RAIL services to one of Britain’s remotest stations at the centre of a “nutty neighbours” row could finally resume within weeks.
Altnabreac Station, which sits in the Flow Country in Caithness, has been closed to passengers since mid-November last year.
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It shut after a dispute arose between residents of a nearby house and railway bosses over access to the station and a level crossing for maintenance work.
At the time, rail chiefs said that the only way to reach the station was via a small road five miles long.
They added that without being able to access the site, staff would be “unable to carry out essential maintenance needed for the safe operation of the station through winter”.
But now the temporary closure of Altnabreac Station is likely to come to an end around the beginning of September.
Work is underway to solve the problem of access to the station for rail staff, says The Friends of the Far North Line.
“An alternate footpath access to the station platform will be constructed so that rail staff can access for works without having to use the public right of way adjacent to Station Cottage,” it said in an update.
This bullying campaign against us is just not right and the whole name-calling ‘nutty neighbours’ is beyond belief. The lies being spread about us are harmful
Ian Appleby
“Construction works will be completed by the end of August.
“Before the station can open the help point, and ideally the Customer Information Screen and waiting shelter, need to be replaced.
“Subject to material lead times and no further challenges on safely accessing the station by road, it is hoped trains will be calling there for early September.”
Speaking previously, David Simpson, ScotRail’s service delivery director, moved to reassure the community and passengers that they would do all they could to resume services “as soon as possible”.
However, months then passed without any major update, prompting concerns from politicians and tourist representatives that the closure could rumble on and impact visitors looking to explore a remote part of the Flow Country – just named a World Heritage Site – during the summer season.
However, it recently emerged that “progress has been made to provide safe access for railway staff” and survey works have already been carried out as a “first step” towards reopening the station to passenger services.
ScotRail confirmed that “we are sure there are no remaining challenges in accessing the station”.
“Progress has been made to provide safe access for Scotland’s Railway staff.”
Teams from Network Rail and ScotRail completed survey works at the station on June 19 as the first step to allow trains to safely call again at Altnabreac.
Ian Appleby, 47, and his partner Liz Howe, 48, were accused by the previous owners of the station house of ranting at Network Rail workers at Altnabreac in Caithness, using biblical quotes and chaining themselves to a gate to deny access.
They deny some of the claims being made and insist that conflicts with the rail companies pre-date their arrival and lay the blame on the previous owners. They in turn refute those claims.
Mr Appleby said previously: “This bullying campaign against us is just not right and the whole name-calling ‘nutty neighbours’ is beyond belief. The lies being spread about us are harmful.
“We do not support the closure of Altnabreac station. ScotRail never contacted us and if they had done we would have wholeheartedly objected to the closure.
‘NUTTY NEIGHBOURS’
Altnabreac Station first opened in 1874 and sits in the picturesque town of Caithness in the Scottish Highlands. It is ten miles from the nearest road and just six homes sit nearby among 30ft deep peat bogs.
For almost 150 years, trains stopped by the station to pick up and drop off less than 300 passengers a year. But this all changed in November last year after Scotrail announced that it was suspending all services to the station.
Locals previously said that a pair of “nutty neighbours” could be behind it Darren Bruce, 39, told The Times that the couple who bought the old station home off him two years prior cause havoc on the train line.
Former police detective Liz Howe and Ian Appleby are not from the area but bought the cottage after enjoying a holiday in the Highlands.
But Bruce, a businessman, and other locals, claim that the couple often prevent workers from accessing the platform to carry out maintenance – including gritting work during the winter.
He added that he tries to avoid them in public in an effort to prevent confrontation.
Bruce told The Times: “As soon as you go anywhere near, they are out roaring and shouting.
“They are always coming out with Bible stuff; hexing people … I don’t know what is wrong with them.”
He added: “We thought they were lovely and then they turned strange. Oh, God, yes, they are religious.”
Liz was previously reported missing by close ones after she “turned to God” back in 2020.
A UK-wide police hunt later located her safe and well in the Highlands, with relatives claiming she had cut herself off after trying to “warn people” that “God was coming to take us away”.
“We are customers of ScotRail and Highland Railcard holders and want to use them.”
The Applebys insisted they do not shout at people using the station and have in fact cooked dinners for people stranded in the snow.
They also state that they have never hindered postal deliveries and even helped get a Royal Mail vehicle out of a ditch during a period of heavy snow last winter.
They think the comments about them ranting biblical quotes have been taken out of context and that their Christian faith is important to them.
They also claim many people using the station have commented on how tidy and well-kept it looks.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Ms Howe is a former police officer from Stockport, Greater Manchester. She made headlines in 2020 when she was reported missing after “turning to God”.
She was eventually found safe and well in the Highlands after a nationwide police search.
