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Falls of Cruachan railway station

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Falls of Cruachan

Scottish Gaelic: Eas Chruachain[1]
National Rail
The station in May 2019
General information
LocationBen Cruachan, Argyll and Bute
Scotland
Coordinates56°23′38″N 5°06′46″W / 56.3940°N 5.1128°W / 56.3940; -5.1128
Grid referenceNN079267
ManagerScotRail
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeFOC[2]
History
Original company
Callander and Oban Railway
Pre-groupingCallander and Oban Railway operated by Caledonian Railway
Key dates
1 October 1893Opened
1 November 1965Closed
20 June 1988Re-opened
25 October 2020Closed (temporarily)
17 May 2021Re-opened
Passengers
2020/21Decrease 134
2021/22Increase 492
2022/23Increase 888
2023/24Increase 1,478
2024/25Increase 1,782
Location
Map
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Falls of Cruachan railway station is a railway station located at the foot of Ben Cruachan in Scotland. This station is on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway. It is sited between Taynuilt and Loch Awe, sited 52 miles 69 chains (85.1 km) from Callander via Glen Ogle.[3] ScotRail manage the station and operate all services. The platform falls within the four mile stretch of railway that is protected by the Pass of Brander stone signals.

History

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The shelter at the Falls of Cruachan station.

The station (on the lower slopes of Ben Cruachan, above Loch Awe) opened on 1 October 1893 with a single platform, but was later closed on 1 November 1965.[4] The station was reopened on 20 June 1988.[4]

Accidents and incidents

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The area near the station has been the site of five derailments due to the rockfalls, occurring in 1881, 1946, 1997, and in 2010, which proved the most significant.

On 6 June 2010, a two carriage train from Glasgow to Oban derailed near Falls of Cruachan station. The train derailed shortly before 8:53 p.m. and was left balanced precariously on a 15-metre (50 ft) embankment. There was also a minor fire, which was quickly put out using on-board fire extinguishers.[5] Sixty passengers had been on board the train, but all were safely evacuated down the line to the station with no major injuries,[6][7][8] although nine people had minor injuries. The train hit a boulder that had fallen onto the track. The driver later received a commendation for the action taken to protect passengers.[9]

The Falls of Cruachan Railway Viaduct

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Falls of Cruachan Railway Viaduct
Bridge hidden by foliage
Coordinates56°23′40″N 5°06′51″W / 56.3945°N 5.1142°W / 56.3945; -5.1142
CarriesWest Highland Line
CrossesFalls of Cruachan
LocaleArgyll and Bute
Characteristics
DesignArch
MaterialConcrete
Longest span24 feet (7.3 m)
No. of spans3
History
DesignerJohn Strain
Opened1880
Listed Building – Category A
Official name
Falls Of Cruachan Railway Viaduct
Designated1 February 2007
Reference no.LB50811
Location
Map
Interactive map of Falls of Cruachan Railway Viaduct

The viaduct carries the West Highland Line over the Falls of Cruachan, near Loch Awe. It was engineered by John Strain in 1880,[10] and was built for the Callander and Oban Railway. It was listed as a Category A listed building in 2007.[10]

It has three arches, with a main centre span of 24 feet (7.3 m) and side arches of 19 feet (5.8 m).[10] The piers are made of bull-faced stone, and the arches from mass concrete, a material not previously employed on British railways.[10] There is a parapet with a central crenelation, topped with a recent steel safety rail.[10]

The viaduct spans the small gully created by the Falls of Cruachan, close to the entrance to the pumped-storage Cruachan Power Station, which is located in a chamber within Ben Cruachan.[10][11]

Facilities

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The station has no facilities bar an electronic display and a bench. There is no car park or drop-off point, as the only entrance is directly off the A85. The station does not have step-free access.[12] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train. As the station does not have lighting, trains cannot call between dusk and dawn.

Passenger volume

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Passenger Volume at Falls of Cruachan[13]
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 2023–24 2024–25
Entries and exits 124 108 154 160 218 204 200 258 244 498 654 734 734 726 538 626 134 492 888 1,478 1,782

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

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All services at Falls of Cruachan are operated by ScotRail. However, unlike other stations on the line, the station is only open in the summer months from March to October every year.[14] Trains can only stop here during daylight hours as the station has no lighting.[15]

When the station is operational, there are five trains each way (eastbound to Glasgow Queen Street, westbound to Oban) on weekdays and Saturdays, along with four each way on Sundays.[16]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Loch Awe   ScotRail
West Highland Line		   Taynuilt
  Historical railways  
Loch Awe
Line and Station open		   Callander and Oban Railway
Operated by Caledonian Railway
   Taynuilt
Line and Station open

References

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  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. 1 2 "Falls Of Cruachan, Railway Halt | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "Rail Accident Report: Accident at Falls of Cruachan, Argyll, 6 June 2010" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  6. ↑ "Boulders 'caused Glasgow to Oban rail derailment'". BBC News. 7 June 2010.
  7. ↑ "Train derailment in Scotland leaves carriages "precariously balanced" over a 15 metre embankment". Daily Mirror. 6 June 2010.
  8. ↑ "Passengers in hospital after Glasgow to Oban train derails". STV. 7 June 2010. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  9. ↑ "Argyll train derailment driver honoured". BBC News. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "FALLS OF CRUACHAN RAILWAY VIADUCT (Ref:50811)". Historic Scotland. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "Falls of Cruachan Railway Viaduct" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  14. ↑ Jimmy (28 January 2013). "Falls of Cruachan". Friends of the West Highland Lines. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Walk of the week: Ben Cruachan". The Scotsman. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  16. ↑ eNRT May 2026 Edition, Table 218

Bibliography

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