page_title: History of the Far North of Scotland Railway Line
section_title: Reaching Caithness
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Far North of Scotland Railway Line / Reaching Caithness
caption_attribution_description: English: Welcome to Thurso Passengers at Thurso station, having just arrived on a Scotrail train from Inverness. Thurso is the most northerly station on the British railways network. The train working on the far north line is interesting. Each train passes through Georgemas Junction twice in each direction. On arrival at Georgemas Jcn. from Inverness, the train reverses and travels to Thurso. It then returns to Georgemas and onto Wick. In the reverse direction, trains travel from Wick to Georgemas, then to Thurso, back to Georgemas and then onto Inverness. I wonder if this occurs on any other route in the UK? In the days when trains on the line were locomotive hauled, there were always two locomotives. On arrival at Georgemas, the trains were split and each locomotive took a section to Wick and Thurso respectively.
context_page_description: The Far North Line was built in several stages through sparsely populated and undulating terrain. Extending to 161 miles, it runs north from Inverness to Wick and Thurso in Caithness, and currently carries a regular passenger train service.
  It was completed in 1874, running round the western margin of the firths north of Inverness and then keeping to the coast as far as Helmsdale. From that point it turns inland through Forsinard, returning to the far north-east coast at Wick and Thurso.
  Some intermediate stations were closed in 1960 but despite the construction of major road bridges across the firths significantly shortening the route by road, the line has seen some revival at the southern end due to housing development, and it has a secure future. The original through route of 1874 remains in use.
context_section_description: In 1866 the Caithness Railway had been authorised to build a line joining the towns of Wick and Thurso. The territory southwards from those towns was desolate and mountainous, and there was no intention at the first stage, to connect the line to any other railway, although a line south to Helmsdale was considered, running inland to avoid the most difficult terrain. However the promoters of this line were unable to raise the subscriptions necessary to start construction, amid considerable posturing and offers of funding conditional on other people's contributions, and the idea fell into abeyance.
  Inspired by the Duke of Sutherland's efforts in constructing a line to Helmsdale, a new company, the Sutherland and Caithness Railway, was promoted, obtaining its authorising Act on 13 July 1871. It was to adopt the authorised route of the defunct Caithness Railway, and to follow the inland route north from Helmsdale to connect to Wick and Thurso.
  This was highly controversial, as the people of Wick expected a direct route over the Ord of Caithness to be followed; this would have been a much shorter route, and it would have made their town the focus of the northern lines. Such a route would have had challenging gradients: 7 miles (11 km) at 1 in 40 among others; one proposal would have had a rope-worked incline. Although serving significant coastal communities it would not have opened up the interior. Nonetheless the Caithness Railway interest continued to press its case, arguing against the increasingly determined view of the Duke of Sutherland that an inland route should be built. The two alternative supporters presented rival Bills for the 1871 session of Parliament, but it immediately became evident that the Caithness Railway interest was unable to show the public benefit of the inland route, and the Sutherland and Caithness Railway Act was passed on 13 July 1871; the Caithness Railway was no more.
  Share subscriptions from Wick were slow to come forward, perhaps in revenge for the loss of that town's preferred route, and the Duke of Sutherland made threatening noises about by-passing the town. Eventually the Highland Railway subscribed £50,000 and the Duke of Sutherland £60,000. The line opened on 28 July 1874. Joining end-on to the Duke of Sutherland's Railway, it had a more central station at Helmsdale, and terminal stations both at Wick and Thurso. In neither case was there any attempt to reach the harbours, in the towns or at Scrabster, notwithstanding the great commercial importance of the sea trade.
  In June 1874 the Duke of Sutherland entertained a visiting party of mining and mechanical engineers at Dunrobin, and then conveyed them in his personal train over the line. They visited the reopened coal mine at Brora and continued to Georgemas. On 9 July 1874 he personally drove his train into Wick station, the rails having just been completed. The Provost and some civic colleagues turned out to meet him, but the encounter was somewhat restrained, Wick's sceptical attitude to the line being still in evidence. Sutherland went on to Thurso, where a crowd of 3,000 persons, two bands, and a banquet awaited him.
  A collection had been arranged to make a presentation to him, but the Duke asked that instead the money be turned to the benefit of "those poor fellows who have borne the burden and the heat of the day in pushing on the works as they have done. I refer to the workmen on the line."
  Colonel Rich of the Board of Trade inspected the line on 20 July 1874 and passed it as fit for passenger operation, and on 28 July 1874 the first public train left Wick "without even a cheer". The authorised share capital was £360,000 of which £284,254 had actually been issued.
  The line between Inverness and Wick and Thurso was now complete; the railways that had formed it continued their independent existence, but the line was worked throughout by the Highland Railway as if it was a single entity.
caption: Thurso station
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