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Introduction

The Highland Mainline runs for 118 miles and links a series of small Highland towns between Perth in the South and Inverness in the North. The line features both double and single track sections.

History

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Route

Location	Mileage	No. Tracks	Comments	Photo
Perth	151mi 25ch	Double	Southern end of the Highland Mainline
Stanley Junc	158m 38c		End of double track section
	7m 08c		Start of single track section and change of mileage
Dunkeld & Birnam	15mi 31ch	Loop
Inver	16mi 50ch - 16mi 72ch	Single	Viaduct and tunnel
Tay Viaduct	20mi 48ch	Single
Pitlochry	28mi 21ch	Loop
Killiecrankie	31mi 60ch - 31mi 77ch	Single	Narrow gorge with viaduct and tunnel
Tilt Viaduct	34mi 76ch	Single	End of single track
Blair Atholl	35mi 09ch	Double
Dalnaspidal	50mi 73ch	Double
Druimachdair Summit	53mi 00ch	Double	At 1484ft, the highest point on Network Rail
Dalwhinnie	58mi 47ch	Double	End of double track line. Up platform is bi-directional.
Newtonmore	68mi 62ch	Single
Kingussie	71mi 21ch - 71mi 59ch	Loop	Down platform is bi-directional
Kincraig Loop	77mi 23ch - 77mi 55ch	Loop
Aviemore	83mi 09ch - 83mi 49ch	Loop	Down platform is bi-directional. Provides access to the Strathspey Railway.
Carrbridge	89mi 65ch - 90mi 15ch	Loop
Slochd Viaduct	93mi 69ch	Single
Slochd Summit	95mi 31ch	Loop	Both lines bi-directional
Findhorn Viaduct	98mi 04ch - 98mi 24ch	Single	Viaduct over the River Findhorn
Tomatin Loop	98mi 60ch - 99mi 12ch	Loop	Now closed station
Moy Loop	102mi 70ch - 103mi 23ch	Loop	Both lines bi-directional
Aultnaslanch Viaduct	103mi 36ch	Single	Timber viaduct
Culloden (or River Nairn) Viaduct	110mi 58ch - 111mi 05ch	Single	Multiple arch stone viaduct over the River Nairn
Culloden	110mi 30ch	Double	End of single track section.
Cradlehall	116mi 45ch	Double
Raigmore	116mi 68ch	Double	Where the Highland Mainline crosses over the top of the Aberdeen line
Millburn Junc	117mi 39ch	Double	Where the Aberdeen line joins the Highland Mainline
Welsh's Bridge Junc	117mi 56ch	Double	Connects with the Rose Street Curve, for accessing the Far North and Kyle Lines
Inverness	118mi 01ch	Double	Northern terminus of the Highland Mainline

All stations are operated by First Scotrail.

Services

Passenger

Regular passenger services are operated by ScotRail and NXEC.

ScotRail services run roughly every two hours between Perth and Inverness though not all services stop at all stations en route. A buffet trolley or counter service is available on most trains

A nightly sleeper service runs along the line which connects with portions from Aberdeen and Fort William at Edinburgh to form one service for London Euston. The southbound portion runs with the headcode 1M16 and the northbound as 1S25. Booked traction is a Class 67.

LNER provide a daily HST service to and from London, which is marketed with the name "The Highland Chieftain". The up service (1E13) departs Inverness at 07:55 and arrives in King's Cross at 15:49 while the Northbound working (1S16) departs King's Cross at midday and arrives in the Highland capital at 20:04. The HST set which forms 1S16 each day stables in Inverness overnight and forms the next day's 1E13.

The Royal Scotsman is a frequent visitor to the line in the Summer months.

Freight

Colas Rail operate a weekly cement train from Oxwellmains (Dunbar) to Inverness:

6H51 0248 Oxwellmains - Inverness
6B31 1854 Inverness - Oxwellmains

DRS operate a 6 day per week intermodal service from Mossend to Inverness for Tesco

05:04 Mossend - Inverness
13:07 Inverness - Mossend

Infrastructure

The line passes through some very rugged and spectaculary scenery. Notable structures include Findhorn Viaduct near Tomatin and the impressive 600 yard long Culloden Viaduct between Inverness and Carrbridge.

Another feature of the line are the taxing gradients which lead to the summits of Slochd (between Carrbridge and Inverness) and Drummochtar (between Blair Atholl and Dalwhinne) - the latter being the highest point on Network Rail at 1485 feet above sea level.