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For those lovers of train we've added this page featuring one of a number of touring trains that visit Thurso Station each year. Thurso is the UK's most northernly railway station and a growing attraction to those interested in Railways. During World War I & II the Jelico Express ran daily between London Euston and Thurso to provide connection for troops moving to and from the British fleet based at Scapa Flow in Orkney. Today the railway from Inverness to Thurso is the longest rail journey in the country- more about that at the foot of this page.
We hope you have enjoyed this selection of images. As mentioned at the top of the page, the railway journey to Thurso from Inverness is the longest in the UK but this is not as such due to distance, more the route the railway rakes along with outdated track and unfit rolling stock. The north line is a challenging track for any train with curves and twists and gradiants through mountain country until it reaches the flat Flow Country of Caithness.
Last year CFT Group took a look at the make-up of a section of track near Thurso and found fittings retaining the line dated as early as 1922!. Much of the line has wooden sleepers and un-welded track.
The rolling stock is a major issue. Sprinter trains of the 158 model struggle to cope with the route and can break down. Older diesel engines of Class 24 thru to 36 all coped much more favourably and were far more reliable.
But the biggest consternation about the north line is the route it takes. Just after Tain it winds inland for a 45 minute loop into a low population area which has held the north to ransom over the issue of the proposed and majority supported Dornoch Rail bridge. The loop ends at the Mound station just south of Golspie within sight of Tain! One action group totally opposes the bridge stating it would be a waste of money but it is known that the major time savings it would make would attract a very significant use of the line by people living in Caithness and Sutherland as well as greater tourism and business potential.
It has never been proposed to close the Lairg loop, as it is know, just simply to provide a mainline bypass via Dornoch to Golspie. The Lairg loop is already served by commuter train services from Inverness and could continue to operate after the building of the Dornoch bridge.
To emphasise, where the line turns at Tain, to go inland, you can see Golspie just across a small stretch of water a few miles away. By road the distance is about 10 minutes, but 45 minutes by rail because of the loop. The full journey to Thurso is 3hours 46 minutes (4hrs 15 minutes for Wick passengers) but by road a mere 2hrs 30minutes. It makes immediate economic sense to build a bridge to hive off 45 minutes and automatically increase usage by improved journey times. The population oposed is around 6000- the population making the demand for a bridge is 45,000.
We make our opinion in no uncertain terms- THOSE OPPOSED TO THE DORNOCH RAIL BRIDGE ARE IGNORANT SELFISH PEOPLE WHO FAIL TO CONSIDER THE REAL NEEDS OF THE NORTH AND IT'S RAIL USERS- WE WILL HAVE OUR BRIDGE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!
