Dunkeld & Birnam railway station
Dunkeld & Birnam railway station serves the town of Dunkeld and village of Birnam in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is located on the Highland Main Line, north of and is the first stop on the line north of there, before Pitlochry. Most services are operated by ScotRail, who also manage the station. LNER and Caledonian Sleeper also call some services here.
History
The station opened on 7 April 1856, as the terminus of the Perth and Dunkeld Railway from Stanley Junction. Seven years later, it became a through station when the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway opened its line to Inverness via and .From 1863 to 1896 the station master was John Kinnaird.
The station was host to a LMS caravan in 1935 and 1936 followed by two caravans from 1937 to 1939.
The station was the last in Scotland to be lit by gas lights, these not being replaced by electric versions until the early 1980s.
Facilities
The station has a small car park, which gives step-free access to platform 1, which has a bench and a waiting shelter. There is no step-free access – nor any facilities – on platform 2. As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.Platforms
The station has a passing loop long, flanked by two platforms. Platform 1 on the southbound line can accommodate trains having twelve coaches, but platform 2 on the northbound line can only hold ten. When no crossing is to be made, northbound trains are usually routed through platform 1 which is signalled for bi-directional running.Although the trackbed has been raised following reballasting over the years, the platforms had not had similar treatment until recently, but now both platforms are of standard height, although not for the full length.