railroad.wikisort.org - Station

Arrochar and Tarbet railway station is a railway station on the West Highland Line in Scotland. It stands between the villages of Arrochar and Tarbet. It is sited 19 miles 45 chains (31.5 km) from Craigendoran Junction, near Helensburgh, between Ardlui and Garelochhead.[3] ScotRail manage the station and operate most services, others provided by Caledonian Sleeper.

Arrochar & Tarbet Scottish Gaelic: An t-Arthar & An Tairbeart[1]
View along platform towards Glen Douglas and Glasgow
General information
Location	Arrochar & Tarbet, Argyll and Bute Scotland
Coordinates	56.2033°N 4.7232°W / 56.2033; -4.7232
Grid reference	NN311045
Managed by	ScotRail
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	ART[2]
History
Original company	West Highland Railway
Pre-grouping	North British Railway
Post-grouping	LNER
Key dates
7 August 1894	Opened
Passengers
2016/17	15,742
2017/18	17,800
2018/19	20,192
2019/20	18,288
2020/21	3,824
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

Opened to passengers on 7 August 1894 by the West Highland Railway, then run by the North British Railway, it became part of the London and North Eastern Railway during the Grouping of 1923.[4] The station was host to a LNER camping coach from 1936 to 1939.[5]

Under NBR and LNER auspices, the station was the terminus of a local service from Craigendoran (Upper) as well as being served by through trains to Fort William and Mallaig. Known as the Wee Arrochar, the Craigendoran service was continued by British Rail until June 1964, when it fell victim to the Beeching Axe.[6]

Between 1945 and 1948 a station and passing loop were located to the east of Arrochar and Tarbet at Inveruglas which served the passenger and freight requirements of the Sloy hydroelectric scheme. The station then passed on to the Scottish Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.

A camping coach was also positioned here by the Scottish Region from 1964 to 1969 after which all camping coaches in the region were withdrawn.[7]

Facilities

Facilities on the island platform include two waiting rooms, benches, bike racks, a help point and a phone. There is also a car park by the entrance to the station. As the station is only accessible via subway, there is no step-free access.[8] 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 Arrochar and Tarbet[9]

	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
Entries and exits	7,662	7,998	9,171	10,067	9,569	10,038	9,012	8,784	9,546	9,232	10,662	13,618	15,236	15,742	17,800	20,192	18,288	3,824

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

Monday to Saturday, there are six services to Oban and three to Mallaig (the latter combined with Oban portions, dividing at Crianlarich), and one service to Fort William (the Highland Caledonian Sleeper, weekday mornings only) northbound. Southbound, there are six services to Glasgow Queen Street High Level and one service to London Euston via Queen Street Low Level & Edinburgh Waverley (the Highland Caledonian Sleeper - does not run on Saturday).

On Sundays, there are two trains northbound to Mallaig, the Caledonian Sleeper to Fort William and one extra to Oban only, plus an extra summer service to Oban; Southbound there are three trains southbound to Glasgow Queen Street. In summer months, the extra summer Sunday service returns to Edinburgh, avoiding Glasgow.[10][11][12]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Garelochhead		ScotRail West Highland Line		Ardlui
Garelochhead		Caledonian Sleeper Highland Caledonian Sleeper		Ardlui
	Historical railways
Glen Douglas Halt Line open; Station closed		West Highland Railway North British Railway		Ardlui Line and Station open

References

Bibliography

• Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
• 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. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.

External links

• Train times and station information for Arrochar and Tarbet station from National Rail
• RAILSCOT on the West Highland Railway
• Station on navigable O.S. map
• Video footage of Arrochar & Tarbet railway station

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