of their journey, they met another traveller attempting the same thing. He was Tony Burton, one of our members, who now lives in Wick, and was sitting with his guide dog just feet away from Roger as he spoke. It was quite an adventure by the sound of it!
The venue was not our original choice, which was the Inverness Town House. It proved to be three times the cost of the average amount we pay, so we had to look very quickly for an alternative. Luckily one of our members suggested the Crown Church which proved to be better for us in every way - not least the excellent soup, sandwich and homemade cakes lunch (there was a choice of four different soups!). Our thanks go to all at the venue who helped make it a successful and enjoyable day, and to so many of our members, some of whom travelled a very long way to attend.
Posted 25-06-24
Where Beeching Got It Wrong
David Spaven's excellent book is published in paperback tomorrow (6 June). We reviewed the book when it was originally published in hardback in 2022. As you'll see from the review it is highly recommended, not least because David has resisted the temptation just to denounce all rail closures as wrong, but argues the merits and demerits of some of the decisions, and unravels the arguments made at the time.
If you are anywhere near Crieff on Saturday 6 July at 4.00 you'll be able to hear David talking about the book in an event to mark the 60th anniversary of the closure of the stations at Crieff and Comrie.
Posted 05-06-24
We are delighted that West Fraser is now at an advanced stage of planning for building rail sidings connecting to the Inverness-Aberdeen line using the provision made by Network Rail during the works on Inverness Airport Station.
Since the timber train trials in 2020, and the issuing of planning permission at Altnabreac for lineside loading of timber for transport to WF, we have been eagerly anticipating this proposal.
West Fraser is holding two public consultations in Croy Village Hall on 6 June and 27 June. These are to give local residents the opportunity to understand and comment on the plans before the actual planning application is made.
It is well worth looking at the document WF has placed online.
West Fraser says, "We will consider all comments in the design development ahead of submitting a formal planning application. Please note this is your opportunity to influence and inform the proposals before the application is submitted. Comments once the application has been submitted should be made directly to The Highland Council."
Once the sidings are built we hope that timber wagons will be sourced to enable the Altnabreac-Dalcross flow to begin as soon as possible.
Posted 05-06-24
The May edition of our triannual magazine is now in the hands of our members and those to whom we send complimentary copies.
As we always say at this point - why not join today, help boost our effectiveness by greater numbers, and enjoy our magazine?
The more members we have, the greater our impact. It's hard to get any money spent on the Far North Line so the more of us asking, the better.
You can join here using PayPal, or sending a cheque, or setting up a standing order. PayPal subscriptions are by far the quickest and easiest way to belong - set it up and from then on it's automatic - and cheaper!
Posted 21-05-24
We were sad to hear that Anne-Mary Paterson, the author of several railway history titles, passed away on 25 April.
Anne-Mary was a FoFNL member who could always be found at our AGM & Conferences and was well known in the area around Beauly where she lived in retirement.
She was the great grandniece of the brothers William and Murdoch Paterson who were responsible for much of the Highland Railway's infrastructure.
Her books were published by the Highland Railway Society and are essential reading for those with an interest not just in railways but in the social history of the times.
Posted 21-05-24
Our AGM & Conference will take place in the Crown Church in Inverness on Saturday 22 June.
The AGM will be at 11:00 and the Conference, which is open to the public, will follow at 11:45 with a welcome for our president, Jamie Stone MP.
The theme of the conference is the railway from the passengers' point of view. Our speakers are Robert Gardner, a Chartered Engineer in telecommunications, who will talk about high-speed broadband on trains using low orbit satellites; Anthony Smith, until recently the Chief Executive of Transport Focus and Roger French OBE, erstwhile Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Buses, but since retirement the writer of a very entertaining and informative blog about his travels all over the UK by public transport.
We will also hear from Mark Ilderton, ScotRail's interim Service Delivery Director, and Frank Roach of HITRANS, who needs no introduction!
Full details, including directions to the venue, are here.
We are hoping for an excellent turnout this year. The speakers will be well worth coming to Inverness for and, if you're travelling far within Scotland, and you happen to be a Club 50 card holder, your rail fare to Inverness from any Scottish station will only be £17.00!
Posted 13-05-24
The 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Far North Line to Thurso and Wick occurs on Sunday 28 July.
The first event to mark this occasion is being held in Forsinard on Friday 21 June. It is a joint venture between the Far North Line Community Rail Partnership and FoFNL. Full details here.
Posted 23-05-24
We would strongly suggest that everyone with an interest in Highlands transport reads the HITRANS Regional Transport Strategy and then completes the public consultation survey at the end of the document. The closing date is 14 June and the survey will take at least 5 minutes to complete, probably somewhat longer, depending on the number of polies on which you choose to comment.
Posted 13-05-24
We've been told about a new podcast extolling the virtues of travelling in 'shared transport' as opposed to driving a car. Based in the south of England, the podcast host, Mark Selby, describes driving in terms of spending the whole journey looking at the back of the car in front and the road between it and you. Not quite the same as driving in the north of Scotland, but apart from that everything he says in the first episode applies as much in the Far North as it does in the Far South.
The podcast is called Restid - a Swedish word meaning 'travel time'. As it says on the podcast's web page , "When shared transport becomes a lifestyle. Restid explores the stories of journeys, the theatre of travel, and how people use their travel time."
This could hardly be more appropriate for the Far North Line with its long journey times and beautiful views.
Posted 08-05-24
On 19 March Transform Scotland, the campaign group of which FoFNL is a member, published a new report covering Scottish 'City Deals'.
The report highlights the mismatch between Scottish Government policy on transport and its actions.
The recent promise to dual the remaining single carriageway sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness is the most glaring example of this, coming in at a cost exceeding Scotland's limited capital projects borrowing limit and potentially diverting money away from other projects, such as electrifying the Highland Main Line and providing much needed extra capacity on the single track Highland railways.
Posted 22-03-24
Following an incident on Friday 1 March at Altnabreac Station the owners of the station house, Ian Appleby and Elizabeth Howe, appeared in Inverness Sheriff Court on 4 March on charges including trespassing in dangerous proximity to a Network Rail track; maliciously interfering with the running of the railway track by standing on it and bringing trains to a halt; obstructing British Transport Police officers in the execution of their duty and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
The two made no plea and have been released on bail pending further court appearance.
Posted 04-03-24
Our January magazine has finally reached our members, and those in the rail industry and government on our large complimentary copies list, so it's time to reach out to people who haven't joined us yet and say "Please visit our joining page and think about getting on board."
We do a lot of work behind the scenes - for example, two of us spent 45 mins in Holyrood today talking to Fiona Hyslop MSP, the Scottish Minister for Transport. We were there to help move rail in Scotland, and especially rail in the Highlands, up the transport agenda.
Ms Hyslop engaged with us in a very positive manner and has clearly got a good understanding of the problems rail faces in terms of much needed investment. One of the first questions she asked was how many members we have, which proves that membership is very important for the credibility of a campaign group.
Posted 07-02-24
From Monday 5th February there will be a pilot of a new fares arrangement.
Rather than attempting to explain it here, we direct you to Roger French's excellent Bus and Train User blog.
This is a shocking 'own goal' from LNER and it's hard to guess what on earth they're thinking.
As Roger says, it would be far better if, "as in Scotland, the DfT would sanction a pilot to do away with the exorbitantly priced Anytime ticket and allow off-peak tickets any time flexibility."
Roger is one of the speakers at our 2024 AGM & Conference in Inverness on 22 June. We're really looking forward to hearing his take on rail matters from the users' point of view.
Posted 21-01-24
Unfortunately another delivery gremlin has invaded our publication process. For reasons as yet unknown, the main batch of magazines for distribution to FoFNL members and rail industry officials has not been delivered, although a small batch has arrived with the Convener.
If this delay continues much longer we'll publish a downloadable digital copy.
Posted 21-01-24
Our January issue is about to go to press and will be in our members' hands in about 10 days time. As usual it is 36pp and contains a variety of articles, including quite a lot about our view of the money being spent on dualling the A9 between Inverness and Perth when the government is short of money for rail investment.
If you're not already a member this would be a great time to join. We have convenient PayPal buttons on our joining page.
The more members we have, the stronger voice. And you can get more involved when there are committee vacancies - elections are held at our AGM which will be in Inverness this year on Saturday 22 June.
Posted 04-01-24
The trial of removing peak fares for all ScotRail services, in response to the post-COVID travelling patterns, has been extended to the end of June 2024.
With this in mind, how about making some extra journeys, using this cheaper option, to prove to ScotRail and Transport Scotland that it is worthwhile?
Worth noting this to avoid confusion when booking: "Between 2 October 2023 and 28 June 2024, customers can travel at any time of day on Off-Peak tickets. This means Anytime tickets will be reduced to the same level as the equivalent Off-Peak fare during this time. As this is a trial customers will still see Anytime ticket types online. However, you will not pay any more than the equivalent Off-Peak fare." (ScotRail website)
Posted 04-01-24
FoFNL wishes all our visitors all the best for 2024. We are hoping perhaps to see some evidence of the Scottish Government putting its modal shift policy into practice this year. After all, the Delmore Loop, for which we have been campaigning for around 20 years, was slated in 2022 for opening in 2024...
Posted 04-01-24
A very concerning situation has been developing for a while at Altnabreac Station on the Far North Line. The station is in a remote part of Caithness and there is no road access apart from a track. ScotRail has issued this press release explaining what is happening:
ScotRail is advising customers that from Sunday, 12 November services on the Far North Line will temporarily not call at Altnabreac station in Caithness.
The train operator has made the decision to withdraw services as it is unable to get access to the station and a neighbouring level-crossing. In the last year fewer than 300 passengers joined services from the station.
The isolated station can only be accessed by a small road five miles long and without being granted access Network Rail and ScotRail staff are unable to carry out essential maintenance needed for the safe operation of the station through winter.
ScotRail’s intention is to return to services as quickly as possible.
Altnabreac, along with eight other stations on the Far North Line, currently operates on a ‘request to stop’ basis. The other seven recently saw the installation of new kiosks that allow passengers to request an approaching train to stop at the station with just the push of a button using a radio system to send a message to the driver’s cab - however this, along with critical maintenance, has not been possible at Altnabreac due to the inability to safely access the station.
David Simpson, ScotRail’s Service Delivery Director, said:
“It is very disappointing that services will temporarily not call at Altnabreac because we can’t access the station safely to perform maintenance and other work during the winter period.
“We know how important services on the Far North Line are to local residents, tourism, and the wider community in areas like Altnabreac where public transport options are limited.
“Withdrawing services is very much a last resort and we would like to reassure the local community that we will be doing everything we can to secure safe access and resume services at Altnabreac as soon as possible.”
Cllr Raymond Bremner, Councillor for Wick and East Caithness and the Leader of Highland Council, said:
"It is regrettable that services to Altnabreac are being withdrawn. I've used the station a number of times over the years and it is an important access for one of the most remote areas of Caithness and one that is of historical importance.
“I would hope that this matter can be resolved quickly and speedily so that the communities of this area of Caithness and visitors to the area will once again be able to have unrestricted access to it."
Ian Budd, Convener of the Friends of the Far North Line, said:
“We hope to see this extraordinary situation resolved as soon as possible. The Far North Line provides a wonderful opportunity to travel to beautiful and remote locations, as well as providing an essential service to this part of Scotland.”
Posted 10-11-23
The Scottish Association for Public Transport is holding a public meeting in Inverness on Thursday 2nd November at 13:45.
There are three speakers, including our secretary, Neil Wallace and our founder, Frank Roach of HITRANS.
A discussion on rail and bus provision in the Highlands will follow. This will be an interesting occasion and everyone with an interest in public transport is welcome to attend.
Full details on the flyer.
Posted 30-10-23
The YouTube channel The Geordie Travels now has a journey on the Far North Line from Inverness to Thurso. It was made in beautiful sunshine, the day before Storm Babet hit the north east of Scotland.
This is a good survey of the journey, and the train, and is well worth a look. If you haven't been on the line you'll want to after watching this. The reality is way better than the excellent video!
Posted 30-10-23
In response to a question from a member of FoFNL, we now know that the new Inverness Airport Station is included in the areas covered by the Highland Railcard.
The wording on the ScotRail website hasn't been changed yet, but ScotRail sent us this revised version:
This is excellent news, making the Highland Railcard even better. For anyone living in the Highland areas covered who doesn't already know about this card, it offers a spectacular 50% off all tickets for journeys on the Far North, Kyle and West Highland lines, along with the chance to be accompanied by one or two children under 16 for £2 each. This is probably ScotRail's most generous offer.
Posted 23-10-23
For several years we have had a visual guide to the views from a train on the Far North Line, written by FoFNL committee member Richard Ardern, on our site.
This has now been updated and can be downloaded to be viewed either on a smartphone or a tablet whilst travelling.
The guide leads the traveller through a selection of the interesting highlights from this exceptional journey and includes high quality photos.
The guide ends with a view of Orkney from Thurso Bay, a short walk from Scotland's northernmost railway station.
Posted 02-10-23
The September edition of our members' magazine, Far North Express, is arriving in their hands this week.
This 36-page edition contains the usual mix of opinion, news, reports and articles about matters which have a connection with the Far North Line, present or past. Our magazine is used as a campaigning tool as well, with around 150 copies being sent to people in the rail industry in Scotland, politicians and the media.
This is where we hope non-members reading this will think, "Hmm, I could join..."
In common with all voluntary organisations like ours, our age profile is quite high. In many ways this is an advantage because of the general experience it brings. However, we really do also need some younger members so if this is potentially you...
We have members from all over the UK but it would be especially useful to increase the number of members who live near the Far North Line - again, if this is you...
Joining is really easy as you can pay instantly with PayPal if you wish on our joining page.
Posted 11-09-23
We have permission from all three speakers at our conference in Timespan on 23 June to upload their slides. we thoroughly recommend viewing them - not least to let you see what you missed!
Posted 02-07-23
Our annual Conference took place yesterday in Timespan, Helmsdale. We had three excellent speakers - Chris Gibb, first CEO of Scottish Rail Holdings; James McCafferty from Stadler and Martin Bignell, Scottish and Northern representative of the Rail Freight Group.
The three speakers were very well received and their slide presentations will be uploaded soon.
Timespan proved an excellent venue and we all enjoyed visiting Helmsdale in beautiful weather.
Posted 24-06-23
It's worth having a look at this interesting web page produced by Fiona MacDonald, who is SACC (Sutherland Adaptive & Collaborative Communities) Project Officer, Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust.
It states that "this is intended to provide support to those travelling across Sutherland" and it puts timetables and maps for trains and buses in one place.
The project is clearly at an early stage in development but shows promise for achieving a very useful service.
There is an email address to which you can send updates and corrections. Suggestions would probably be welcome too.
Posted 12-06-23
Far North Express 89 finally arrived on Friday and was posted out to members, rail industry officials and MSPs on Saturday.
Interestingly, it was the original consignment that turned up after being in transit from Dundee for about a fortnight.
We now also have the reprinted copies - lots of spares!!
Posted 04-06-23
We have now found out the DPD has almost certainly lost the consignment. The printer is doing a free reprint which should be delivered to our distributor on Thursday 1 June
It's hard to imagine how a big heavy package like that could get lost!
As the magazine is now so late being delivered we've activated the link to the online version earlier than usual.
Posted 30-05-23
Here's a fine video of a trip from Inverness to Thurso - it's made by Mark Swain for his "Let's Make a Trip" YouTube channel.
He chose a fabulous day for the trip so you can see the view from the train in all its glory!
Posted 26-05-23
Our members may be wondering where this month's magazine has got to. So are we!
It seems that the package has been lost in transit. We know it left the printer because we receive it in two consignments, one small and a much larger one for distribution to members and the Scottish rail industry.
The small package arrived at the end of last week but there is no sign of the other one at present. This is being investigated and we'll give an update when we know when to expect them.
Posted 25-05-23
FoFNL congratulates all those involved in the successful setting up of the new Far North Line Community Rail Partnership which was announced last night at the Scottish Parliament.
We see the FNL CRP as complementary to the Friends of the Far North Line and we will be working together on issues which overlap.
We hope that the CRP is able to draw in voluntary involvement at a local level in the same way that the Highland Main Line CRP has been able to do. FoFNL has a different function - we are independent lobbyists and concentrate on infrastructure and rail services, whereas the new FNL CRP will be involved in the promotion of the northern part of the line in relation to the communities it serves.
Posted 25-05-23
ScotRail announced today that the latest 'Request to Stop' kiosk on the Far North Line is now live at Dunrobin Castle Station.
The kiosks allow passengers to access services electronically, eliminating the need to hand-signal the driver.
Only the kiosk at Altnabreac remains to be installed.
Posted 10-05-23
Please forgive us for posting about something a long way away from the Far North Line.
This wonderful little bridge is over the Monkland Canal in the Central Belt. It was built in 1794 and is a rare surviving example of 18th Century engineering. It was a waggonway crossing - waggonways being the direct ancestors of railways
Things like this sometimes seem small and insignificant to planners but contribute enormously to our enjoyment of where we live. This is an amazing survivor and deserves to be saved.
A petition has been started by eminent railway historian and author Ann Glen - please sign!
Posted 08-05-23
As mentioned in our last magazine, Alness Station was reopened on 7 May 1973.
See this article on the Railscot website for some historical detail.
Posted 07-05-23
As you will see, on your left there is now a permanent menu item pointing to the page where you can purchase backnumbers.
This is a good moment to mention that our May magazine is at the printers and will be in members' hands soon. If you are not already a member, this would be a good time to join, with the new magazine imminent and our AGM & Conference coming up on 23 June.
Don't forget new members receive a complimentary copy of our 25th Anniversary Book while stocks last.
This issue contains the usual interesting mix of articles and covers both passenger and freight issues. The latter is especially important to us since the Far North Line is a railway waiting to play its part in the transfer of freight from road to rail which is Scottish Government policy.
As you will find if you read the magazine, we have a lot to say about the current struggle between those who still wish to spend very large sums on road building, and those trying to enact official government policy.
Posted 05-05-23
Our AGM & Conference will take place in Timespan in Helmsdale on Friday 23 June.
We very much hope to welcome many visitors to our event. If you don't know Helmsdale this is an ideal opportunity to combine discovery of its special character with listening to our three influential expert speakers, and joining in the discussion.
The Conference will begin at 11:15 and is a public event - all are welcome.
Our speakers this year are Chris Gibb, who was the first Chief Executive of Scottish Rail Holdings, the arm's length company which oversees ScotRail; Martin Bignell, who is the Scottish and Northern Representative of the Rail Freight Group; and James McCaffery, Programme Lead, Stadler Rail Services UK. As always Frank Roach will update us on the work of HITRANS.
We are looking forward to a wide range of rail topics, from hearing about the change to public ownership of ScotRail, possibilities for freight on our line and the Highlands in general, to an insight into questions of train design.
Posted 04-05-23
Transform Scotland is hosting a Zero-Carbon Public Transport Summit in Inverness on Monday 26 June from 13:30 - 16:30 at the Spectrum Centre.
Transform is Edinburgh-based and holding an event in Inverness represents Transform's wish to emphasise that sustainable transport concerns affect all parts of the country.
Posted 04-05-23
The Scottish Association for Public Transport (SAPT) is hosting a public seminar in Perth on Friday 16 June.
This will be of interest to all who wish to see improved public transport and the speakers will cover rail, bus and shipping.
Posted 04-05-23
HITRANS is producing a new Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) covering the Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Orkney, Highland, Moray and most of the Argyll and Bute Local Authority Areas.
An important part of the process is the offer to obtain views and feedback on the Draft Case for Change Report prior to progressing to Stage 2. There is an online survey which FoFNL urges you to complete. We hope it will be used by a large number of people to highlight the shortcomings of rail provision in the Highlands.
The survey will remain open until Monday 8th May.
Follow this link to read the draft report and take the survey.Posted 29-03-23
This is great tour of the Far North Line by Steve Marsh, a well known travel blogger. He gives some useful and interesting commentary but also lets the views speak for themselves.
Our line is often overshadowed by the obvious beauty of the West Highland and Kyle lines but, as you can see from this video, the FNL is unique in its variety.
It's a shame the train Steve travelled on hadn't had a wash - he cleared a hole through the grime of a left hand window using his jacket sleeve before the train set off from Inverness, but you don't get much view of the sea through the other side.
Posted 12-03-23
Our AGM & Conference will take place in Timespan in Helmsdale on Friday 23 June.
The Conference will begin at 11:15 and is a public event - all are welcome.
Our speakers this year are Chris Gibb, who was the first Chief Executive of Scottish Rail Holdings, the arm's length company which oversees ScotRail; Martin Bignell, who is the Scottish and Northern Representative of the Rail Freight Group; and James McCaffery, Programme Lead, Stadler Rail Services UK. As always Frank Roach will update us on the work of HITRANS.
We are looking forward to a wide range of rail topics, from hearing about the change to public ownership of ScotRail, possibilities for freight on our line and the Highlands in general, to an insight into questions of train design.
Posted 27-02-23
Geoff Marshall (of "All the Stations") and Roger French ("Bus and Train User" blog) took the train to Invershin to try out one of the new Request to Stop kiosks.
This is a great video and is followed by another entertaining video of their first visit to the brand new Inverness Airport Station.
Posted 17-02-23
There is much talk in the press and in Holyrood about the A9. FoFNL would like to remind our readers about the parallel railway which hardly gets a mention in the press. Here is page 5 of a pamphlet we sent to all prospective MSPs before the 2021 election.
The whole pamphlet can be read here.
Posted 13-02-23
Great to see Inverness Airport Station opened yesterday (2 February). This was the culmination of around 25 years of effort, especially by Frank Roach of the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) who is seen here giving a speech at the start of the opening ceremony which took place in the Royal Highland Hotel in Inverness before the assembled party travelled on the first train to the new station where Jenny Gilruth MSP, Minister for Transport, unveiled a plaque.
Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Scotland's Railway, officiated at both ceremonies.
There are two related issues which FoFNL highlights:
Posted 03-02-23
A car presumably drove through red warning lights onto a level crossing and was struck by a train yesterday between Inverness and Nairn. Fortunately no-one was injured. [EDIT - this is in fact a "POGO" - Power Operated Gate Opener crossing, i.e. user-operated. These crossings are protected by colour lights and a large instruction screen is provided.]
The BBC website reported this as "Rail services between Inverness and Nairn have been disrupted after a car was struck by a train on a level crossing." We think that unintentionally implies that the train was somehow at fault.
A better default wording would be, "A car drove through red warning lights onto a level crossing and was struck by a train."
Obviously that wording wouldn't be used in the unlikely event of a car breaking down and stopping on the track whilst crossing when the barriers were up.
Posted 01-02-23
Our January issue has been published and is in the hands of our members. We're always looking for new members to give us a stronger voice. Our magazine comes out three times a year and is usually 32 or 36 pages, full of news, opinion, relevant articles and often some Far North Line history. Reading the printed magazine is much better than the web version, which comes out later and joins our archive.
Please consider joining us - head to our joining page where you can get on board instantly using PayPal.
Posted 26-01-23
Two items about the new station appeared in the Inverness Courier on 6 December.
Posted 06-12-22
Our September issue has been in the hands of our members for several weeks. It can now be read in a web version on our website.
This issue contains reports of our AGM & Conference in Dingwall in June. There are some thought-provoking articles too concerning future rolling stock, and integrated transport as it should be done in Scotland but isn't. There is a review of Adrian Shooter's book about running Chiltern Railways, which contains many salutary tales, and a look back with memories of Scotland's youngest stationmaster.
If you'd like to receive three copies of FNE per year at no extra charge, and support FoFNL into the bargain, please head to our joining page where you can join instantly using PayPal, or of course more traditional methods are accepted too. New members receive a complimentary copy of our 25th Anniversary Book while stocks last.
Posted 29-10-22
Having just celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the Duke of Sutherland's Railway (a year late thanks to Covid) we've been sent this entertaining article about the Duke, by Susy MacAulay, which appeared recently in the Press & Journal.
Posted 14-07-22
For those who missed our AGM & Conference on 17 June, or would like an opportunity to see them in detail, here is David Simpson's presentation and notes. David is ScotRail's Service Delivery Director.
Posted 11-07-22
We have copies of the last six issues of Far North Express available for purchase at £3.00 each to cover UK p+p.
If you live outside the UK, please email for a price.
| FNE 81 September 2020 |
FNE 82 January 2021 |
FNE 83 May 2021 |
| FNE 84 September 2021 |
FNE 85 February 2022 |
FNE 86 May 2022 |
With the recent Centenary+1 event at Helmsdale commemorating the 1871 opening of the "Duke of Sutherland's Railway", one might wonder if there is any news about the second of the two locomotives owned by the Dukes.
Dunrobin is currently being restored at Beamish and at the Severn Valley Railway. The Beamish Museum Blog carried an article in 2021 marking the 10th anniversary of the locomotive's arrival there.
Posted 04-07-22
Most of the Inverness-Wick and return trains have been restored. Only the 08:02 Wick-Inverness is missing.
Also the 21:29 Inverness-Tain, 06:14 Ardgay-Inverness and 22:44 Tain-Inverness are now running.
Posted 28-06-22
Great to report that our 2022 AGM & Conference was a success in spite of all the rail problems. We had over 50 attendees who heard excellent talks from Kate Forbes MSP, Matt Powell of Network Rail and Phil Sherratt, editor of Modern Railways magazine.
We now know for certain that NR is to build the passing loop we've been campaigning for for years. The Delmore Loop, near Inverness, should be opened in 2024 and will go a long way to resolving the difficulties caused by late-running trains on the busier section shared with the Kyle Line.
David Simpson from ScotRail was also due to give a presentation but was called back home en route to Dingwall because of a family emergency (all is OK now). Luckily we had his slides with us and were able to give a simplified version of his talk - lacking David's enthusiastic delivery unfortunately!
Our thanks also go to the National Hotel in Dingwall which hosted the event. The present owners have only been in charge since March and have already transformed the hotel. The staff and owners could not have been more welcoming and helpful - nothing was too much trouble.
Posted 21-06-22
We've had a problem with the mailing of the current issue of Far North Express, some faulty envelopes have opened in transit and let the magazine out, so that an empty envelope is all that arrives.
If you are either a member, or know that you are on our complimentaries list, and receive an empty envelope, please get in touch and we'll send out another copy.
Posted 30-05-22
Our May issue has now been published and is on its way to our members. It will be added to our website as always, a month after publication.
This issue contains our reactions and official responses to the publication of the STPR2 Draft Report at the beginning of this year.
If you'd like to receive three copies of FNE per year at no extra charge, and support FoFNL into the bargain, please head to our joining page where you can join instantly using PayPal, or of course more traditional methods are accepted too.
New members receive a complimentary copy of our 25th Anniversary book while stocks last.
Posted 24-05-22
ScotRail has announced temporary timetables from Monday 23 May in response to the refusal of some train drivers to work overtime, or work on rest days, ahead of a strike ballot.
See our timetable page for details.
Posted 18-05-22
Our 2022 event looks set to take place as planned on Friday 17 June. The venue is the National Hotel, Dingwall, which is close to the station.
Our speakers will include David Simpson, Service Delivery Director, ScotRail; Phil Sherratt, Editor, Modern Railways; and a Network Rail sponsor of current work on the Far North Line.
The AGM will take place at 10:30 followed by the Conference at around 11:15, which is also open to members of the public.
We very much hope that many FoFNL members are able to attend. The National Hotel has kindly offered a special rate for attendees of £85 per night. If you wish to take up this offer please phone 07377 355807 letting them know that your are attending the event.
Posted 12-05-22
Eminent railway author and FoFNL Committee member, David Spaven, has published a study of what happened to many of Scotland's railways after the Beeching Report of 1963.
This is a forensic examination of what happened and why, and is linked to what may happen in the future, now that most people, including politicians, understand that "Railways Are the Future" for transport in Scotland.
There are many lessons to be learned, and this book should be essential reading for all involved in the railways' future - especially members of the Scottish Government, who actually have the power to do what's necessary.
The Radio Scotland programme Scotland Outdoors devoted its 30 March edition to an interview with David, on board a train from Edinburgh on the Borders Railway. This is well worth a listen and illustrates how things have changed since 1963.
David's book can be purchased from the Birlinn website, price: £30.
Posted 12-05-22
ScotRail has just told us about an excellent feature on the National Rail Enquiries website, it's called Pocket Timetables and it will produce a custom timetable which you can read, or download as a .pdf file, containing journey information in four hour slots for outward and for return journeys on the day(s) of your choice.
The page can be found at https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/pockettimetable/search
For something so useful it is extremely well hidden. If you did not know about it you probably wouldn't stumble across it. If you knew it existed and tried to find it yourself you would have to start at the National Rail Enquiries home page, then near the bottom of the page in a box choose "Travel Tools & Alerts", which takes you to a page headed "Travel Tools". You would then need to click on "Timetables" in the little box called "Related Links" which takes you to a page called "National Rail Timetable" and there at last is a yellow button labelled "Get your Pocket Timetable"!
Now that ScotRail does not produce timetables showing connections (and has no plans to do so) it is difficult to plan a journey involving a change. For example, Tain to Elgin involves two timetables and this facility makes it really easy, showing the change required, the times at Inverness and the journey duration.
Since writing the above ScotRail has informed us of another website that offers a similar service, with whole day's timetables being given. This is Swiss Railways page:
https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable/online-timetable/pdf-timetables/personal-pocket-timetable/download.html
In May Professor Iain Docherty issued a report called ‘Scotland’s Railway after the Pandemic’. In September ScotRail carried out a public consultation, 'Fit For the Future' about its planned timetable changes. This is Transform Scotland's response.
It is a short document but well worth reading - especially by Scottish Ministers who appear somewhat slow to grasp the transport changes needed to achieve their own decarbonisation targets.
Since the initial press release from The Highland Council instructing the Scottish Government not to reduce its commitment to dualling the remainder of the A9 between Inverness and Perth and the A96 which we reported on in our September magazine - The Highland Council on the Wrong Side of the Road there have been several more exchanges in the Highland press.
An article on 1 October in the Press & Journal concerning the release of road casualty figures for the Highlands, prompted The Highland Council to step in again, demanding the full dualling of the roads. We could not let this pass unchallenged as expanding road provision is the wrong priority as we tackle climate change.
On 12 October we sent an open letter to the council and the following day issued a press release saying that we had done this.
Our aim is to promote discussion and to persuade The Highland Council to take the urgent need for investment in Highland railways seriously. In the run-up to COP26 it is surprising to see the council so unaware of what's needed.
We have since had a meeting to discuss how the council can improve its support for rail in which we were assured that THC is very aware of the shortcomings of raiulways in the Highlands and supports any initiative to improve them.
We've had a request from the Friends of the West Highland Line for any information anyone might have about a company called McCreath, Taylor and Co. Ltd. which was based in Antrim. They had a branch office/depot at Muir of Ord in the 1950s and also operated at Lentran station on the Far North Line.
The company imported tar and bitumen from Ireland into Ardrossan and it was transported by rail in Scotland. They also had a fleet of road tankers.
If you do have any knowledge of this company please email us.
This year marked the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the Duke of Sutherland's Railway (Golspie to Helmsdale).
Unfortunately there wasn't enough space in the next issue of Far North Express, which is at the printer at this moment, to include a hoped-for catch-up about the Fourth Duke's 1895 locomotive which is at Beamish under restoration after spending many years in Canada.
We will cover this in the future, but in the meantime here is the Beamish blog from May 2021 marking ten years since Dunrobin's return.
This new report from Transform Scotland tackles the issue of new road construction in Scotland being based on political considerations, rather than need, and how this flies in the face of the Scottish Government's declared policy of modal shift away from road to tackle the danger of extreme climate change.
FoFNL never stops talking about this problem. Unfortunately, even the most pro-rail MSPs in Holyrood seem to have difficulty with the idea of explaining to the electorate that it is no longer viable to spend money on gigantic road projects whose original justification was an ever upwards increase in road use.
Yes, all car drivers, including the writer of these words, prefer zipping along a dual carriageway uninterrupted by slower vehicles - we all have to realise that collectively we can no longer afford that luxury. The Scottish Government must take a strong lead in this.
Now that the new Government is in place we hope that all the MSPs remember the election pamphlet we sent them at the start of the campaign.
We asked all 409 candidates who received a copy of the pamphlet to let us know that they understood the need for rapid progress in the building of essential infrastructure for the railways in the Highlands. We received a 3.4% response rate, which was pretty disappointing. Perhaps all the candidates did understand, but were too busy campaigning to let us know.
It was gratifying for us, as an apolitical campaign group, that the expressions of support came from all parties, with LibDem, Conservative and SNP evenly split, one Labour response but nothing from any Green candidate.
Since posting this we have been told that Ariane Burgess, the lead Scottish Green Highlands and Islands candidate, had in fact sent us a message of support on behalf of all the Green candidates - somehow it had gone missing!
In any case the Scottish Green Party has always understood what needs to be done, as shown by their excellent Rail For All report.
At this moment the best thing the Scottish Government could do for railways in Scotland is to put aside politics and adopt Rail For All as policy!
This report by Deltix Transport Consulting was commissioned by the Scottish Green Party to produce wide-ranging proposals for the railways of Scotland. This is the kind of 'big thinking' that we think is necessary. It is a 'can-do' approach.
Transform Scotland, of whom FoFNL is a member, has joined forces with Paths for All, RSPB Scotland, Sustrans Scotland, and WWF Scotland, to send a strongly-worded call to the Scottish Government to act on its declared policy of modal shift from road to rail, and to abandon its incompatible plans, including dualling the A9 and A96.
The letter is in response to the government's draft Infrastructure Investment Plan. The reasons for sending it are explained in the Transform blog.
Whilst FoFNL is an apolitical organisation, we can only applaud this campaign which has been set up by the Scottish Green Party to persuade the Scottish Government to act on the promise it made in 2008 to invest properly in the Highland Main Line.
The government protests that it has been investing in the line. This is true - £57m has been spent on extending a couple of passing loops and modernising some signalling. This does not compare well with the £3bn currently being spent on dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
It is the railway that needs to be dualled as most of it is 'single-track-with-passing-places', hardly the kind of infrastructure you would expect the government to provide between its cities, especially having declared a 'climate emergency'.
The campaign can be found here. Please follow the link and fill in the form to send the Minister a message. Forget party politics, this is bigger than that.
This is not a local issue either. We support this because it is the rail route passengers use to get to the Far North Line from most of Scotland and further south.
Somehow the Scottish Government needs to realise that it has obligations, as declared in 2008 by the then First Minister on a visit to Inverness, referring to the HML, "Railways must at least compete with the roads."
Transport Scotland has published the Scottish Government's Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.
We are very pleased to see all this in print now, showing the government's commitment to removing the use of fossil fuels from the railway as far as possible by 2035.
We were aware that electrification to Tain was being considered - it won't happen for quite a long time, but it's good to see it in print. A copy of the Plan is available here.
It is vital now to convince ministers and other MSPs that the Highland Main Line and the Inverness-Aberdeen line are doubled before being electrified. It would become a much more expensive process after electrification, unless full provision was made for double-track bridges etc, as well as avoiding placing masts where the additional track will be.
HITRANS has commissioned SYSTRA to undertake a review of the current operation of, and investment in, the Highland Main Line (HML) between Perth and Inverness. This report seeks to understand the possible interventions required to address journey time and connectivity issues that previous investments have not resolved.
This is well worth a read. The ground it covers will be familiar to readers of FoFNL's magazine since the HML shortcomings are a major topic in every issue!
You can read it here.
FoFNL has now added the option to pay for membership using PayPal.
This means you can join us without having to fill in an application form and post it!
Just to remind you, we offer one year's membership for £15.00, continuous membership for £12.00 per annum and Life membership for £120.00. All can be purchased at the click of a button.
If you're not yet a member please head to our joining page now!
All new members receive a free copy of FoFNL 25 while stocks last!
FoFNL has published a 76pp A5 book to mark the 25th anniversary of its formation.
The book contains articles written specially, a 'timeline' of excerpts from our magazines/newsletters and other documents, and some pages of beautiful photographs of the line.
It gives an idea of what rail campaigning consists of - and how long it can sometimes take for things to come to fruition!
It is available directly from us, priced £5.00 including p+p.
If you do not wish to purchase using PayPal please either send an email to admin@fofnl.org.uk and make a BACS payment to:
Acc no: 00358919
Sort code: 80-91-26
IBAN: GB11 BOFS 8091 2600 3589 19
using your name as reference,
or post a cheque, payable to Friends of the Far North Line for £5.00 to:
FoFNL 25
3 Villafield Loan
Bishopbriggs
Glasgow
G64 3NZ
Last week the long-awaited Far North Line Review Team Report was signed off by ministers and its plans published by Transport Scotland.
Because of the way projects are now managed, the main infrastructure work is not listed in detail as it is still going through early development work. Unlike previous Control Periods where projects were announced by Transport Scotland before some of the detailed work had been done, and were therefore at risk of running over budget, definite commitment will now be given once all the costs are known. This is the 'pipeline' approach, where projects which will be started in the current Control period (CP6) are not yet officially committed.
From the point of view of campaigners, such as FoFNL, this can be frustrating. Suffice to say at this point that, given that the likely cost of the works outlined in the Report is already known, and that the whole new service specification (timetable and service pattern) which has been agreed in the Report depends on the infrastructure work being done, it is hard to see a scenario in which it will not take place. We just hope it's pretty soon!
Transport Scotland Press Release - 1 November 2019
Transport Scotland FNLRT Report.
FoFNL now has a page on Facebook.
We are hoping our page will stimulate interest in what we do and the Far North Line in general. Please have a look at our page, like it (if you do!) and share it with your friends.
The Scottish Natural Heritage website used to carry some excellent audio guides to the Far North Line. They were in MP3 format and were ideal for listening to on the train.
We now have them hosted on our site.
If you are travelling along the Far North Line you might like to enhance your journey by downloading our guide, written by Richard Ardern, one of our committee members and very prolific article writer for Far North Express!
The Guide is in .pdf format so you will be able to follow it on any smartphone or tablet.
The Friends of the Far North Line is the campaign group for rail north of Inverness, lobbying for improved services for local users, tourists and freight.
Our website will give you an insight to FoFNL's successes and concerns. You will find a complete collection of newsletters dating back to 1998 as well as an archive of interesting documents.
This is a map of the Far North Line which is situated in the northernmost part of Scotland. Hovering the pointer over the name of a station will display a local photo.
For a list of our aims please visit our "Aims & Actions" page.
Our 1995 conference for rail interests was the precursor of the Highland Rail Partnership a collaborative body spanning the Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, local Enterprise companies, rail operators, the Friends Groups and others.
Campaigning successes include the Easter Ross commuter train, Beauly and Conon Bridge stations, all-year Sunday trains, initiating the re-introduction of significant freight, the transporting of extremely long lengths of pipe to Wick, and the building of a footbridge alongside the Shin Viaduct. A substantial increase in freight is still needed and we will continue to persuade haulage contractors that there is an alternative to driving long distances over inadequate roads. Perhaps our most surprising, and gratifying, achievement was persuading the powers-that-be that retention toilets could be fitted to the Class 158 trains - having been assured it would be impossible!
In the mid 1980s there was a proposal to include railway in the A9 Dornoch Firth Crossing, thereby shortening the route of the line by around 25 miles. This did not come to fruition and FoFNL takes the view that the money needed for such a project now will not become available.
We continue to seek shortened journey times and hourly services between Inverness and Tain. We aim to work in partnerships, we publish a thrice yearly Newsletter, we are democratically governed through our AGM and a geographically representative committee.
If you would like to join The Friends of The Far North Line please either visit our joining page, where you can join instantly using PayPal, or download, print out and complete the application form. If you prefer, you can phone our Membership Secretary on +44 (0)1334 475311. Annual membership is only £18.00 (£15.00 if you set up a standing order or PayPal Automatic Payment).
President:
Jamie Stone MP
Joint Vice Presidents:
Rhoda Grant MSP
Maree Todd MSP
Convener:
Ian Budd
ian.budd@fofnl.org.uk
Hon. Secretary:
Neil Wallace
Mossfield
Kiltarlity
Beauly
Inverness-shire
IV4 7JQ
secretary@fofnl.org.uk
Hon. Treasurer:
David Start
2 Leigh Road
Hildenborough
Tonbridge
Kent
TN11 9AB
Membership Secretary:
Angus Stewart
36 Learmonth Place
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 8XF
Newsletter Editor:
Ian Budd
editor@fofnl.org.uk
Committee Members:
Iain MacDonald, Alness
Richard Mansfield, Inverness
Les Turner, Inverness
Malcolm Wood, Ardgay
The photo of Culrain station was taken by Peter Van Den Bossche and the photo of Altnabreac by Dennis Troughton. Both are used under the Creative Commons Licence.
