Sutherland and Caithness 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.
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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 £33,670,000 in 2019)[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
- Awdry (1990), page 105
- UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- "The Sunderland and Caithness Railway". The Scotsman. British Newspaper Archive. 27 July 1874. Retrieved 14 August 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Awdry (1990) p. 105
Sources
- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
- 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.
- 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 article on Sutherland and Caithness Railway