Deeside Railway

Deeside Railway

The disused line, east of Ballater, in 2008
Overview
Locale	Scotland
Dates of operation	1853–1967
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map Legend Great North of Scotland Railway to Inverness Aberdeen Joint Great North of Scotland Railway to Perth Holburn Street Ruthrieston Pitfodels Cults West Cults Bieldside Murtle Milltimber Culter Drum Park Mills of Drum Crathes Milton of Crathes Royal Deeside Railway Banchory Dee Street Halt Glassel Craigmyle Siding (private) ( 1884– 1911 ) Torphins Lumphanan Dess Aboyne Aboyne Curling Pond ( 1891– 1925 ) Dinnet Cambus O'May Ballater This diagram: view talk edit

The Deeside Railway was a passenger and goods railway between Aberdeen and Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Opening in 1853 to Banchory, an extension reached Aboyne in 1859. A separate company, the Aboyne & Braemar Railway, built an extension to Ballater and this opened in 1866. By 1855 there were five services a day over the 43+1⁄4-mile (69.6 km) long line, taking between 1 hour 50 minutes and 2+1⁄2 hours. The line was used by the Royal Train for travel to and from Balmoral Castle from 1853 and a special 'Messenger Train' ran daily when the Royal Family was in residence.

The railways were absorbed by the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) on 1 August 1875 for the Deeside Railway and 31 January 1876 for the Aboyne & Braemar.^[1] The line became part of the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923, and part of British Railways when nationalised in 1948. Passenger services were withdrawn on 28 February 1966 and the line was closed completely to Ballater on 18 July 1966 and to Culter on 2 January 1967.