Welcome to our website! You'll find news about the Far North Line, and sometimes the other Highland railways.
We publish a magazine for our members three times a year. We also use this to keep FNL matters in the minds of top Scottish rail managers and other members of the rail industry, such as Scottish Rail Holdings and Transport Scotland by distributing around 150 complimentary copies to them and to politicians, both MSPs and councillors.
The site holds an archive of our magazines along with 'Companion Pages' for issues from May 2020 (No. 80). Many reports and strategy documents can be found in the reference section, accessible from the 'Reference' menu at the top of the page. These documents often provide a disappointing reminder of how little is ever done to improve railways in the Highlands, despite good intentions and even promises.
Some other important items can be found using the following menu.
[Please bear with us as we have undertaken the huge task of converting the site to be 'mobile friendly'. Our newsletter/magazine archive, which goes back to 1998, is being converted to .pdf format - this is a 'work in progress'! The newest issues will be converted first, meaning that older copies will be missing until converted.]
On Friday 19 June we held our annual meeting and conference in Beauly. In spite of the fact that the Far North Line was closed north of Dingwall for engineering work we had a very satisfactory attendance.
Quite a few of our members travel long distances to attend - the furthest away we think was Portsmouth this time!
As always, we had three excellent speakers, beginning with Graeme Cook, Transport Scotland's Director of Rail Delivery. He talked us through the decision-making system for Scottish Railways, which was reassuring, as there is plenty of expert input to help and advise the politicians who have to make the main investment decisions.
Our second speaker was Tom Smith, who is the Head of Fleet Technical for ScotRail. His enthusiasm as a professional engineer was infectious as he described some of the latest technical improvements, such as adhesion in the Autumn when leaf-fall makes the rails slippery, and in realtime monitoring of train components and systems, which flags up developing problems, enabling early attention.
From left: Tom Smith, Graeme Cook and Ian Budd. The old BR "Clunes" sign was brought in by a member in case anyone forgets that we still need a loop to be built between Inverness and Muir of Ord!
After lunch we heard from Jim Summers, whose railway career included being Regional Operations Manager, British Rail Scottish Region, in the 1980s at the birth of ScotRail. It was fascinating to hear how ScotRail achieved a kind of 'independence' from British Rail, whose top officials realised it was better to let the Scottish railways be run in their own way.
New Track Construction train at work on the Far North Line - June 2026
This amazing machine can lay 1km of new track in a day.
Network Rail has put up this video.
ScotRail has given us the latest information about the blockade rail-replacement bus arrangements:
From Monday 8 June to Sunday 28 June 2026 inclusive track and structures works will take place between Evanton and Lairg.
Inverness – Wick & Thurso:
The following trains on Sunday 07 & Monday 29 June are also cancelled and replaced by bus:
Inverness – Kyle of Lochalsh:
Rail replacement buses will not serve Dunrobin Castle, Altnabreac or Scotscalder
Commercial bus operators are available for other journeys via the A9 corridor
Visitors here, and readers of our magazine, will be aware that we are working with one of our members, Mike Wedgewood, to produce a photographic book featuring the Far North Line.
Mike has told us that one of his earlier books, which also contains FNL photos, is now available from Key Publishing at the bargain price of £2.99.
We are currently trying to assemble good quality photographs taken on the line, especially during the 60s, 70s and 80s. We want to show recognisable places on the line as they've changed over the decades, especially with the advent of RETB and the removal of signals and signalboxes - as well as the different rolling stock.
If you have any photos which might be suitable please get in touch.
ScotRail has announced the release of a "Massive Ticket Drop" - 100,000 Advance Tickets at up to 60% off on selected routes. The ScotRail website gives full details of what's available and tips on how to purchase.
If you have a railcard, or are a Club 50 member, you can enjoy even bigger savings on Advance fares as you receive the extra discount on top.
You can also buy a First Class Advance Single ticket, which means more space and comfort throughout your journey with larger seats, individual sockets and USB ports.
On Thursday 14 May we delivered a copy of our "Holyrood Election 2026" pamphlet to every MSP with a covering letter
We sincerely hope that at least some of them take the time to read it, and are then motivated to act.
Tuesday 28 April saw the first container train arrive at the new terminal at Dalcross, near Inverness Airport on the Inverness-Aberdeen line.
Our intrepid FoFNL Committee member, Ken Thomson was there to catch the scenes as they happened. Here's a small selection:
Ken wrote: Today (Tue 28th April) saw "The Cloud Factory" aka West Fraser plant (formerly Norbord) receive its first train. 4H48 (topped and tailed 66s) arrived from Inverness with 6 "twins" bang on time just after midday.
Following a short delay the 12 containers were offloaded within 35 mins and the train later returned empty to Inverness as 4D48 at 14:13.
As it is now 10 years since the publication of David Spaven's excellent history of the Far North Line, Highland Survivor, the author wishes to find good homes for the remaining copies. We are therefore able to sell them at £5.00 inc p+p .
The easiest way to pay is PayPal, but if you wish to pay by cheque, please email our admin@ address and we will send instructions, including a request to add 50p to the total to cover bank charges.
Highland Survivor: The Story of the Far North Line
£5.00 inc UK p+p
FoFNL was formed in 1994 as British Rail was being privatised and the line's future was a concern.
We have a committee, usually of eight members. Our President is the sitting MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross - currently Jamie Stone MP. We have two Vice Presidents who are MSPs for the area covered by the Far North Line.
As we are an apolitical organisation, we try to ensure that our three figureheads represent three different parties.
Our 1995 conference for rail interests was the precursor of the Highland Rail Partnership a collaborative body spanning the Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, local Enterprise companies, rail operators, the Friends Groups and others.
Campaigning successes include the Easter Ross commuter train, Beauly and Conon Bridge stations, all-year Sunday trains, initiating the re-introduction of significant freight, the transporting of extremely long lengths of pipe to Wick, and the building of a footbridge alongside the Shin Viaduct. A substantial increase in freight is still needed and we will continue to persuade haulage contractors that there is an alternative to driving long distances over inadequate roads. Perhaps our most surprising, and gratifying, achievement was persuading the powers-that-be that retention toilets could be fitted to the Class 158 trains - having been assured it would be impossible!
In the mid 1980s there was a proposal to include railway in the A9 Dornoch Firth Crossing, thereby shortening the route of the line by around 25 miles. This did not come to fruition and FoFNL takes the view that the money needed for such a project now will not become available.
We continue to seek shortened journey times and hourly services between Inverness and Tain. We aim to work in partnerships, we publish a thrice yearly magazine, Far North Express, we are democratically governed through our AGM and a geographically representative committee.
If you would like to join The Friends of The Far North Line please either visit our joining page, where you can join instantly using PayPal, or download, print out and complete the application form. If you prefer, you can phone our Membership Secretary on +44 (0)1463 791714. Annual membership is only £18.00 (£15.00 if you set up a standing order or PayPal Automatic Payment).
