Falls of Cruachan railway station

Falls of Cruachan
General information
Other names	Easa Chruachain
Location	Argyll and Bute
Managed by	First ScotRail
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	FOC
History
Original company	Callander and Oban Railway
Pre-grouping	Callander and Oban Railway operated by Caledonian Railway
Key dates
1 October 1893	Opened
1 November 1965	Closed
20 June 1988	Re-opened

Falls of Cruachan railway station is a railway station located at the foot of Ben Cruachan in Scotland. This station is on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway.

Services

Services are operated by First ScotRail.

The station is a request stop, used mainly by hikers during the warmer months who walk past the falls to climb Ben Cruachan. It is open only during the summer months, during a period formerly associated with the summer timetable, prior to the timetable change date moving from September to December. Cruachan hydro-electric power station is nearby.

History

The station opened on 1 October 1893 with a single platform on the south side of the line. Although it was closed on 1 November 1965, it re-opened on 20 June 1988.

On 6 June 2010, a two carriage train from Glasgow to Oban derailed near Falls of Cruachan station. The train derailed shortly before 8.53pm, caught fire and was left balanced precariously on a 15-metre embankment. Sixty passengers had been on board the train, but all were safely evacuated down the line to the nearest station with no major injuries.

Signalling

Although Falls of Cruachan station has never had any signalling directly associated with it, its platform falls within the four mile stretch of railway that is protected by the Pass of Brander stone signals.

References

• 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.
• Fryer, Charles (1989). The Callander and Oban Railway. Oxford: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-8536-1377-X. OCLC 21870958.
• 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.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Loch Awe		First ScotRail West Highland Line		Taynuilt
	Historical railways
Loch Awe Line and Station open		Callander and Oban Railway Operated by Caledonian Railway		Taynuilt Line and Station open