Rhu railway station
Rhu is a closed railway station located in the village of Rhu, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on the east shore of Gare Loch. It is located towards the southern end of the West Highland Railway.
Rhu (Row) | |
|---|---|
| Location | Rhu, Argyll and Bute Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56.0218°N 4.7725°W |
| Platforms | 1 (upon final closure) |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | West Highland Railway |
| Pre-grouping | North British Railway |
| Post-grouping | LNER |
| Key dates | |
| 7 August 1894 | Opened as Row |
| 24 February 1927 | Renamed as Rhu |
| 6 July 1941 | Loop and second platform reinstated |
| 4 June 1950 | Loop and second platform taken out of service |
| 9 January 1956 | Station closed |
| 4 April 1960 | Station re-opened |
| 15 June 1964 | Station closed |
History
This station opened as "Row" on 7 August 1894.[1]
The station was laid out with two platforms linked by a footbridge, one on either side of a crossing loop. The use of side platforms here was slightly unusual, since the West Highland Railway was otherwise built with island platforms at stations, apart from at its northern end. There were sidings on the south side of the station.[2]
On 24 February 1927, the spelling of the station's name was altered to "Rhu".[1] The station was host to a LNER camping coach from 1935 to 1939.[3] A camping coach was also positioned here by the Scottish Region from 1954 to 1956.[4]
The station was initially closed to passengers in January 1956, but reopened in April 1960.[5] A second (& final) closure came on 15 June 1964, when the Craigendoran (Upper) to Arrochar and Tarbet local service fell victim to the Beeching Axe.[5][6]
Much of the structures have been demolished, but part of one platform is still visible.[7]
There have been proposals to reopen the station as part of an experiment to open ‘pop-up’ stations in Scotland.[8]
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helensburgh Upper Line and Station open |
West Highland Railway North British Railway |
Shandon Line open; Station closed | ||
See also
- Faslane Platform railway station - A nearby temporary WWII station
References
- Butt 1995, p. 200.
- "Row station on OS 25inch map Dumbartonshire XVI.4 (Rhu; Rosneath)". National Library of Scotland. 1898. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- McRae 1997, p. 11.
- McRae 1998, p. 28.
- Butt 1995, p. 197.
- Hurst 1992, p. 37 (ref 1714).
- "The West Highland Railway Line"Geograph.org; Retrieved 26 August 2016
- Pop up train stations at Rhu and Shandon Proposed
Sources
- Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
- Hurst, Geoffrey (1992). Register of Closed Railways: 1948-1991. Worksop, Nottinghamshire: Milepost Publications. ISBN 0-9477-9618-5.
- McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
- McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
Further reading
- Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
- RAILSCOT on the West Highland Railway