West Highland Line

West Highland Line
A train to Mallaig crossing Rannoch Moor
Overview
Type	Rural Rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Glasgow Argyll and Bute Highland Scotland
Termini	Glasgow Queen Street Mallaig Oban
Stations	33
Operation
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Caledonian Sleeper Abellio ScotRail West Coast Railways
Rolling stock	Class 156 "Super Sprinter" Caledonian Sleeper stock
Technical
Number of tracks	One
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	70 mph (110 km/h) maximum

The West Highland Line (Scottish Gaelic: Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean - "Iron Road to the Isles") is a railway line linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow in Central Scotland. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic Trans-Siberian line in Russia and the Cuzco to Machu Picchu line in Peru. The ScotRail website has since reported that the line has been voted the most scenic railway line in the world for the second year running.

Passenger services on the line are operated by Abellio ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper: three daily return services between Glasgow Queen Street and Mallaig/Oban, and one nightly (except Saturdays) Caledonian Sleeper service between London Euston and Fort William.

During the summer season from May until October a steam locomotive-hauled daily return service between Fort William and Mallaig known as "The Jacobite" is operated by West Coast Railways. There is usually one train a day but this is increased to two trains from June until the end of August.

Onward ferry connections operated by Caledonian MacBrayne are available from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye, to the small isles of Rùm, Eigg, Muck, and Canna, and to Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula. From Oban ferries sail to the islands of Lismore, Colonsay, Coll, Tiree, Mull, Barra and South Uist.