Fort William Junction
Encyclopedia
Fort William Junction is a railway junction
on the West Highland Line
in Scotland
, located to the east of Fort William railway station
. It is where the railway to Mallaig
connects with the Glasgow
to Fort William
railway.
A crossing loop
exists on the Mallaig line immediately beyond the junction, but there has never been a facility for crossing trains on the main West Highland Line in the vicinity of the junction.
to was opened. The branch left the West Highland Railway
approximately one mile east of Fort William station.
The junction was renamed "Mallaig Junction" on 30 March 1901, when the Mallaig Extension Railway
opened. The former name "Banavie Junction" was however transferred concurrently to a new junction formed where the Mallaig railway left the existing branch to Banavie Pier. On 27 March 1988, the junction assumed its present name, "Fort William Junction", in order to avoid potential confusion with "Mallaig" in radio communications.
originally crossed over the West Highland Railway and the Mallaig Extension Railway on separate bridges to the east of Mallaig Junction. Construction of a realigned Pier Railway, avoiding the site of Inverlochy village, commenced in 1927. It crossed the West Highland Railway on a bridge immediately west of Mallaig Junction. This bridge is still in situ but devoid of track following the complete closure of the narrow gauge line.
Signalling
From its opening in 1894, the West Highland Railway was worked throughout by the electric token system
. Banavie Junction signal box
(as originally named) opened on 6 August 1894. The signal box is located in the vee of the junction and remains operational today. It has been renamed twice during its existence, in line with the junction itself.
The present lever frame
, with 30 levers, dates from 1973. An 'NX' (entrance-exit) panel was added in 1975 to control the signalling at the relocated Fort William station. At the same time, the single line
between the junction and the station became worked under Track Circuit Block regulations.
Before the introduction of Radio Electronic Token Block
(RETB) to the West Highland Line, Mallaig Junction signal box worked to Spean Bridge and Banavie Canal Bridge signal boxes on the routes towards Glasgow and Mallaig respectively. RETB was commissioned between Mallaig Junction and Mallaig on 6 December 1987 and between Fort William Junction and on 29 May 1988. As a consequence, Fort William Junction S.B. now works only to Banavie Signalling Centre, on both routes.
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
on the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, located to the east of Fort William railway station
Fort William railway station
Fort William railway station is a railway station serving the town of Fort William in the Highland region of Scotland.- History :The present Fort William station opened on 13 June 1975. It replaced the original terminus which was further west and alongside Loch Linnhe at Station Square, in close...
. It is where the railway to Mallaig
Mallaig
Mallaig ; is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line , completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road – the "Road to the Isles".The village of Mallaig...
connects with the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
railway.
A crossing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
exists on the Mallaig line immediately beyond the junction, but there has never been a facility for crossing trains on the main West Highland Line in the vicinity of the junction.
History
Originally named "Banavie Junction", the junction was formed on 1 June 1895 when a short branch lineBranch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
to was opened. The branch left the West Highland Railway
West Highland Railway
The West Highland Railway was one of the last main lines to be built in Scotland. It is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking Fort William on the west coast to Glasgow. It was originally operated by the North British Railway.- History :...
approximately one mile east of Fort William station.
The junction was renamed "Mallaig Junction" on 30 March 1901, when the Mallaig Extension Railway
Mallaig Extension Railway
The Mallaig Extension Railway is a railway line in Highland, Scotland. It runs from Banavie Junction on the Banavie Pier branch of the West Highland Railway to Mallaig. The previous "Banavie Junction" closer to Fort William was renamed "Mallaig Junction" upon opening of the Mallaig Extension Railway...
opened. The former name "Banavie Junction" was however transferred concurrently to a new junction formed where the Mallaig railway left the existing branch to Banavie Pier. On 27 March 1988, the junction assumed its present name, "Fort William Junction", in order to avoid potential confusion with "Mallaig" in radio communications.
Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway
The Pier Railway of the Lochaber Narrow Gauge RailwayLochaber Narrow Gauge Railway
The Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway was a gauge narrow gauge industrial railway. It was a relatively long line, built for the construction and subsequent maintenance of a long tunnel from Loch Treig to a factory near Fort William in Scotland...
originally crossed over the West Highland Railway and the Mallaig Extension Railway on separate bridges to the east of Mallaig Junction. Construction of a realigned Pier Railway, avoiding the site of Inverlochy village, commenced in 1927. It crossed the West Highland Railway on a bridge immediately west of Mallaig Junction. This bridge is still in situ but devoid of track following the complete closure of the narrow gauge line.
SignallingRailway signallingRailway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
From its opening in 1894, the West Highland Railway was worked throughout by the electric token systemToken (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
. Banavie Junction signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
(as originally named) opened on 6 August 1894. The signal box is located in the vee of the junction and remains operational today. It has been renamed twice during its existence, in line with the junction itself.
The present lever frame
Lever frame
Mechanical railway signalling installations rely on lever frames for their operation to interlock the signals and points to allow the safe operation of trains in the area the signals control...
, with 30 levers, dates from 1973. An 'NX' (entrance-exit) panel was added in 1975 to control the signalling at the relocated Fort William station. At the same time, the single line
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
between the junction and the station became worked under Track Circuit Block regulations.
Before the introduction of Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block is a system of railway signalling used in the United Kingdom. It is a development of the physical token system for controlling traffic on single lines.- How it works :...
(RETB) to the West Highland Line, Mallaig Junction signal box worked to Spean Bridge and Banavie Canal Bridge signal boxes on the routes towards Glasgow and Mallaig respectively. RETB was commissioned between Mallaig Junction and Mallaig on 6 December 1987 and between Fort William Junction and on 29 May 1988. As a consequence, Fort William Junction S.B. now works only to Banavie Signalling Centre, on both routes.