Sutherland and Caithness Railway

Sutherland and Caithness Railway

Locale Scotland
Dates of operation 28 July 1874 30 July 1884
Successor Highland Railway[1]
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Legend
Thurso
Hoy
Georgemas Junction
Halkirk
Bower
Scotscalder
Watten
Altnabreac
Bilbster
Forsinard
Down arrow Wick and Lybster Light Railway
Kinbrace
Wick
Borrobol Platform
Kildonan
Salzcraggie Platform
Helmsdale
Down arrow Duke of Sutherland's Railway

The Sutherland and Caithness Railway was a railway worked by, and later absorbed by the Highland Railway running through Sutherland and Caithness, Scotland. Caithness and Sutherland are former counties, and former districts of the Highland region.

History

The company was formed on 13 July 1871 to take over from the Caithness Railway and construct the line from its junction with the Duke of Sutherland's Railway at Helmsdale onwards to Wick and Thurso. The 3rd Duke of Sutherland contributed £60,000 and the Highland Railway contributed £50,000 towards the £360,000 (equivalent to £30,140,000 in 2015)[2] cost of construction. The engineers were Murdo Patterson for the Caithness section and Mr Baxter for the Sutherland section.[3]

On completion on 28 July 1874, the company was absorbed by the Highland Railway, which opened and operated the line.[4] Halkirk, Bower, Watten and Bilbster were closed in 1960, with Hoy, Borrobol Platform and Salzcraggie Platform being closed in 1965.

Connections to other lines

Current operations

The line is now part of the Far North Line, offering services to Wick and Inverness.

References

Notes

  1. Awdry (1990), page 105
  2. UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Gregory Clark (2016), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)" MeasuringWorth.
  3. "The Sunderland and Caithness Railway". The Scotsman. British Newspaper Archive. 27 July 1874. Retrieved 14 August 2016 via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required (help)).
  4. Awdry (1990) p. 105

Sources


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