Dead end Comrie-Balquhidder line finally bites the dust

and was withdrawn on September 25, 1950: “Although never heavy, the loss of this traffic left the remaining passenger service even more vulnerable”.

A miners’ strike over the winter of 1950 caused the Strathearn Herald of January 13, 1951, to report that because of few people using the railway service, and in the interest of economy and the shortage of coal, seven trains were being withdrawn from the line between Gleneagles and Balquhidder – most of these only ran to Crieff – and a number of services running daily would now operate on Saturdays only.

The Railway Executive reported that “the trains to be withdrawn will, at the outset, be selected as far as possible, from those which are lightly loaded, some of them in fact, having already been under consideration for withdrawal as a matter of routine”.

This was followed about a month later when it was reported at the Town Council meeting that the Crieff-Perth line via Methven might close, and that the council should do all it possibly could to keep it open.

It was pointed out at the meeting that any passengers on the trains from PerthCrieff who wished to continue to Comrie by bus, have two minutes to spring from the railway station to the bus station – and they are not adjacent.

Once again it can be seen that it must have been very desirable to have your own form of transport, as the public ones were not enticing to many passengers.

Little wonder then that in March Sir Robert W M Dundas – chairman of the Strathearn Railway Committee – was notified by British Railways, Scottish Region, that closing of the ComrieBalquhidder line and uplifting of the rails was under consideration.

At a Central District Council meeting held in Crieff it was felt that due to poor patronage of the Comrie-Balquhidder line by passengers, there were no grounds to object to its closure, and similarly with the Perth-Crieff via Methven line. In both cases it was recommended that the bus services be augmented and improved.

The Strathearn Herald of September 15, 1951, reported that “British Railways, Scottish Region, have announced that two passenger train services in Strathearn will be withdrawn on and from October 1, 1951.

“The services are Perth- Crieff via Methven Junction, and ComrieBalquhidder. Crieff and Comrie will continue to be served by passenger train via Gleneagles, although Innerpeffray, Huntingtower Siding and Ruthven Road Halt, along with Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Dalchonzie Platform will be closed entirely. Bus services from Perth, Crieff and Balquhidder are available to places previously served by stations.

“Almondbank, Methven Junction, Balgowan, Madderty and Abercairny will continue to deal with passenger train parcels and miscellaneous traffic, which will be conveyed by freight train to connect with passenger train services. “Such traffic for Innerpeffray will be dealt with at Highlandman, while similar traffic for St Fillans and Lochearnhead will be collected and delivered by the Road Haulage Executive to connect with passenger train services, an appropriate cartage charge being made for the service.

“Freight train traffic to and from St Fillans and Lochearnhead will be collected and delivered by vehicles of the Road Haulage Executive based at Crieff. Huntingtower Siding traffic will be dealt with at Almondbank.”

It was also reported that the ComrieBalquhidder line would not be lifted