Georgemas building should be knocked down, says rail group
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for Network Rail to sell a derelict building at a rural train station in Caithness or demolish it on health and safety grounds.
Friends of the Far North Line (FoFNL) said the building, which is on the platform at Georgemas Junction, has been empty for over two decades and it is now time to find it a new use or tear it down.
The view follows FoFNL’s 2015 station survey during which investigations were undertaken at each of the stations on the route to identify suggestions for improvements to be carried out by Network Rail and Abellio ScotRail.
The state of the building at Georgemas came under heavy criticism from FoFNL which said action needed to be taken for rail users’ safety.
FoFNL convener Mike Lunan said if there was a practical future use for the building or if there was interest in taking it over, it would give its support in it being used.

However, the group believes there is no demand for future use and says plans should be put in place to demolish it.
“It is not in the community, so it would be hard to say how it could prove to be useful for anyone,” he said.
“The building once served a purpose but it does not serve a purpose any more – it is falling apart and it is unsightly so it should be taken down.
“If there was a demand locally for it to be in use then we would support that.
“Otherwise there is a chance that it could fall down and that somebody would get hurt. If nothing has been done for over 20 years, slates will fall down, rain will get in and it will deteriorate like any other building.
“If there was demand we would support that but there is no demand for the building as far as we are aware.”