Glenfinnan railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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The platforms at Glenfinnan in August 2022, looking west
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| Location | Glenfinnan, Highland Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°52′21″N 5°26′58″W / 56.8725°N 5.4495°W |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | GLF |
| History | |
| Original company | Mallaig Extension Railway of West Highland Railway |
| Pre-grouping | North British Railway |
| Post-grouping | LNER |
| Key dates | |
| 1 April 1901 | Station opened |
| Traffic | |
| Passengers (2018/19) |  12,486 |
| Passengers (2019/20) | 13,864 |
| Passengers (2020/21) |  1,876 |
| Passengers (2021/22) | 7,924 |
| Passengers (2022/23) | 13,420 |
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Listed Building – Category B
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| Designated | 29 May 1985 |
| Reference no. | LB312 |
Glenfinnan railway station is a train station in the small village of Glenfinnan, Scotland. It's part of the beautiful West Highland Line, which is a famous railway route. The station is located between Lochailort and Locheilside. You can find it about 14 miles (22.5 km) from the old Banavie Junction.
Just a short distance away, about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to the east, is the amazing Glenfinnan Viaduct. This viaduct is very well-known, especially because it was featured in the Harry Potter movies! ScotRail manages the station and runs all the trains that stop here.
Contents
Station History
Glenfinnan station first opened its doors on 1 April 1901. It has two platforms, which are the areas where people wait for trains. These platforms are on either side of a "crossing loop," which is a special track that allows trains to pass each other. There are also extra tracks called sidings on the south side of the station. These sidings are used to store trains or railway cars when they are not in use.
For many years, the station was home to special "camping coaches." These were old railway carriages that were turned into small holiday homes. People could rent them and stay right at the station, enjoying the beautiful Scottish scenery. These coaches were available from 1936 all the way until 1969.
How Trains Are Controlled
When Glenfinnan station first opened, trains on the Mallaig Extension Railway used a system called the "electric token system." This system used special metal tokens to make sure only one train was on a section of track at a time, keeping everyone safe. The station had a signal box with 15 levers. This signal box was used to control the train signals and track switches.
Over the years, the way trains were controlled changed. In 1987, a new system called Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) was introduced. This modern system uses radio signals to control trains, which meant the old signal box at Glenfinnan was no longer needed and was closed. Now, the RETB system for this area is controlled from a central office at Banavie railway station. In 2003, another safety system called the Train Protection & Warning System was added to the tracks.
Glenfinnan Station Museum
The Glenfinnan Station Museum is located right inside the station building. This museum is a great place to learn about how the Mallaig Extension Railway was built and how it affected the local area in the late 1800s.
Inside the museum, you can see the original ticket office, which still has the old token instruments that were used to control trains. There are also many interesting items from the local area. The museum often has new photo exhibitions about railways and a gift shop where you can find souvenirs. It's usually open during certain seasons of the year.
The museum and the old signal box were updated in 2011 and 2012. They made sure the building was easier to access and fixed the roof. There are also plans to improve the path between the station and the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, which, as you might know, was a filming location for several Harry Potter movies!
Station Facilities
Glenfinnan station has two platforms. Platform 1 has a waiting room and a bench, which is also the only facility on platform 2. There's also a help point if you need assistance and racks to park your bicycle. This platform is next to the car park, and you can get to it easily without steps.
To get to platform 2, you need to use one of two special crossings across the tracks. Since you can't buy tickets at the station, passengers need to buy their tickets before they travel or from the train conductor once they are on the train.
Services
Glenfinnan station has trains running every day. On most weekdays, there are four trains heading towards Mallaig and three trains going to Glasgow Queen Street. There's also a fourth train to Fort William that connects with the overnight Caledonian Sleeper train, which goes all the way to London Euston. On Sundays, there are three trains in each direction.
Images for kids
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The platforms at Glenfinnan in August 2022, looking west
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Glenfinnan signal box
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156474 and 156476 arrive at Glenfinnan with a ScotRail service bound for Mallaig.
