Border Union Railway

For the preserved railway see Waverley Route Heritage Association

Border Union Railway
Locale Dumfriesshire, Roxburghshire, Scotland; Cumberland, England Dates of operation 21 July 1859 – 31 December 1922 Successor London and North Eastern Railway Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Legend
Edinburgh and Hawick Railway Hawick Stobs Shankend Whitrope Tunnel Whitrope Summit Riccarton Junction Border Counties Railway Steele Road Newcastleton Langholm Gilnockie Canonbie Scotland Englland Kershope Foot Nook Pasture Penton Riddings Junction Scotch Dyke Caledonian Railway Main Line Longtown Gretna (CR) | Gretna Longtown Depot Lyneside Floriston (CR) Harker Rockcliffe (CR) Parkhouse Halt Port Carlisle Jn | Port Carlisle Branch Jn Caldew Junctions Rome Street Junction Carlisle Citadel Forks Junction | Citadel South Jns Bog Junction(under bridge) Currock Jn | Upperby Jn | London Rd Jn Maryport and Carlisle Railway Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Petteril Bridge Junction Settle and Carlisle Line Newcastle and Carlisle Railway

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. 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. The railway was built as a double-track main line throughout.

Connections to other lines

• Edinburgh and Hawick Railway at Hawick
• Border Counties Railway at Riccarton Junction
• Caledonian Railway Main Line at Gretna
• Maryport and Carlisle Railway, Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, Midland Railway Settle and Carlisle Line and Lancaster and Carlisle Railway at Carlisle Citadel

Current operations

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

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.