Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway
It found the GNoSR a difficult partner and passenger journeys from Inverness to the south via Aberdeen were inconvenient and circuitous.
[2] It was financial interests in Aberdeen who put forward a line from there to Inverness, and in 1846 the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNoSR) was given its authorising act of Parliament, the Great North of Scotland Railway Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict.
However investors were reluctant to put money into the scheme, and of the £1.1 million of authorised capital, only £400,000 had been subscribed by 1852.
[4] Commercial interests in Inverness were dismayed at this turn of events, but they were encouraged to consider that a railway connection was realistic by the engineer Joseph Mitchell, who persistently advocated the necessary construction.
However it was clear that the huge financial outlay was not going to be available for some time, and he proposed a more modest scheme, the 15 miles to Nairn only.
However the Great North of Scotland Railway Company began to see that its heavy financial commitment would not be rewarded, and it decided instead to build independently as far as Keith.
In fact the GNoSR put a number of obstacles in the way of this scheme, chiefly because of their own inability to fund the railway, and it did not proceed.
[9] The first part of the construction was rapid, and on 22 December 1857[note 1] a section was opened from Nairn to Dalvey.
"[12] The GNoSR had understood that it would have running powers throughout to Inverness, but now these were refused, leading to friction between the two companies.
[13][14] Interests in Inverness had long harboured the intention of getting a direct route to Perth and the South; they were encouraged y the engineer Joseph Mitchell.
The starting point for its southward path would be Forres, not Nairn, in order better to serve the important fishing communities further east.
[14] However, despite the mountainous terrain, the engineering proved to be remarkably benign; only two large masonry viaducts and two short tunnels were needed, although a total of 245 underbridges were required.
[10] The majority, but not all, of the southward traffic was diverted over the new direct line, not travelling over the I&AJR route at all, except for a short distance of the former Nairn Railway at Inverness.
The wooden station building of Kinloss was relocated so as to be at the point of junction of the Findhorn line, a distance of about 300 yards.
[23] Once opened, the company immediately found that available traffic did not cover basic operating expenses, and it was soon in serious financial difficulty.
[20][23][26] The I&AJR too found that it was impossible to cover operating expenses, estimated at £800 annually, and it was renegotiated with the Highland Railway in March 1867 and again in 1867.
[28] Findhorn's activity as a port was severely limited by silting and a sand bar at the entrance to the harbour, which prevented all but the smallest vessels from entering.
Stations within the original extent of the line are open at Nairn, Forres, Elgin and Keith.
The junction with the main line was finally removed this century and the remains of the branch from Alves to Roseisle Maltings now lie heavily overgrown.
