Arrochar & Tarbet

Scottish Gaelic: An t-Arthar & An Tairbeart[1]
National Rail
View along platform towards Glen Douglas and Glasgow
General information
LocationArrochar & Tarbet, Argyll and Bute
Scotland
Coordinates56°12′12″N 4°43′24″W / 56.2033°N 4.7232°W / 56.2033; -4.7232
Grid referenceNN311045
Managed byScotRail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeART[2]
History
Original companyWest Highland Railway
Pre-groupingNorth British Railway
Post-groupingLNER
Key dates
7 August 1894Opened[3]
Passengers
2018/19Increase 20,192
2019/20Decrease 18,288
2020/21Decrease 3,824
2021/22Increase 15,400
2022/23Increase 16,958
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

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.[4] ScotRail manage the station and operate most services, with others provided by Caledonian Sleeper.

History

The station seen in April 1963

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.[5] The station was host to a LNER camping coach from 1936 to 1939.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

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was also positioned here by the Scottish Region from 1964 to 1969 after which all camping coaches in the region were withdrawn.[9]

Facilities

The station seen in 2021

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.[10] 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[11]
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 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 15,400 16,958

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.[12][13][14]

Preceding station National Rail 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

  1. ↑ Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
  2. ↑ Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Quick 2022, p. 55.
  4. ↑ 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. 83, 88. ISBN 978 1909431 26 3.
  5. ↑ Butt 1995, p. 19.
  6. ↑ McRae 1997, p. 11.
  7. ↑ "The 'Wee Arrochar'". helensburgh-heritage.org.uk. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2023. The last version of the Craigendoran to Arrochar train service known as the 'Wee Arrochar'. This one coach diesel railbus service ended in 1964. For many years the service was operated by a push and pull train, two carriages with a tank engine always at the Craigendoran-bound end of the train. This image is an official British Railways photograph taken on the introduction of the Wickham railbus in the winter of 1959, and it was taken at Glen Douglas Station and shows a northbound train from Craigendoran.
  8. ↑ McGregor, John (1994). 100 years of the West Highland Railway. ScotRail. p. 71.
  9. ↑ McRae 1998, p. 28.
  10. ↑ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  12. ↑ eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218
  13. ↑ eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 218
  14. ↑ eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 220

Bibliography

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