Forres Railway Station - History

History

Prior to the Dava route opening, all services to the south began at Aberdeen (on the north-east coast). Problems occurred when connecting at Aberdeen from Inverness trains - Aberdeen was the terminus for two railway companies, and therefore had two separate stations: One served the east and the other was the starting point for services to the south (via the coast). Although they were connected by a bus, connections were often missed and passengers remained stranded after missing the daily connection south.

Plans for a more direct route via Carrbridge had been rejected by parliament as too ambitious. Engineer Joseph Mitchell planned an alternative route via Dava and work was completed on the line by August 1863.

Forres was chosen as the junction for the new mainline south, since it was the half-way point on the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway between Inverness and Keith. Keith was also an important railway junction and the point where the line joined the GNSR and branches to the coast and Strathspey.