Tain railway station
Railway station in Highland, Scotland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tain railway station is an unstaffed railway station serving the area of Tain in the Highland council area of Scotland. The station is on the Far North Line, 44 miles 23 chains (71.3 km) from Inverness, between Fearn and Ardgay.[5] ScotRail, who manage the station, operate all services.
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Tain station in 2022, looking southeast | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Tain, Highland Scotland | ||||
| Coordinates | 57.8144°N 4.0519°W | ||||
| Grid reference | NH781823 | ||||
| Manager | ScotRail | ||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | TAI[2] | ||||
| History | |||||
Original company | Inverness and Ross-shire Railway | ||||
| Pre-grouping | Highland Railway | ||||
| Post-grouping | LMSR | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 1 June 1864[3] | Opened | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2020/21 |  3,522 | ||||
| 2021/22 |  19,664 | ||||
| 2022/23 | 19,606 | ||||
| 2023/24 | 23,672 | ||||
| 2024/25 | 23,284 | ||||
Listed Building – Category B | |||||
| Designated | 6 October 1978 | ||||
| Reference no. | LB41910[4] | ||||
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History
The station was opened on 1 June 1864 by the Highland Railway.[3]
There have been two engine sheds at Tain in the past: the first was timber-built and originally from Invergordon, which included a turntable. It was re-erected and reopened in June 1864, but burned down on 20 April 1877.[6][page needed] The second was stone-built and opened in 1877. There were no facilities at the shed, although there was a water column and a turntable at the station. It was closed on 18 June 1962, and later demolished.[6][page needed]
Facilities
Both platforms have benches, although only platform 1 has a shelter. There is step-free access to both platforms (from two car parks, 1 adjacent to each platform), although the platforms are connected via a footbridge. The only help point is on platform 2.[7] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.
Platform layout
The station has a passing loop 24 chains (480 m) long, with two platforms. Platform 1 on the southbound line can accommodate trains having seven coaches, whereas platform 2 on the down northbound line can hold eight.[8]
Passenger volume
| 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 | 11,174 | 13,837 | 18,521 | 20,847 | 23,922 | 24,340 | 26,944 | 33,638 | 34,016 | 34,578 | 30,004 | 27,896 | 28,622 | 29,774 | 29,384 | 28,036 | 3,522 | 19,664 | 19,606 | 23,672 | 23,284 |
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Services
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There are five through trains northbound (four to Wick & Thurso, one to Ardgay) in the December 2021 timetable, and eight trains to Inverness southbound on weekdays & Saturdays. The additional departures to Inverness run mainly in the morning peak & evening and are run primarily for commuters. On Sundays there are four trains to Inverness and a single departure to Wick.[10]
| Preceding station |  National Rail |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fearn or Invergordon | ScotRail Far North Line |
Ardgay or Terminates here | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Fearn Line and station open |
Highland Railway Inverness and Ross-shire Railway |
Meikle Ferry Line open; Station closed | ||
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