Volunteers with the Strathspey Steam Railway Company have been busy this week relaying track from Broomhill station by Dulnain Bridge, which is currently the end of the line, towards Grantown just over three miles away.

It is part of their ambitious £5 million plans to reconnect the town to Aviemore once again by steam train along the route of the former Forres line which was closed on October 18, 1965 as part of the widespread cuts to the British rail network.

Bosses at Network Rail have lent a hand by supplying the steam railway with 800 yards of track taken from at Dalreach, 20 miles south of Aviemore, which had become surplus to requirements following a £6 million overhaul of the main Highland line last year.

Scottish railway historian Dr Ann Glen, who is also the author of "The Cairngorm Gateway", said that she had many happy memories of the journey on the Aviemore-Forres line in old-fashioned steam hauled carriages.

"I travelled the route on many occasions with my mother, Isobel, going to Forres. It was always a very special event going on a trip to Forres - it was a real holiday treat.

"It was a very interesting and varied line especially because of the climb up from Grantown by Huntly's Cave which was a very difficult engineering feat in itself.

"I recall that Dava Moor was a very agreeable place in the summer but in the winter it could be desparate because of the wind and the snow as the train crossed the bare moorland."

Dr Glen said that there was an outcry over plans previous to Beeching to close the line. "Residents in Grantown fought hard for its retention because it was a prop for tourism but eventually their arguments fell on deaf ears."

She added: "But I now have high hopes of seeing the railway returning to Grantown. By serving two major centres, Aviemore and Grantown, it will take the Strathspey railway into the big league of heritage railways in the UK."

Railway bosses have said that a fully functioning link between Aviemore and Grantown will not only bring a boost for tourism, it will also improve the local public transport between the two.

There are still several major obstacles to be overcome, however, before the golden age of steam returns to Grantown including the refurbishment of the town's West Station which closed in June 1966.

The railway then has to bridge the River Dulnain and that work alone is expected to be in excess of £80,000 despite Network rail chiefs again helping out.

They have offered a steel bridge, currently in Motherwell, free of charge. Quotations are currently being sought for dismantling, storing and transporting the bridge.

The railway also needs to cross the busy A95 Aviemore-Keith trunk road at Lower Gaich. The Scottish Executive did pledge more than £1.5 million for the re-alignment of the road to allow for the construction of a tunnel for the locos but it is unclear if that money is still on the table.

Arrangements are now being made by the not-for-profit railway company to create a new charitable venture which can raise public funds for this part of the scheme.

Dr Ann Glen lends a hand with laying the new track towards Grantown.

SRC spokesman Hendy Pollock is confident that they will get their in the end, however. He said: "The project is being supported from Highlands and Islands Enterprise to Grantown Community Council as the single most achievable project to boost the town's economy and reverse the decline.

"The extension of the heritage railway will increase tourism and therefore trade and employment, and it will also provide an alternative public transport system.

"The spectacle of a train once again steaming towards Grantown from Broomhill, with a Cairngorm mountain backdrop, will be a stunning sight."

Equally confident is Mr John Partridge, Strathspey Railway Company project manager, who got involved with the project in its fledgling days in 1972.

He said: "It has been a personal goal ever since then to help get the railway back to Grantown and at last success seems to be within our grasp.

"We have some issues over funding and land acquisition to resolve and then we can really get moving. We hope to get as many people on board as possible to help us with this."

Mr Basil Dunlop, former Highland councillor for Grantown and now a community Councillor, has also had a long association with the project.

He said: "The community council recognises the importance of the reinstating the rail service to the town, and is fully behind the railway project. "In conjunction with the SRC we plan to hold a public meeting to explain thecurrent plans and progress, seek support, and help launch the appeal fund."

At present nearly 10 miles of the former Highland and BR line is used by the steam trains running from Aviemore to Broomhill. The first regular passenger services to Boat of Garten started in 1978.

Trains, track, stations, signalling and maintenance are operated by a combination of many volunteers supplemented by a number of permanent and seasonal employees.

The railway has been used for the BBC comedy drama "Monarch of the Glen", with Broomhill doubling as Glenbogle Station; "Dr Finlay's Casebook" and most recently was visited by the BBC's "Street Doctor".

Passenger numbers along the route between Aviemore and Broomhill, via Boat of Garten, have increased over the last few years, especially after the opening of the Broomhill extension in 2002.

However, the company has stressed there is a danger that without the extra passenger traffic from a Grantown terminus, the railway might be forced to curtail operations and run only between Aviemore and Boat of Garten.

The Aviemore-Forres line which opened in 1863 carried travellers and goods through some of the Highlands' most stunning scenery but passenger numbers fell drastically with the advent of the motor car and buses.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend