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The Caledonian Railway main line in Scotland connected
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
with
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
, via
Carstairs Carstairs (, Scottish Gaelic: ''Caisteal Tarrais'') is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Carstairs is located east of the county town of Lanark and the West Coast Main Line runs through the village. The village is served by Carstairs ra ...
and Beattock. It was opened in 1847 by the
Caledonian Railway The Caledonian Railway (CR) was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh an ...
. The approach to Glasgow used railways already built, primarily for mineral traffic; these were later by-passed by a more direct route. Today, the route forms the northern section of the
West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
, and was electrified in the early 1970s.


Opening

From 1830 onwards considerable attention was given to the means by which Glasgow and Edinburgh might be connected to London, and as English railways began to develop into a network, the urgency of making a railway accelerated. The difficult terrain of the
Southern Uplands The Southern Uplands ( gd, Na Monaidhean a Deas) are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas (the other two being the Central Lowlands and the Grampian Mountains and the Highlands, as illustrated ...
and Cumberland made the selection of a route controversial. After much difficulty, the
Caledonian Railway The Caledonian Railway (CR) was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh an ...
was authorised to build a line via Beattock; this was known as the ''Annandale Route''. On 10 September 1847 the line was opened between Carlisle and Beattock. The station at Carlisle was built and operated jointly with the
London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...
. (Later other companies shared in the operation there.) Construction continued and on 15 February 1848 the line was opened between Beattock and Glasgow, completing the Carlisle to Glasgow route. Finally the line from Carstairs to Edinburgh opened on 1 April 1848.C J A Robertson, ''The Origins of the Scottish Railway System, 1722 - 1844'', John Donald Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh, 1983, David Ross, ''The Caledonian: Scotland's Imperial Railway: A History'', Stenlake Publishing Limited, Catrine, 2014,


First configuration


Carlisle to Carstairs

At first the southern termination of the line was at
Carlisle station Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
, later named Carlisle Citadel; passengers and goods were handled there. The line ran broadly north across gently undulating country at first, crossing the River Esk and entering Scotland near Gretna, then climbing following the
Kirtle Water The Kirtle Water is a river in Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. It rises on the southern slopes of Haggy Hill where its headwaters are impounded to form Winterhope Reservoir. Below the dam it flows in a generally southerly direction pas ...
to
Lockerbie Lockerbie (, gd, Locarbaidh) is a small town in Dumfries and Galloway, south-western Scotland. It is about from Glasgow, and from the border with England. The United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census recorded its population as 4,009. The town ...
. Climbing further, the line followed the Annan Water to Beattock, and on to
Beattock Summit Beattock Summit is the highest point of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) railway and of the A74(M) motorway as they cross between Dumfries and Galloway and South Lanarkshire in south west Scotland. Railway history The highest point on the Cal ...
. Crossing the watershed, the line now descended in the upper
Clyde Valley The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
; the course of the
Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...
here is much more hilly and the line follows a series of broad reverse curves as it continues through Abington and
Thankerton Thankerton is a small village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is located between Biggar and Lanark, and situated between Quothquan Law and Tinto (two local hills). Thankerton's name derives from an early feudal lord cal ...
, emerging on to slightly flatter terrain at
Carstairs Carstairs (, Scottish Gaelic: ''Caisteal Tarrais'') is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Carstairs is located east of the county town of Lanark and the West Coast Main Line runs through the village. The village is served by Carstairs ra ...
.


Carstairs to Glasgow

Now turning north-west, the
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
line continues past
Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...
and near
Carluke Carluke (; gd, Cathair MoLuaig) is a town that lies in the heart of the Lanarkshire countryside in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, northwest of Lanark and southeast of Wishaw. Carluke is largely a commuting town, with a variety of small stores ...
, joining the
Wishaw and Coltness Railway The Wishaw and Coltness Railway was an early Scottish mineral railway. It ran for approximately 11 miles from Chapel Colliery, at Newmains in North Lanarkshire connecting to the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway near Whifflet, giving a means o ...
(W&CR) at Garriongill Junction. The W&CR had been built as a "coal railway", primarily intended for the haulage of coal and iron ore. It had been upgraded and modernised, and leased by the Caledonian Railway. The main line used the W&CR line to
Motherwell Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarks ...
, from which point the original route is not part of the modern main line. It turned north through to Whifflat (now spelt
Whifflet Whifflet ( sco, The Whufflit, gd, Magh na Cruithneachd) is now a suburb of Coatbridge, Scotland, which once formed its own distinctive village. It is referred to locally as 'The Whifflet' (and pronounced ''whiff-lit''). Presently located in the N ...
), joining the
Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway was an early railway built primarily to carry coal to Glasgow and other markets from the Monkland coalfields, shortening the journey and bypassing the monopolistic charges of the Monkland Canal; passenger traffi ...
(GG&CR). This too had been built as a coal railway, and had been upgraded and renamed the
Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway was an early railway built primarily to carry coal to Glasgow and other markets from the Monkland coalfields, shortening the journey and bypassing the monopolistic charges of the Monkland Canal; passenger traffic ...
; it too was leased by the Caledonian Railway. From Whifflat the line ran to
Coatbridge Coatbridge ( sco, Cotbrig or Coatbrig, gd, Drochaid a' Chòta) is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. Along with neighbouring town Airdrie, Coatbridge forms the area known as ...
, and then turned west on through
Garnkirk Garnkirk is a settlement in North Lanarkshire, located a mile (1.5 km) southwest of Muirhead. It is located 10 km northeast of Glasgow's city centre and 23 km southwest of Falkirk. Garnkirk is connected via the nearby motorways M ...
, terminating at the GG&CR Glasgow terminus at
Townhead Townhead ( gd, Ceann a' Bhaile, sco, Tounheid) is an area of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated immediately north-east of Glasgow city centre and contains a residential sector (redeveloped from an older neighbourhood in the mid 20th ...
. The approach to Glasgow made a long northward sweep, and the Townhead terminus was not well located for central Glasgow. During the process of obtaining Parliamentary authorisation for its line, the Caledonian discovered that an independent
Clydesdale Junction Railway The Clydesdale Junction Railway company was formed to build a railway connecting Motherwell and Hamilton with Glasgow, in Scotland. Conceived for local journeys, it was used by the main line Caledonian Railway to get access to Glasgow, and was so ...
was also being authorised. The Caledonian quickly took control of the Clydesdale Junction by leasing it during construction; it opened throughout on 1 June 1849. Its route left the Wishaw and Coltness line at Motherwell, and ran via
Uddingston Uddingston ( sco, Uddinstoun, gd, Baile Udain) is a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the north side of the River Clyde, south-east of Glasgow city centre, and acts as a dormitory suburb for the city. Geography and boundaries ...
and
Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...
to a terminus called
Southside Southside or South Side may refer to: Places Australia * Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region Canada * South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of New ...
in Glasgow, at the junction of Cathcart Road and Pollokshaws Road. This too was inconveniently located for the city centre, but the Caledonian now had two routes to two terminal stations in Glasgow. The Clydesdale Junction route now forms the northern end of the modern Caledonian main line, extended from South Side to cross the River Clyde to Glasgow Central Station.John Thomas revised J S Paterson, ''A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 6, Scotland, the Lowlands and the Borders'', David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1984,


Carstairs to Edinburgh

The
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
section of the Caledonian main line left Carstairs station and ran north-east. For several years passenger trains from Carlisle divided at Carstairs; the Glasgow portion proceeded, and the Edinburgh portion reversed direction towards the capital. It is likely that goods trains too ran to Carstairs and remarshalled there. A cut-off line was constructed enabling direct running from Carlisle towards Edinburgh, but it was little used and it was soon closed. Later a shorter chord line was built having the same effect. The line continued past
Cobbinshaw Cobbinshaw is a small hamlet in West Lothian, Scotland. It is at the end of a dead end road from nearby Woolfords. Cobbinshaw is at above sea level on the edge of the Pentland Hills. Nearby villages include Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbra ...
and Kirknewton, descending into Edinburgh in the valley of the
Water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing near central Edinburgh, Scotland, and flows into the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The name ''Leith'' may be of Britto ...
. The terminus was at
Lothian Road The A700 road is a short but important link skirting Edinburgh City Centre between the A8 and A7 roads. Route The road begins at the West End junction at the terminus of the A8 and heads south then east comprising the streets of Lothian Road ...
; this was later altered to
Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...
by a short extension and enlargement.


Competition for traffic to England

The main line as planned was hoped to be the sole connection between Scottish cities and the English network. In fact this proved ill-founded, as the
North British Railway The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...
opened its line to
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
, forming part of a line to London that became known as the
East Coast Main Line The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broa ...
in alliance with English lines. At first this route involved two changes of trains until bridges over the
River Tweed The River Tweed, or Tweed Water ( gd, Abhainn Thuaidh, sco, Watter o Tweid, cy, Tuedd), is a river long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the R ...
at Berwick and the
River Tyne The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wate ...
at Newcastle were completed. This route was competitive for transits from Edinburgh to London, but Glasgow was less conveniently served. On the west side of the country the
Glasgow and South Western Railway The Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) was a railway company in Scotland. It served a triangular area of south-west Scotland between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle. It was formed on 28 October 1850 by the merger of two earlier railway ...
(G&SWR) had a route between Glasgow and Carlisle; however it was hampered by reliance on the Caledonian Railway route for the final approach to Carlisle, and primacy of the Caledonian Railway and its English ally, the LNWR, there. The G&SWR route was uncompetitive for traffic to and from Edinburgh. A third route was another North British Railway route that became known as the
Waverley Route The Waverley Route was a railway line that ran south from Edinburgh, through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders, to Carlisle. The line was built by the North British Railway; the stretch from Edinburgh to Hawick opened in 1849 and the remaind ...
between Edinburgh and Carlisle. This route too suffered from the dominance of the Caledonian and LNWR at Carlisle. When the
Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...
opened its line from London to Carlisle via Leeds, the G&SWR and the NBR Waverley route had access southwards over a friendly railway at last.


Development after first construction

In its early years the Caledonian Railway sought to become dominant in large areas of Scotland by leasing nascent companies. It was able to do so by guaranteeing lease payments in perpetuity, which avoided any need for cash at the time, but heavily indebted the company later. It saw the best opportunities to the north of the central belt, and in Ayrshire. As the company matured, it encouraged local promoters to start construction of branch lines, taking them over by purchase if they were successful. The principal effect of this on the main line was the construction of a branch line from Gartsherrie to Greenhill Junction, there meeting the
Scottish Central Railway The Scottish Central Railway was formed in 1845 to link Perth and Stirling to Central Scotland, by building a railway line to join the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway near Castlecary. The line opened in 1848 including a branch to South Alloa. The ...
, and giving access to Stirling and Perth. A first, short section of this branch used the route of the earlier
Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway was an early mineral railway running from a colliery at Monklands to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch, Scotland. It was the first railway to use a rail ferry, the first public railway in Scotla ...
(M&KR), another modernised coal railway. The M&KR was not brought into the Caledonian family, and through trains from the Caledonian at Motherwell towards Stirling used a rival company's track until nationalisation of the railways in 1948. A development that had not been foreseen was the emergence of the Monklands iron industry, which generated a huge demand for good quality iron ore and coal, and the Caledonian was fortunate that considerable reserves lay in areas served by it, or otherwise accessible over it. These factors led to a limited number of intermediate stations on the main line, and a concentration of effort elsewhere. There were no new branches off the main line at first, but the "Lanark" station was a considerable distance from the important Burgh, and local interests promoted a branch line to
Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...
, which opened in 1855. The Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway promoted a branch to Biggar; it was opened in 1860 after the local company had been acquired by the Caledonian, and the line was extended to Peebles in 1864. In 1863 an independent branch line was opened to Dumfries, the
Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway The Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Railway was a railway in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. It connected Dumfries with Lockerbie via Lochmaben. Promoted independently, it was absorbed by the Caledonian Railway to give access to Dumfriesshire and late ...
was opened. The Caledonian acquired the line in 1865. The Portpatrick Railway had opened in 1861-1862 and the Caledonian worked it. This gave it access from Lockerbie to Stranraer and Portpatrick, enabling it to develop ferry services to the north of Ireland. It routed traffic from there to Glasgow and Edinburgh via Lockerbie, bringing considerable additional traffic to the main line. When the Portpatrick Railway was reconstituted into the
Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway The Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint RailwaysThe final word is in the plural. was a network of railway lines serving sparsely populated areas of south-west Scotland. The title appeared in 1885 when the previously independent Portpatrick Rai ...
, the Caledonian was a one-quarter owner. The Dolphinton Branch was opened in 1867 from Carstairs; Dolphinton was a small settlement and the construction of the line was purely tactical. Mineral extraction in Cumberland around Workington developed considerably, and much of the output went to the Lanarkshire iron works over the Caledonian main line. In 1869 an independent
Solway Junction Railway The Solway Junction Railway was built by an independent railway company to shorten the route from ironstone mines in Cumberland to ironworks in Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. It opened in 1869, and it involved a viaduct long crossing the Solway Fi ...
was opened, with a long viaduct over the Solway Firth, and shortening the journey from Workington to the Monklands. From the outset, the rival
Glasgow and South Western Railway The Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) was a railway company in Scotland. It served a triangular area of south-west Scotland between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle. It was formed on 28 October 1850 by the merger of two earlier railway ...
had intended to build an independent line to Carlisle from Gretna, but this was forbidden by Parliament during the authorisation process. The G&SWR was required to make a junction with the Caledonian main line at Gretna Junction, and to run over the line into Carlisle. That arrangement started in 1850, and the former G&SWR still operates, making the connection at Gretna Junction as before. All the other branches referred to in this section have closed, with the exception of the Lanark branch.


The main line from 1879

The first main line cemented the configuration of the Caledonian Railway route to England. It was enhanced by subsequent improvement of the route into Glasgow, as well as extension of the Edinburgh terminal named Princes Street, completed in 1870 and the expansion of goods facilities in Carlisle. The final development of the route had taken place by 1879, when the Glasgow terminal at Glasgow Central was opened. The station was considerably more convenient than the terminals previously in use. The original routing over the Wishaw and Coltness and the Glasgow Garnkirk and Coatbridge lines was now by-passed for main line passenger traffic, although still in use for local passenger traffic and considerable mineral usage. The Buchanan Street terminal was now focussed on passenger services to the Stirling line. At Carlisle the first passenger station remained in use, but the original goods facilities had been enhanced by the opening of a separate ''Viaduct'' goods station, and a route for goods and mineral trains passing the passenger station giving direct independent access from the Maryport and Carlisle Railway route; iron ore from Workington to the ironworks of the Monklands and become hugely significant by this time. The goods by-pass lines at Carlisle became very extensive and were jointly owned and operated by several railway companies.


After 1879

By 1879 the shape of the Caledonian main line was substantially developed. Most of the branches that left the main line directly had been opened by then. The principal subsequent developments were: * comprehensive suburban development in greater Glasgow, redoubled in the last decades of the twentieth century; * duplication of the route from Law Junction in to Glasgow serving ironworks that later became Ravenscraig Steelworks, and giving enhanced access northwards to freight marshalling facilities at Mossend Yard; * the opening of a branch line to
Moffat Railway Moffat ( gd, Mofad) is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire, now part of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area in Scotland. It lies on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. It was a centre of the wool trade and a spa town ...
Beattock in 1883; * the opening of the
Leadhills and Wanlockhead Branch The Leadhills and Wanlockhead Light Railway was a short branch railway built in Scotland to serve mining settlements, high in the Lowther Hills, connecting them to the Carlisle - Carstairs main line. The line was opened in 1901 - 1902, and was t ...
from Elvanfoot in 1901–1902; * considerably enhanced goods facilities at Carlisle; * extension lines in Edinburgh to serve docks at Granton and Leith; * late twentieth century opening or reopening of passenger stations in the Glasgow and Edinburgh travel-to-work areas.


Development of passenger train services

In 1850, the passenger service on the main line consisted of five trains daily from Carlisle to Glasgow, of which three were expresses. Two gave daytime transits from London, the faster taking 12 hours 55 minutes. The fastest journey from Carlisle to Glasgow took 3 hours 30 minutes, and all the trains carried portions to Edinburgh detached at Carstairs, or gave connections to Edinburgh there. There was a limited Sunday service.''Bradshaw's General Steam Navigation and Railway Guide'', 3rd mo, (March) 1850, reprinted by Middleton Press, Midhurst, 2012, As train service patterns settled down later in the nineteenth century, the Caledonian main line carried important express trains, as well as local stopping trains. In contrast to the frequent regular-interval services of the present day, the train frequency was limited. In 1895 there were four daytime expresses northbound; the first left Euston at 5.15 a.m. Many trains divided at Carstairs with separate portions from there to Edinburgh and in some cases Perth and Aberdeen. There were two sleeping car trains to Glasgow and two to Aberdeen. All the daytime trains called at Beattock, and there were four all-stations stopping trains as well as some short workings. The fastest journey from Carlisle to Glasgow took 2 hours 10 minutes.''Bradshaw's General Steam Navigation and Railway Guide'', 12th mo, (December) 1895, reprinted by Middleton Press, Midhurst, 2011, By 1922 there were five daytime express trains. Local passenger business had declined and there was only one all-stations train running throughout the route, but several very short workings and some semi-fast trains. The 10.00 a.m. express from Euston arrived at Glasgow Central at 6.30 p.m.; it was not named, and conveyed through carriages from Birmingham. It required 2 hours 26 minutes from Carlisle to Glasgow, calling only at Motherwell "when required". There were several night trains to Glasgow and to the northern lines.''Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation Guide'', 7th mo, (July) 1922, reprinted by Guild Publishing, London, 1985 By 1938 there were still only four daytime through trains Monday to Friday, although there were considerably more summer Saturday trains, many of them going north to Stirling and beyond, and some originating from Liverpool. The stopping service on the route remained very thin indeed, although the Edinburgh line had more stopping trains. There were many more night trains, several of them seasonal, and many running to the north of Scotland. The 10.00 a.m. train from Euston was named ''The Royal Scot'' and took seven hours to Glasgow, and seven hours and five minutes to Edinburgh, advertised as conveying restaurant car to both terminals. The train called only at Carlisle intermediately.''Bradshaw's July 1938 Railway Guide'', reprinted by David and Charles (Publishers) Limited, Newton Abbot, 1969, From electrification of the main line by
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
in 1974 the main line service was increased to an almost-regular two-hourly frequency. The best train took five hours between
London Euston Euston railway station ( ; also known as London Euston) is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the UK's busiest inter-city rail ...
and Glasgow Central, but Edinburgh was not a destination served from London by this route. Trains from Liverpool and Manchester combined at Preston and divided again at Carstairs, giving through journeys to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Beattock station had closed by this time so that only Lockerbie, Carstairs and Motherwell were served by main line trains to Glasgow, and only Haymarket by Edinburgh trains.
Avanti West Coast Avanti West Coast is a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that operates the West Coast Partnership franchise. During November 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the Inter ...
is the main operator on the London and Birmingham to Glasgow route. The main line service frequency is considerably better than ever before.
TransPennine Express TransPennine Express (TPE), legally First TransPennine Express Limited, is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that operates the TransPennine Express franchise. It runs regional and inter-city rail services between the major c ...
operate a frequent service between Manchester Airport and Glasgow and Edinburgh.


Intermediate locations

The original main line was selected as the optimum route through challenging terrain with a very limited population density, and there was little opportunity to deviate to serve intermediate towns and villages. Locations between Carlisle and Glasgow on the present main line route: * Carlisle; joint station with London and North Western Railway; opened 1 or 10 September 1847; at times known as Carlisle Joint or Carlisle Citadel; * ''Caldew Bridge Junction''; convergence of Dentonholme goods lines; * ''Port Carlisle Junction''; divergence of Silloth line; * ''Etterby Junction''; * Rockcliffe; opened 10 September 1847; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 2 December 1919; closed 17 July 1950 but workmen's services continued until 6 December 1965; * Floriston; opened 10 September 1847; closed 17 July 1950; * Gretna; opened 10 September 1847; closed 10 September 1951; at times known as Gretna Junction; convergence of North British Railway line from Longtown; * ''Gretna Junction''; divergence of Glasgow and South Western line to Dumfries; * Kirkpatrick; opened 10 September 1847; closed 13 June 1960; * Kirtlebridge; opened March 1848; relocated a mile northwards by October 1869; closed 13 June 1960; convergence of Solway Junction line; * Ecclefechan; opened 10 September 1847; closed 13 June 1960; * Lockerbie; opened 10 September 1847; divergence of Dumfries line; * Nethercleugh; opened 10 September 1847; closed 13 June 1960; * Dinwoodie; opened May 1853; closed 13 June 1960; * Wamphray; opened 10 September 1847; closed 13 June 1960; * Beattock; opened 10 September 1847; closed 3 January 1972; divergence of Moffat branch; * Elvanfoot; opened April 1848; closed 4 January 1965; convergence of Wanlockhead branch; * Crawford; opened 1 January 1891; closed 4 January 1965; * Abington; opened 15 February 1848; closed 4 January 1965; * Lamington: opened 15 February 1848: closed 4 January 1965: * Symington; opened 15 February 1848; relocated northwards to serve converging Peebles branch 30 November 1863; closed 4 January 1965; * Thankerton; opened 15 February 1848; closed 4 January 1965; * ''junction''; original divergence of direct line to Edinburgh; * ''Strawfrank Junction''; divergence of later line to Edinburgh; * Carstairs; opened 15 February 1848; convergence of line from Edinburgh; * ''Silvermuir Junction''; divergence of line to Lanark; * ''Cleghorn Junction''; convergence of line from Lanark; * Lanark; opened 15 February 1848; renamed Cleghorn Junction 1855; renamed Cleghorn 1864; closed 4 January 1965; replaced by the later Lanark station; * Braidwood; opened August 1848; closed 2 July 1962; * Carluke; opened 15 February 1848; * Law Junction; opened December 1879 (prior to opening of diverging line); closed 4 January 1965; divergence of direct Wishaw line; * ''Garriongill Junction''; convergence with Wishaw and Coltness line. On the Wishaw and Coltness Railway section: * Overtown; opened 8 May 1843; closed 1 October 1881; * Wishaw; opened 8 May 1843; renamed Wishaw South 1880; closed 15 September 1958; * Flemington; opened 2 March 1891; closed 4 January 1965; * Motherwell; W&CR station; opened 8 May 1843; closed 31 July 1885; * ''junction''; present main line leaves Wishaw and Coltness section. On the Clydesdale Junction section: * Motherwell; opened 31 July 1885; * ''Lesmahagow Junction''; convergence of line from Ross Junction; divergence of line towards Mossend; * Fallside; opened August 1872; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 May 1919; closed 3 August 1953; * ''Uddingston Junction''; convergence of line from Mossend; * Uddingston; opened 1 June 1849; renamed Uddingston Central for some time; * ''Hamilton Junction''; convergence of line from Hamilton; * Newton; opened November 1852; relocated 19 December 1873; divergence of lines to Carmyle and Cathcart; * Cambuslang; opened 1 June 1849; * ''Rutherglen Junction''; convergence of Coatbridge line; * Rutherglen; opened 1 June 1849; relocated 31 March 1879; divergence of Argyle Line; * ''Rutherglen West Junction''; convergence of line from Dalmarnock; * ''Gushetfaulds Junction''; divergence of original line to South Side; * Cathcart Road; opened 6 April 1885; renamed Gushetfaulds 1886; closed 1 May 1907; * ''Larkfield Junction''; divergence of line to Langside Junction; Section built by the Caledonian Railway; * Eglinton Street; opened 1 July 1879; closed 1 February 1965; * Bridge Street; opened 14 July 1840 (for Glasgow Paisley and Ayr Railway); closed 1 March 1905; * Glasgow Central; opened 1 August 1879. Locations between Carstairs and Edinburgh on the present main line route: * Carstairs; see above; * ''Dolphinton Junction''; convergence of line from Strawfrank Junction and divergence of Dolphinton branch; * Carnwath; opened 15 February 1848; closed 18 April 1966; * Auchengray; opened 15 February 1848; closed 18 April 1966; * ''Wilsontown Junctions''; for Wilsontown branch; * Cobbinshaw; opened October 1874; relocated 4 October 1875; closed 18 April 1966; * West Calder and Torphin; opened 15 February 1848; renamed West Calder and Harburn, then Harburn; closed 18 April 1966; * ''Midcalder Junction''; convergence of line from Shotts; * Midcalder; opened 18 February 1848; rename Kirknewton 1982; * ''Camps Junction''; convergence of Camps branch; * ''Ravelrig Junction''; divergence of Balerno line; * Ravelrig; opened 4 April 1884 unadvertised for volunteer purposes; in public timetable from May 1889; closed June 1920; reopened 1927 to serve Golf Club; closed in 1930; * Currie; opened 15 February 1848; renamed Curriehill 1874; closed 2 April 1951; reopened 5 October 1987 * Slateford; opened 15 February 1848; renamed Kings Knowes 1 January 1853; later Kingsknowe; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; closed 6 July 1964; reopened 1 February 1971; * Slateford; opened 1 January 1853; * ''Slateford Junction''; divergence of line to Edinburgh Suburban line and divergence from Princes Street line; * ''Granton Junction''; divergence of Granton Harbour line; * ''Haymarket Junction''; convergence with former Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway route; * Haymarket; * Edinburgh Waverley.M E Quick, ''Railway Passenger Stations in England Scotland and Wales—A Chronology'', The Railway and Canal Historical Society, 2002


After 1923

Under the terms of the
Railways Act 1921 The Railways Act 1921 (c. 55), also known as the Grouping Act, was an Act of Parliament enacted by the British government and intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, by "grouping" them into four la ...
the Caledonian Railway was a constituent of the new
London Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...
(LMS), as was the rival G&SWR. The LMS therefore controlled all the West Coast routes. The North British Railway was a constituent of the new
London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after LMS) of the " Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It operated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At th ...
, and controlled the East Coast route. While some consolidation took place, the basic passenger train service pattern remained relatively unaltered for many years, indeed into the post-1948 era of nationalisation under
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
ways. Electrification of the West Coast Main Line throughout between London, Birmingham and Glasgow encouraged concentration of long-distance passenger traffic on the Caledonian main line, and decline of the G&SWR route. The
Waverley Route The Waverley Route was a railway line that ran south from Edinburgh, through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders, to Carlisle. The line was built by the North British Railway; the stretch from Edinburgh to Hawick opened in 1849 and the remaind ...
closed in 1969.


Electrification

The Glasgow south side suburban service had been electrified by
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
ways from 27 May 1962, when the Cathcart Circle, and Newton - Uddingston - Motherwell were operated electrically. Further electrification of the Hamilton circle, and to Lanark, followed and the main line southwards was being progressively wired, so that by the end of 1973 electric locomotives could be exchanged between Carlisle and Shields Depot, running for the time being via Kirkhill. From 6 May 1974 the Hamilton Circle and Lanark routes were fully available for electric passenger trains. (These trains ran to Glasgow Central High Level, as the Argyle Line had not yet been constructed.) Not all of the platforms at Glasgow Central were electrified at this stage, and when main line electrification was introduced, the remaining non-wired platforms had to be fitted. The southern sections of the West Coast Main Line were electrified in the period to 1969. In April 1970 authorisation was given for the electrification between
Weaver Junction Weaver Junction is a railway junction connecting the West Coast Main Line (WCML) with the Weaver Junction–Liverpool line, opening on 1 April 1869. Trains bound for Liverpool from London diverge from the WCML at this junction. Weaver Junction i ...
(in Cheshire) and Cleghorn Junction (to which the Lanark electrification had already been implemented). By July 1973 the line had been resignalled throughout, and from 7 January 1974 freight trains were electrically hauled between Kingmoor Yard at Carlisle and Mossend Yard. From 22 April 1974 passenger trains were electrically hauled throughout between London and Glasgow.J C Gillham, ''The Age of the Electric Train'', Ian Allan Limited, London, 1988,


Modern use of the Caledonian main line

While the term ''Caledonian main line'' has no authoritative present-day definition, it is generally taken to mean the main line between Carlisle and Glasgow and Carstairs and Edinburgh. That is consistent with the first main line from Carlisle to Garriongill Junction, then following the Clydesdale Junction Railway route to Gushetfaulds, just outside South Side station, and then the later short line Glasgow Central station. The Edinburgh section runs from Carstairs to Edinburgh Waverley station; the final section of the original line to Princes Street was closed and trains diverted to Waverley. The route is now the northern section of the
West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
, and carries a heavy passenger and freight service.


Current operations

At the present day the main line has a heavy long-distance passenger service to London, Birmingham and Manchester. Significant freight traffic also runs over the line. The Carstairs to Edinburgh line carries a considerable long-distance passenger service, although London to Edinburgh is not realistically dominant now, compared to the East Coast main Line service. In the Edinburgh and Glasgow travel-to-work areas there is a heavy suburban passenger service. Notable among these is the Argyle line service which runs from Lanark to North Clyde destinations through the Argyle line in Glasgow. Numerous other suburban routes operate in the greater Glasgow and Edinburgh conurbations.


Gradients

When the main line was conceived, there were misgivings about the capacity of the locomotive power of the day to handle trains over the heavy gradients approaching Beattock summit. By the time the line was opened, the technology of locomotive design had improved, and locomotive haulage was practicable. Nonetheless Beattock summit remained a significant operational limitation, and the provision of assistant engines for all but the lightest trains was routine from Beattock station to the summit throughout the era of steam traction. Leaving Carlisle, gradients were moderate until just before Gretna, from where a climb of 1 in 193 - 1 in 200 started as far as Castlemilk, beyond Ecclefechan. A slight decline then followed to Nethercleugh, where the climb resumed, stiffening again to 1 in 202 after Wamphray. At Beattock the serious climbing started with a gradient of 1 in 88 increasing to 1 in 74 for ten miles to Beattock Summit. A short fall of 1 in 89 for two miles to Elvanfoot followed. From there however the descent was more gentle and longer, at a typical gradient of 1 in 240 although with several short steeper sections. This reached as far as Carstairs, after which an eight-mile climb followed. There then followed a stiffer descent of up to 1 in 102 for sixteen miles to Uddingston. From there moderate undulations led to Glasgow Central station. The Carstairs to Edinburgh line had difficult gradients too. From Carstairs there was a climb of 1 in 225 stiffening to 1 in 97 as far as Cobbinshaw (eleven miles) then descending at 1 in 100 for five miles, slackening to 1 in 143 almost continuously as far as Edinburgh.''Railway Gradients of the British Main-Line Railways'', the Railway Publishing Company, London, 1947


Quintinshill

Quintinshill, 1.3km (0.8mi) north of
Gretna Green Gretna Green is a parish in the southern council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the Scottish side of the border between Scotland and England, defined by the small river Sark, which flows into the nearby Solway Firth. It was historica ...
, was the site of the
Quintinshill rail crash The Quintinshill rail disaster was a multi-train rail crash which occurred on 22 May 1915 outside the Quintinshill signal box near Gretna Green in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. It resulted in the deaths of over 200 people, and remain ...
, which occurred at 6.49am on 22 May 1915.Rolt (1982), pp 207–213


References


Sources

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External links


Railscot on Caledonian Railway






{{Historical Scottish railway companies Early Scottish railway companies London, Midland and Scottish Railway constituents Pre-grouping British railway companies Railway lines opened in 1831 1831 establishments in Scotland Anglo-Scottish border