Georgemas Junction railway station

Georgemas Junction railway station is a railway station located in the Highland council area in the far north of Scotland. It serves several rural hamlets in the historic county of Caithness, including Georgemas, Roadside and Banniskirk. It is also the nearest station to the village of Halkirk, which lies approximately 1.6 mi west of the station.

Georgemas Junction is the penultimate station on the Far North Line from Inverness to Wick, 147 mi down the line from Inverness. Immediately to the west of the station lies a junction of the same name, where the branch to Thurso spurs off northwards; mileages on this branch are measured from the station. This junction is the northernmost railway junction in the United Kingdom.

The station has a single platform which is long enough to accommodate a six-carriage train. The station is managed by ScotRail, who operate the services at the station.

History
The station was built by the Sutherland and Caithness Railway (S&CR). The station buildings were designed by Murdoch Paterson and it opened on 28 July 1874 and on that date the Highland Railway absorbed the S&CR and operated the newly completed line from Helmsdale to Thurso and Wick. A wrought-iron turntable of 45 ft diameter built by the Railway Steel and Plant Company of Manchester was installed at the station.

In 1902, Donald Mackenzie, station master was appointed first station master of Dornoch railway station.

From 1 January 1923 the station was operated by the London Midland and Scottish Railway.

At the end of February 1937 trains were stranded at Georgemas Junction because of heavy snow. A goods train from Inverness got stuck in a drift 9 ft deep. An engine with a snow plough was also stuck at the same location.

Trains via Thurso
Until diesel multiple unit trains were introduced by British Rail in the early 1990s, all trains on the Far North Line were locomotive-hauled, initially by Highland Railway steam locomotives, then by LMSR steam locomotives and latterly by British Railways steam and finally Class 37 diesel locomotives. Northbound passenger trains would divide at Georgemas Junction, with the rear portion for Thurso and the front portion for Wick. A locomotive was stabled at Georgemas Junction to haul the Thurso carriages.

Following the introduction of Class 156 diesel multiple units on the line, trains were always composed of two trainsets (four cars) and at Georgemas, these would split in half with the front portion heading to Wick, the rear to Thurso. This practice was halted with the introduction of Class 158 sets which operate as single sets - on arrival at Georgemas Junction from Inverness, trains reverse to reach Thurso, and then reverse again from Thurso back to Georgemas Junction (stopping a second time) and on to Wick. An easement to the National Routeing Guide allows passengers for Wick to stay on the train between Georgemas Junction and Thurso, which would otherwise technically be off-route.

Transhipment hub
Georgemas Junction station has been used for freight services that transport containers on to lorries which are taken by road to Wick and Thurso, as well as by ferry to Orkney. In the early 2000s, EWS operated a freight train for Safeway supermarket, running containers from Mossend to be unloaded at Georgemas.

In 2012, platform 1 and the station footbridge were removed when Direct Rail Services constructed a new freight terminal at Georgemas. The platform, which was located on a passing loop, was little used by passenger trains since all trains travelling to and from Inverness no longer split at the station. The passing loop dated back to the time loco-hauled trains divided/attached at the station – an Inverness-bound train from Wick would loop around the Thurso portion standing on the second (remaining) platform, and attach to it from behind.

The freight terminal has been used for taking nuclear material from Dounreay to Sellafield.

Facilities
Facilities at this station include a payphone that accepts card and coins, a waiting room and designated seating area, a cycle rack with 10 spaces, and a free car park with 2 spaces. The nearest bus stop to the station is located 850 m to the north.

Passenger volume
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services
On weekdays and Saturdays, there are four trains per day each way between Inverness and Wick, resulting in 8 trains per day to Thurso, as all trains in both directions go to Thurso on their way to Inverness or Wick. On Sundays, the frequency is reduced to one train per day each way, meaning two trains go to Thurso.