Oban station opened on 1 July 1880. A ticket platform was located on the west side of the single line, about to the south. Just south of there, a short branch line diverged to the east, towards a goods yard and engine shed. Two additional platforms were constructed on the west side of the station in 1904, following the opening of the branch from to. Following closure of the goods yard and engine shed, a rail-connected oil storage depot occupied part of the site for a number of years, although this has itself since closed. Since 1982, only the 1904-built platforms remain in use. The present small station building was officially opened on 3 January 1986, the occasion being marked by the naming of two Class 37 locomotives. Despite it being a listed building, the original station building was subsequently demolished.
Signalling
Since its opening on 1 July 1880, the single line between and Oban was worked by the electric token system, this being the first ever application of that system in everyday service. Oban originally had two signal boxes, namely Oban Station signal box, and Oban Goods Junction signal box. The latter was situated about further south, where the line to the goods yard and engine shed diverged from the single line. The original signal boxes contained 21 and 5 levers, respectively. The single line between the two boxes was doubled in 1881. In connection with the station's enlargement, Oban Station Signal Box was replaced in 1904. The new box contained a frame of 64 levers, subsequently shortened to 48. Oban Goods Junction S.B. was replaced in 1929. Oban Goods Junction S.B. closed on 4 May 1969. Oban Station S.B. closed on 5 December 1982, when a 'no signalman' system of electric token working was introduced on the section from signal box. The last remaining semaphore signals were removed at that time, including the signal gantry. The Radio Electronic Token Block system was introduced in 1988 and the Train Protection & Warning System was installed in 2003.
Services
2019
In 2019, Monday to Saturdays, there are seven trains per day with six trains going onwards to Glasgow Queen Street, and one train operating as far as Dalmally on weekday afternoons. On Sundays, there are three trains per day all year round to Glasgow Queen Street.
Ferries
Oban station is located next to Oban ferry terminal. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail daily from here to the islands of Lismore, Colonsay, Islay, Coll, Tiree, to Craignure on Mull, to Castlebay on Barra and to Lochboisdale on South Uist. The times of connecting trains to/from Glasgow Queen Street are included on Cal Mac timetables. In 2005 a new ferry terminal was opened, and in 2007 a second linkspan opened, allowing two vessels to load/unload at the same time.
