Rhu railway station

Railway station in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

56°01′18″N 4°46′21″W / 56.0218°N 4.7725°W / 56.0218; -4.7725Platforms1 (upon final closure)Other informationStatusDisusedHistoryOriginal companyWest Highland RailwayPre-groupingNorth British RailwayPost-groupingLNERKey dates7 August 1894Opened as Row24 February 1927Renamed as Rhu6 July 1941Loop and second platform reinstated4 June 1950Loop and second platform taken out of service9 January 1956Station closed4 April 1960Station re-opened15 June 1964Station closed

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.

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 (and 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

References

  1. ^ a b Butt 1995, p. 200.
  2. ^ "Row station on OS 25inch map Dumbartonshire XVI.4 (Rhu; Rosneath)". National Library of Scotland. 1898. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  3. ^ McRae 1997, p. 11.
  4. ^ McRae 1998, p. 28.
  5. ^ a b Butt 1995, p. 197.
  6. ^ Hurst 1992, p. 37 (ref 1714).
  7. ^ "The West Highland Railway Line"Geograph.org; Retrieved 26 August 2016
  8. ^ Pop up train stations at Rhu and Shandon Proposed

Sources

  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 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. OL 11956311M.
  • 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). Vol. 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. Vol. 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.