Mallaig

Scottish Gaelic: Malaig[1]
National Rail
General information
LocationMain Street, Mallaig, Highland
Scotland
Coordinates57°00′20″N 5°49′49″W / 57.0056°N 5.8302°W / 57.0056; -5.8302
Grid referenceNM675970
Managed byScotRail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeMLG[2]
History
Original companyMallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway
Pre-groupingNorth British Railway
Post-groupingLNER
Key dates
1 April 1901Station opened[3]
Passengers
2018/19Increase 97,530
2019/20Decrease 96,414
2020/21Decrease 15,270
2021/22Increase 62,426
2022/23Increase 71,692
Listed Building – Category C(S)
Designated8 August 1996
Reference no.LB43567
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Mallaig railway station is a railway station serving the ferry port of Mallaig, Lochaber, in the Highland region of Scotland. This station is a terminus on the West Highland Line, 41 miles (66 km) by rail from Fort William and 164 miles (264 km) from Glasgow Queen Street.[4] The station building is Category C listed.[5] ScotRail, who manage the station, operate most of the services.

History

The station in 1973

Mallaig station opened on 1 April 1901.[3]

The glass overall roof was removed in 1975 and the ticket office was extended at the same time. In 1978, Lochaber divisional planning committee agreed to a proposed £34,000 extension to the station which allowed for the station to be extended in a south western direction on part of the existing platform area. The extension included permission for a permanent tourist office within the existing building, and also a parcels office, mess room and concourse.[6]

In 1998 Railtrack announced expenditure of £90,000 to repair the station.[7]

Facilities

The station is equipped with a spacious ticket office (adjacent to the car park), inside of which is a help point and the toilets. The island platform has seats, cycle racks and luggage trolleys. The station has step-free access.[8]

Passenger volume

Passenger Volume at Mallaig[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 2021–22 2022–23
Entries and exits 64,300 69,779 66,193 67,393 62,984 65,436 87,862 85,630 85,378 82,914 86,994 84,972 88,346 86,406 95,878 97,530 96,414 15,270 62,426 71,692

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

ScotRail's 156474 arrives from Glasgow Queen Street on platform 2 at Mallaig, while the Jacobite stands on platform 1.
The Jacobite at Mallaig Station

The railway line from Mallaig is noted as a scenic route, especially as it passes along the Glenfinnan Viaduct 37 kilometres (23 mi) out of Mallaig,[10][11] so many journeys to and from the station are typically leisure travellers.

Most scheduled train services out of Mallaig railway station are operated by ScotRail. Currently, four trains a day depart Monday to Saturdays from Mallaig for Fort William, three of which continue to Glasgow Queen Street (the fourth terminates at Fort William to connect with the Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston). On Sundays, three trains depart for Fort William, with two trains continuing on to Glasgow.

Mallaig is also the destination of a special tourist steam train operated by West Coast Railways, The Jacobite, which runs sightseeing trips non-stop to Fort William running twice daily, Monday to Friday (with additional weekend services during the summer months).[12][13]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Morar   ScotRail
West Highland Line		   Terminus
Heritage Railways  Heritage railways
Fort William   West Coast Railways
The Jacobite
May–October		   Terminus
  Historical railways  
Morar
Line and Station open		   North British Railway
West Highland Railway (Mallaig Extension Railway)
   Terminus

Mallaig Ferry Terminal

The Skye ferry at Mallaig harbour

The Ferry port is located in front of the railway station, approximately 130 metres (430 ft) away.

Caledonian MacBrayne operate ferry services from Mallaig to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, a thirty-minute sailing, as well as daily services to the Small Isles of Canna, Rùm, Eigg and Muck,[14] although the timetable, itinerary and calling points differ from day to day. A small, independent ferry service run by former lifeboatman Bruce Watt sails up Loch Nevis to the remote village of Inverie in Knoydart,[14] and also calls by prior arrangement at Tarbet in Morar, locations that are only accessible by sea. Both Cal Mac and Bruce Watt also offer non-landing sightseeing tickets.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
"boat icon" Ferry services
Armadale   Caledonian MacBrayne
Mallaig – Skye		   Terminus
Lochboisdale   Caledonian MacBrayne
Mallaig – South Uist 		  Terminus
Rùm   Caledonian MacBrayne
Mallaig – Small Isles		   Terminus
Eigg    
Muck    
Canna    
Inverie   Western Isles Cruises[15]
Mallaig – Knoydart		   Terminus
Inverie   Knoydart Ferry[16]
Mallaig – Knoydart		   Terminus

See also

References

  1. ↑ Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
  2. ↑ Deaves, Phil. "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. 1 2 Butt (1995)
  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. p. 89. ISBN 978-1909431-26-3.
  5. ↑ "Mallaig Station". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  6. ↑ "Mallaig Station plan approved". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 9 August 1978. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "Station Revamp underway". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 2 November 1998. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Townsend, Chris (2011). Scotland. Milnthorpe: Cicerone. p. 317. ISBN 9781849653534.
  11. ↑ "Highland train line best in world". BBC News. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  12. ↑ eNRT May 2022 Edition, Table 218
  13. ↑ eNRT December 2021 Edition, Table 218
  14. 1 2 Jimmy (28 January 2013). "Mallaig". Friends of the West Highland Lines. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Knoydart Ferry Service to Knoydart and Tarbet, Mallaig | Highland Day Trips". Western Isles Cruises.
  16. ↑ "Timetable". Knoydart Ferry.

Bibliography

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