Inverness (INV)

Inverness is the terminus of the Highland Main Line, the Far North Line and the Kyle of Lochalsh Line.

Caledonian Sleeper 73 971 and friend stand at Inverness

Information
Type:	National Rail (Highland Main Line and others)
Station code:	INV
Opened:	1855
Platforms:	7

The station was opened by the Inverness & Nairn Railway in 1855 with just a single platform. The station was rebuilt ten years later with longer platforms and a station roof. These were extended again in 1876. The station buildings were replaced by the current ones by British Rail in the late 1960s. There are plans for another rebuild and enlargement of the station, maybe also including electrification.

The station's main concourse has a ticket office, shops and other station facilities. The station is managed by ScotRail but also served by Caledonian Sleeper and LNER. Platforms 1 and 2 are long enough to host thirteen and fifteen coach trains respectively. The other platforms are a lot shorter and typically host trains up to five coaches long.

The platforms are partially roofed

The barriers and the end of a sleeper train

The concourse and platforms beyond

LNER run one train a day, the Highland Chieftain to Inverness

Caledonian Sleeper and ScotRail at Inverness

Oxford Parkway (OXP)

Oxford Parkway is a park and ride station at Water Eaton in Oxfordshire. The station is between Oxford and Islip and is on the line to Bicester Village.

Chiltern 165 037 arrives at Oxford Parkway

Information
Type:	National Rail (Oxford-Bicester Line)
Station code:	OXP
Opened:	2015
Platforms:	2

The new station was financed and opened by Chiltern Railways in 2015 as part of it's Evergreen 3 project, which introduced services between Oxford and London Marylebone. The station is on the site of the short lived Oxford Banbury Road terminus [1] of the Buckinghamshire Railway which closed in 1851. and also a grain silo which was closed in the 1980s.

The station was built next to an existing park and ride and bus interchange site at Water Eaton and indeed the first name of the station to be mooted was Water Eaton Parkway. The main station building is in the same blue tile style as Bicester Village, which was rebuilt (and renamed) as part of the same project and line upgrade. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge.

View down the platform

Footbridge and main building

165 024 prepares to depart

The main building with it's blue tile design

Overhead view of 165 002

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Oxford to Bletchley (Middleton Press, 2005) Map. VII

Ellesmere Port (ELP)

Ellesmere Port is the terminus of the Ellesmere Port branch of the Merseyrail Wirral Line in Cheshire. It is also the terminus of Northern trains from Helsby.

Merseyrail 508 125 stands at Ellesmere Port

Information
Type:	National Rail (Merseyrail Wirral Line)
Station code:	ELP
Opened:	1863
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Birkenhead Railway on it's new line from Hooton to Helsby in 1863 as Whitby Locks though was renamed to it's current name three years later. It later became part of the LNWR who built an engine shed at Ellesmere Port though this was sold to the Manchester Ship Canal company in 1921 [1].

The line to Ellesmere Port was electrified in 1994 as part of the Merseyrail network. Services through to Helsby ceased though a limited service is operated by Northern from Helsby, twice a day. By comparison Merseyrail services to Liverpool are up to every thirty minutes! The original station building survives and has a staffed ticket office. Access between the platforms is via footbridge though Platform 1 sees the vast majority of services.

Footbridge

Station building

This train can go no further

Local attractions

508 125 prepares to return to Liverpool

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Chester to Birkenhead (Middleton Press, 2012) Fig. 100