The station was built by the Sutherland and Caithness Railway. The station buildings were designed by Murdoch Paterson and it opened on 28 July 1874 and on that date the Highland Railway absorbed the S&CR and operated the newly completed line from Helmsdale to Thurso and Wick. A wrought-iron turntable of diameter built by the Railway Steel and Plant Company of Manchester was installed at the station. In 1902, Donald Mackenzie, station master was appointed first station master of Dornoch railway station. From 1 January 1923 the station was operated by the London Midland and Scottish Railway. At the end of February 1937 trains were stranded at Georgemas Junction because of heavy snow. A goods train from Inverness got stuck in a drift deep. An engine with a snow plough was also stuck at the same location. The station used to have two platforms until 2012, when Direct Rail Services constructed a new freight terminal at Georgemas, which led to the removal of the former westbound platform and footbridge. This has been used by trains taking nuclear material from Dounreay to Sellafield.
Facilities
Facilities at this station include a payphone that accepts card and coins, a waiting room and designated seating area, a cycle rack with 10 spaces, and a free car park with 2 spaces. The nearest bus stop to the station is located to the north.
Operation
Until diesel multiple unit trains were introduced by British Rail in the early 1990s, all trains on the Far North Line were locomotive-hauled, initially by Highland Railway steam locomotives, then by LMSR steam locomotives and latterly by British Railways steam and finally Class 37diesel locomotives. Northbound passenger trains would divide at Georgemas Junction, with the rear portion for Thurso and the front portion for Wick. A locomotive was stabled at Georgemas Junction to haul the Thurso carriages. Following the introduction of Class 156diesel multiple unitson the line, trains were always composed of two trainsets and at Georgemas, these would split in half with the front portion heading to Wick, the rear to Thurso. This practice was halted with the introduction of Class 158 sets which operate as single sets. On arrival at Georgemas Junction from Inverness, trains reverse to reach Thurso, and then reverse again from Thurso back to Georgemas Junction and on to Wick. An easement to the National Routeing Guide allows passengers for Wick to stay on the train between Georgemas Junction and Thurso, which would otherwise technically be off-route. Georgemas Junction station has been used for several freight services. In the early 2000s, EWS operated a freight train for Safeway supermarket, running from Mossend to Georgemas. Containers were unloaded at Georgemas, then transported by road to Wick and Thurso, and by ferry to Orkney. In 2012, the former platform 1 was removed as part of a scheme to construct a new freight terminal on the site. As this platform was located on a passing loop which did not connect directly to the Thurso branch, it was very little-used by passenger trains, since all services through the station run to or from Thurso. The purpose of the passing loop dates back to the era of loco-hauled trains which divided/attached at the station an Inverness-bound train from Wick would loop around the Thurso portion standing on the second platform, and attach to it from behind.
Services
On weekdays and Saturdays, there are four trains per day each way between and. After arriving at Georgemas Junction, services towards Wick reverse at the station and travel along the branch line to first, before reversing again and continuing via Georgemas Junction to Wick. Similarly, services towards Inverness first run to Thurso, reverse there and come back to Georgemas Junction before reversing again to continue to Inverness. As a result, all trains call at the station twice per journey, and the net daily service frequency is four trains per day to/from Inverness, four per day to/from Wick, and eight per day to/from Thurso. On Sundays, the frequency is reduced to one train per day each way. Since all services call twice as above, this gives one train per day to/from both Inverness and Wick, and two trains per day to/from Thurso.
