Border Union Railway

Also known as the Waverley route in Scottish and English borders

4 ft 8+12 in)
Route map

Legend
Hawick
Stobs
Shankend
Whitrope Tunnel
Whitrope Summit
Riccarton Junction
Right arrow Border Counties Railway
Steele Road
Newcastleton
Langholm
Gilnockie
Canonbie
Scotland
England
Kershope Foot
Nook Pasture
Penton
Riddings Junction
Scotch Dyke
Up arrow Caledonian main line
Longtown
Gretna (CR)│Gretna
Longtown Depot
Lyneside
Floriston (CR)
Harker
Rockcliffe (CR)
Parkhouse Halt
Port Carlisle Junction
Port Carlisle JnPort Carlisle Branch Jn
Caldew Junctions
Rome Street Junction
Carlisle Citadel
Forks JunctionCitadel South Junctions
Bog Junction (under bridge)
Currock JnUpperby JnLondon Rd Jn
Petteril Bridge Junction

The Border Union Railway was a railway line which connected places in the south of Scotland and Cumberland in England. It was authorised on 21 July 1859 and advertised as the Waverley Route by the promoters - the North British Railway.[1] It connected the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway at Hawick with Carlisle.

History

The first section of the route was opened between Carlisle and Scotch Dyke on 12 October 1861, to Newcastleton on 1 March 1862, Riccarton Junction on 2 June 1862 and throughout on 24 June 1862.[1] The railway was built as a double-track main line throughout.

Connections to other lines

Current operations

The line was closed to all traffic by British Railways on 5 January 1969. The line was dismantled in 1971.[1]

The Waverley Route Heritage Association have preserved a part of the former route at Whitrope and are working on reopening the section from its base at Whitrope itself down into Riccarton Junction as a heritage railway.[2]

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Awdry (1990)
  2. ^ Matt Stoddon (2005). ""About / Waverley Route Heritage Association"". wrha.org.uk. WRHA. Retrieved 9 September 2015.

Sources

  • Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  • Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
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