Cullen railway station explained

Cullen
Status:Disused
Borough:Cullen, Moray
Country:Scotland
Coordinates:57.692°N -2.8171°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Platforms:1
Pregroup:Great North of Scotland Railway
Postgroup:London and North Eastern Railway
Years1:1 May 1886
Events1:Great North of Scotland station opened
Years3:6 May 1968
Events3:Closed

Cullen railway station was a railway station that served the small fishing village of Cullen, close to Portknockie in Moray. The railway station was opened by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) on its Moray Firth coast line in 1886, served by Aberdeen to Elgin trains.

In 1923 the GNoSR became part of the London and North Eastern Railway and at nationalisation in 1948 became part of British Railways. The station and line was recommended for closure by Dr Beeching's report "The Reshaping of British Railways" and closed on 6 May 1968.

History

Background

In 1881 the Great North of Scotland Railway put a bill to parliament to extend its Portsoy line along the Moray Firth as far as Buckie. In 1882 the Great North of Scotland applied for permission to build a NaNmiles line from Portsoy following the coast to Buckie and then running on to Elgin.

Great North of Scotland Railway

The GNoSR station opened as 'Cullen' on 1 May 1886 with the central section of the coast line, served by through Aberdeen to Elgin trains. In 1923 the Great North of Scotland Railway was absorbed by the London and North Eastern Railway. This was nationalised in 1948, and services provided by British Railways. The station and line was recommended for closure by Dr Beeching's in his report "The Reshaping of British Railways"[1] and closed on 6 May 1968.

Services

The GNoSR station was served by through trains running between Aberdeen and Elgin. There were no Sunday services.[2]

The station infrastructure

Cullen station had a single curved platform with the typical wooden style of station building, however it was larger than many of the others with a central canopy between two wings. a passing loop was not provided. The 1902 OS map shows a weighing machine in the goods yard, several sidings and a goods shed. A station agent's or stationmaster's cottage sat near to the station.[3]

The line was predominantly single track apart from a double track section between Buckie and Portessie. Track lifting took place shortly after closure in 1968.

The Cullen viaducts

See main article: Cullen Viaduct. Cullen Viaduct is a category B listed structure with eight arches, built to carry a single track, constructed in 1884 and approached by substantial embankments.

Station remnants

The station was demolished and the site is occupied by housing, however the Cullen railway viaducts were saved from demolition.

Moray Cycle Route

Much of the trackbed of the old railway now forms the Moray Cycle Route.

References

Sources

External links

Notes and References


  1. Web site: Passenger Timetable: Scottish Region . Table 150 . British Railways . May 1948 . 2013-06-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120226232742/http://timetableworld.com/book_viewer.php?id=4 . 2012-02-26 .
  2. Web site: Banffshire, Sheet 003.05. Publication date: 1904. Revised: ca. 1902 . 26 January 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230720/http://maps.nls.uk/view/82869987. . 3 March 2016 . dead .