Crieff and Comrie Railway

The Crieff and Comrie Railway was a Scottish railway, opened in 1893, connecting Comrie to the railway network at Crieff. The tourism potential of Loch Earn was an important factor, and the route was later extended westward to Lochearnhead. However the line was never successful, and declined in the twentieth century, particularly due to cheap and frequent bus competition. Four wheel railbuses were introduced in 1958 to reduce operating costs, but the decline continued and the line closed on 6 July 1964.

Crieff was the second largest town in Perthshire, and when railways northwards from central Scotland were being planned, routes through Crieff were considered. However the topography was more challenging on that axis, and when the Scottish Central Railway was authorised, its route ran east of Crieff through Auchterarder.

The Scottish Central opened in 1848, connecting Perth to the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and the Caledonian Railway near Castlecary, giving connecting routes to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Crieff could not remain without a railway connection, and in 1853 the Crieff Junction Railway was authorised. Engineered by Thomas Bouch it opened on 14 March 1856. It crossed the River Earn and ran southwards, joining the Scottish Central main line at Crieff Junction; that station was renamed Gleneagles in 1912. The Crieff Junction line was worked by the Scottish Central Railway.

In 1858 a line was opened connecting Perth with the town of Methven. The short line was called the Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Railway; it ran west from a junction with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway a short distance north of Perth station. A stagecoach formed a link between Methven and Crieff, until a railway link was made; this was the Crieff and Methven Junction Railway, opened on 21 May 1866. The two lines joined south-east of Crieff and shared a station on the south side of the town. However they each had their own engine shed.

...
Wikipedia