Waverley Line
Encyclopedia
The Waverley Line is an abandoned double track
railway line that ran south from Edinburgh
in Scotland
through Midlothian
and the Scottish Borders
to Carlisle
in England
. It was built by the North British Railway
Company; the first section, from Edinburgh to Hawick
opened in 1849. The final section, Hawick to Carlisle, opened in 1862. It was named the Waverley route after the novel
by Sir Walter Scott
. Reconstruction work of the Edinburgh-Galashiels-Tweedbank section was scheduled to begin in 2008, but is now anticipated for 2011.
crews to work over. From Edinburgh Waverley
the climb started on the city outskirts, continuing for several miles at 1 in 80 with a summit at Falahill
loop. It then descended at a similar rate to Galashiels
, Melrose and St Boswells before reaching Hawick and ascending for twelve miles at 1 in 80 again through Stobs and Shankend
to Whitrope Summit, the highest point on the line. Following Whitrope Tunnel
, the line descended at an unbroken 1 in 75 for over 8 miles through Riccarton Junction
and Steele Road to Newcastleton
, following which were easier gradients to Carlisle.
, it fell under the jurisdiction of the London and North Eastern Railway
(LNER) at the Grouping
in 1923. However the two expresses from London
had traditionally run via the Midland Railway
's Midland Main Line
, and since the Midland became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) group, so the daytime 'Waverley' express and overnight sleeping car
train would be hauled by LMS locomotive
s to Carlisle, then switch to an LNER locomotive for the final leg to Edinburgh Waverley
.
The expresses were limited stop and in the 1950s covered the mileage from Carlisle to Edinburgh in roughly two-and-a-half hours. Motive power was usually in the form of a Gresley A3 Pacific
locomotive, a class unsuited to hill climbing. With large driving wheels and three cylinders
they were designed for long stretches of 80+ mph running on heavy expresses - the 'Waverley' express was typically 8 coaches in length and the Waverley Route was 70 mph maximum with many tight curves limited to much lower speed. On the climb from Newcastleton to Whitrope Summit the train
would be down to 30 mph by Steele Road, with the locomotive being worked flat out.
Other passenger
services (usually 3 per day) were also worked by A3s, although Thompson B1
4-6-0
s made regular appearances. There was also a daily Gresley A4
diagram between Edinburgh and Carlisle - an overnight fitted freight southbound, returning with the early morning parcels train. Thompson Pacifics appeared later on, just before the line was dieselised
in a drive for efficiency. In addition there were also several local passenger workings between Galashiels and Edinburgh (some via the Peebles loop) and between Hawick and Carlisle. These tended to be hauled by B1s, although V1 2-6-2 tank engines made occasional appearances, as did D49 4-4-0s.
After the end of steam, a variety of diesels worked passenger trains, especially Class 24
and 26
Sulzer engined diesels and even Class 17
(Claytons) on local stoppers, whereas long distance loco-hauled trains were often covered by Class 45
(Peaks).
Freight workings were heavy and frequent, and hauled by a multitude of different classes. The significant workings were pulled by Gresley V2
2-6-2
s and Gresley K3 2-6-0
s as well as A3s. V2s provided service for over 30 years. In the 1960s, once the short-lived marshalling yards at Carlisle Kingmoor and Edinburgh Millerhill were opened, they worked hourly freights right through the day and night. Depending on the maximum speed of the freight working, a Carlisle to Edinburgh freight could take anything from four to seven hours to travel the route. There were also stopping freight trains that worked from Hawick to Edinburgh and Hawick to Carlisle and back, each taking a full day to complete the round trip, stopping to shunt at every station yard. These tended to be hauled by J39
0-6-0
locomotives, although BR standard class 4 2-6-0
s replaced them later on.
One notable working in later years was a daily Halewood
(Liverpool
) to Bathgate
freight train
carrying Ford cars on carflats. Due to the heavy load, the booked motive power
was a Gresley V2 and a Stanier Class 5
double-headed
, usually with the V2 on the front.
. In October 1966 British Railways gave notice to close the line from 2 January 1967 with closure notices posted at all stations on the line. A brief reprieve was announced and the situation was on hold pending review, however on 15 July 1968 the then Minister for Transport, Richard Marsh, gave the final order that the line would close in January 1969. A huge public outcry ensued and there followed a high profile campaign to save the line. This ultimately was unsuccessful in preventing the closure.
In spite of the protests, the line was closed on Monday 6 January 1969. The last passenger service on the line (and the last train to traverse the entire route) was 1M82 21.56 Edinburgh - St. Pancras sleeper, on Sunday 5 January 1969 hauled by Class 45
D60 "Lytham St Annes".
Feelings were running high along the route the final weekend of passenger operations, with protestors evident at most stations, and the authorities sensing the potential trouble sent a Clayton 'pilot' engine ahead of 1M82 from Hawick to 'prove' the route south after a set of points at Hawick had been found to be tampered with.
At Newcastleton, the pilot engine found the line was blocked and the level crossing gates locked by protestors. The disturbance led to the arrest of the local minister and he was only released after David Steel
, MP, who was travelling on the sleeper service negotiated with the police. This caused 1M82 to arrive 2 hours late in Carlisle.
On the afternoon of 6 January at Riddings Junction, BR staged a tracklifting 'ceremony' for the press to split the London Midland and Scottish Regions, demonstrating their determination to close the route.
After the passage of 1M82, the line was formally closed to passengers, and the line between Hawick and Longtown closed completely and came under engineers possession for dismantling.
Freight traffic, however, continued until 28 April 1969 as far as Hawick with a daily service, mainly coal traffic from Lady Victoria Pit. The signalling was drastically reduced after passenger closure with 'telephone and notice board' working.
At the southern end of the route the line between Carlisle Kingmoor and Longtown remained open to traffic until 31 August 1970 when it was cut back to Brunthill.
The section from Carlisle Kingmoor to Brunthill remains open to this day and sees periodic freight traffic.
Tracklifting had begun, but was temporarily halted in early 1969 while negotiations with British Rail were held to discuss buying the infrastructure by a private consortium: The Border Union Railway Co. Various options were put forward to keep the route open such as singling large sections of the track and reducing the number of signal boxes, however this came to nothing, and British Rail ceased negotiations on 23 December 1969, after requesting hefty interest payments to keep the infrastructure 'in situ' while funding for the £1 million capital required was sought.
An inspection saloon ran over the route in early 1970 to allow contractors to bid for the demolition work. Track lifting started in earnest and trains could be seen from time to time on the route undertaking dismantling duties. The Down Line between Hawick and Longtown was lifted by 1 April 1972, the Up Line having been lifted by February 1970. The entire route between Longtown to Newtongrange was removed by early 1972. The final stretch between Newtongrange and Millerhill was closed on 28 June 1973 and removed soon thereafter.
The last train to cross Hawick station viaduct did so on 18 April 1971. Hauled by locomotive No. D3880 (08713), it was employed on track lifting duties lifting the line in rear of it. Hawick South signalbox was demolished on 13 July 1972, while work on dismantling the station buildings and goods shed started on 20 January 1975. Strangely though, after the closure and lifting of the line, the parcels office at Hawick remained open and British Rail
vans continued to carry parcels traffic by road. Demolition of the viaduct over the River Teviot commenced nine months later on 1 September 1975.
Omissions in the decision process have been pointed out since the closure, which might have resulted in the line remaining open. For example, construction of significant new housing in Galashiels was underway at the same time as the line closure.
In the late 1990s there was some discussion about reopening the southern section from Carlisle as far as Riccarton Junction. With the trees in the reforested areas of Kielder Forest
now approaching maturity, the network of only minor roads and the local population were seen as being vulnerable to and unable to cope with a significantly increased logging traffic. Reinstating a single track was seen to provide transport capacity for heavy loads bypassing the villages, but the project was not pursued any further.
At Whitrope Siding
(just short of) Whitrope Tunnel
track panels have been relaid by the Waverley Route Heritage Association (WRHA) as part of a heritage railway which as of 2009 stretches from Whitrope tunnel for about 0.5 miles. A heritage centre is also being constructed at Whitrope
as part of the WRHA activities. The track panels that had also been laid at Riccarton Junction have now (2010) been lifted.
The Heritage Centre had two open days in July 2010, with official opening of the Centre taking place on Sunday at 2pm. The opening was performed by the Rt Hon Michael Moore MP, the local MP as well as the new Secretary of State for Scotland, and Mrs. Madge Elliot, veteran Borders rail campaigner who led the fight to save the Waverley Route in the late sixties
was passed by the Scottish Parliament
by 114 votes to 1. It will re-open the line as far as Tweedbank
, just south of the burgh
of Galashiels
. The bill was given the Royal Assent
in July 2006.
£115 million has been allocated for the proposed route and services, which will extend an existing Edinburgh suburban service from Newcraighall
to Shawfair
, Eskbank
, Newtongrange
, Gorebridge
, Stow
, Galashiels
and Tweedbank
.
On 27 March 2007, Transport Minister Nicol Stephen
formally initiated preparatory works. Vegetation clearance took place with a view for construction to begin in 2009 with the first trains due to run in 2011.
In August 2008, the timelines were readjusted, with tendering starting in 2009, final tendering starting in 2010, groundwork starting early 2011 and trains running early 2013. In November 2009, it was announced that the reopening would be delayed for a year. Services are expected to start in 2014.
On 3 March 2010, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson
cut the first sod of the Borders Rail Project in Galashiels. This and the beginning of ancillary works marked the official start, activated the Waverley Rail Act which allows the scheme to be built and formally triggered a clause within this act of parliament that commits the Scottish Government to complete the scheme within five years. Main construction is due to start in 2011.
On 27 March 2010, it was announced that tendering was under-way with three bids received in June 2010. The winning bids were to be announced in September 2011. The final cost estimated at £235m to £295m with the start of revenue services now expected in 2014. The tender process was scrapped on 29th September 2011 and the line will now be built by Network Rail
.
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
railway line that ran south from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
through Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
and the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
to Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was built by the North British Railway
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
Company; the first section, from Edinburgh to Hawick
Hawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
opened in 1849. The final section, Hawick to Carlisle, opened in 1862. It was named the Waverley route after the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
. Reconstruction work of the Edinburgh-Galashiels-Tweedbank section was scheduled to begin in 2008, but is now anticipated for 2011.
Line characteristics
The route was famous for its significant gradients and bleak moorland terrain, which made it arguably the most difficult line in the UK for steam locomotiveSteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
crews to work over. From Edinburgh Waverley
Edinburgh Waverley railway station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being...
the climb started on the city outskirts, continuing for several miles at 1 in 80 with a summit at Falahill
Falahill
Falahill is a village in the Scottish Borders, in the Moorfoot Hills, at , in the Parish of Heriot, and close to the border with Midlothian.Nearby are Gilston, the Heriot Water, Oxton, Scottish Borders, Soutra Hill, and Torquhan.-External links:****...
loop. It then descended at a similar rate to Galashiels
Galashiels
Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often shortened to "Gala" .Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders...
, Melrose and St Boswells before reaching Hawick and ascending for twelve miles at 1 in 80 again through Stobs and Shankend
Shankend
Shankend Manor is a sixteenth century mansion located some six miles south of Hawick, close to Whitrope Siding in Scotland. It was constructed to manage the surrounding countryside and now overlooks the Edinburgh Waverley line. The manor fell into disuse during the 1930s and by the 1970s had been...
to Whitrope Summit, the highest point on the line. Following Whitrope Tunnel
Whitrope Tunnel
The Whitrope Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel in the Scottish Borders, situated south of Hawick on the Waverley Route, near Whitrope. With a length of , it is the fourth longest tunnel in Scotland. The tunnel is on the Hawick to Carlisle part of the line, opened in the 1860s by the North...
, the line descended at an unbroken 1 in 75 for over 8 miles through Riccarton Junction
Riccarton Junction railway station
Riccarton Junction, in the county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, was a railway village and station. In its heyday it had 118 residents and its own school, post office and grocery store...
and Steele Road to Newcastleton
Newcastleton
Newcastleton, or Copshaw Holm is a village in the Scottish Borders, a few miles from the border of Scotland with England. The village is in Liddesdale and is on the Liddel Water, and is the site of Hermitage Castle.-History:...
, following which were easier gradients to Carlisle.
Historic exploration
As the line was built by the North British RailwayNorth British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
, it fell under the jurisdiction of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER) at the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
in 1923. However the two expresses from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
had traditionally run via the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
's Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
, and since the Midland became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) group, so the daytime 'Waverley' express and overnight sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
train would be hauled by LMS locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s to Carlisle, then switch to an LNER locomotive for the final leg to Edinburgh Waverley
Edinburgh Waverley railway station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being...
.
The expresses were limited stop and in the 1950s covered the mileage from Carlisle to Edinburgh in roughly two-and-a-half hours. Motive power was usually in the form of a Gresley A3 Pacific
LNER Class A1/A3
The London and North Eastern Railway LNER Gresley Classes A1 and A3 locomotives represented two distinct stages in the history of the British 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam locomotives designed by Nigel Gresley...
locomotive, a class unsuited to hill climbing. With large driving wheels and three cylinders
Cylinder (steam locomotive)
The cylinders of a steam locomotive are the components that convert the power stored in the steam into motion.Cylinders may be arranged in several different ways.-Early locomotives:...
they were designed for long stretches of 80+ mph running on heavy expresses - the 'Waverley' express was typically 8 coaches in length and the Waverley Route was 70 mph maximum with many tight curves limited to much lower speed. On the climb from Newcastleton to Whitrope Summit the train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
would be down to 30 mph by Steele Road, with the locomotive being worked flat out.
Other passenger
Passenger
A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....
services (usually 3 per day) were also worked by A3s, although Thompson B1
LNER Thompson Class B1
The London and North Eastern Railway Thompson Class B1 is a class of steam locomotive designed for medium mixed traffic work. It was designed by Edward Thompson.- Overview :...
4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
s made regular appearances. There was also a daily Gresley A4
LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognizable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, still claims the...
diagram between Edinburgh and Carlisle - an overnight fitted freight southbound, returning with the early morning parcels train. Thompson Pacifics appeared later on, just before the line was dieselised
Dieselisation
Dieselisation or dieselization is a term generally used for the increasingly common use of diesel fuel in vehicles, as opposed to gasoline or steam engines.-Water Transport:...
in a drive for efficiency. In addition there were also several local passenger workings between Galashiels and Edinburgh (some via the Peebles loop) and between Hawick and Carlisle. These tended to be hauled by B1s, although V1 2-6-2 tank engines made occasional appearances, as did D49 4-4-0s.
After the end of steam, a variety of diesels worked passenger trains, especially Class 24
British Rail Class 24
The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, also known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961. One hundred and fifty-one of these locomotives were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan. This class was used as...
and 26
British Rail Class 26
The British Rail Class 26 diesel locomotives, also known as the BRCW Type 2, were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company at Smethwick in 1958-59. Forty seven examples were built, and the last were withdrawn from service in 1993...
Sulzer engined diesels and even Class 17
British Rail Class 17
The British Rail Class 17 was a class of 117 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives built 1962–1965 by Clayton Equipment Company and their sub-contractor Beyer, Peacock & Co., for British Railways ....
(Claytons) on local stoppers, whereas long distance loco-hauled trains were often covered by Class 45
British Rail Class 45
The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
(Peaks).
Freight workings were heavy and frequent, and hauled by a multitude of different classes. The significant workings were pulled by Gresley V2
LNER Class V2
The London and North Eastern Railway Class V2 2-6-2 steam locomotives were designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for express mixed traffic work, and built between 1936–1944. The best known is the first of the class, 4771 Green Arrow, which is the only preserved example.-Construction:The V2s were the only...
2-6-2
2-6-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:...
s and Gresley K3 2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
s as well as A3s. V2s provided service for over 30 years. In the 1960s, once the short-lived marshalling yards at Carlisle Kingmoor and Edinburgh Millerhill were opened, they worked hourly freights right through the day and night. Depending on the maximum speed of the freight working, a Carlisle to Edinburgh freight could take anything from four to seven hours to travel the route. There were also stopping freight trains that worked from Hawick to Edinburgh and Hawick to Carlisle and back, each taking a full day to complete the round trip, stopping to shunt at every station yard. These tended to be hauled by J39
LNER Class J39
The London and North Eastern Railway Class J39 was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive designed for freight work. They were based on the previous Class J38 but with larger driving wheels....
0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
locomotives, although BR standard class 4 2-6-0
BR standard class 4 2-6-0
The BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for British Railways . 115 locomotives were built.- Design and construction :...
s replaced them later on.
One notable working in later years was a daily Halewood
Halewood
Halewood is in Merseyside, England and is located in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley. The district lies near Liverpool's southeastern boundary, bordered by the suburbs of Hunts Cross and Woolton....
(Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
) to Bathgate
Bathgate
Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, on the M8 motorway west of Livingston. Nearby towns are Blackburn, Armadale, Whitburn, Livingston, and Linlithgow. Edinburgh Airport is away...
freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
carrying Ford cars on carflats. Due to the heavy load, the booked motive power
Motive power
In thermodynamics, motive power is an agency, as water or steam, used to impart motion. Generally, motive power is defined as a natural agent, as water, steam, wind, electricity, etc., used to impart motion to machinery; a motor; a mover. The term may also define something, as a locomotive or a...
was a Gresley V2 and a Stanier Class 5
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
double-headed
Double-heading
In railroad terminology, double-heading or double heading indicates the use of two locomotives at the front of a train, each operated individually by its own crew. The practice of triple-heading involves the use of three locomotives....
, usually with the V2 on the front.
Line closure and beyond
The line was included in the list of those where passenger services were to be withdrawn in the Beeching AxeBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. In October 1966 British Railways gave notice to close the line from 2 January 1967 with closure notices posted at all stations on the line. A brief reprieve was announced and the situation was on hold pending review, however on 15 July 1968 the then Minister for Transport, Richard Marsh, gave the final order that the line would close in January 1969. A huge public outcry ensued and there followed a high profile campaign to save the line. This ultimately was unsuccessful in preventing the closure.
In spite of the protests, the line was closed on Monday 6 January 1969. The last passenger service on the line (and the last train to traverse the entire route) was 1M82 21.56 Edinburgh - St. Pancras sleeper, on Sunday 5 January 1969 hauled by Class 45
British Rail Class 45
The British Rail Class 45 also known as the Sulzer Type 4 diesel locomotives were built by British Rail at their Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962...
D60 "Lytham St Annes".
Feelings were running high along the route the final weekend of passenger operations, with protestors evident at most stations, and the authorities sensing the potential trouble sent a Clayton 'pilot' engine ahead of 1M82 from Hawick to 'prove' the route south after a set of points at Hawick had been found to be tampered with.
At Newcastleton, the pilot engine found the line was blocked and the level crossing gates locked by protestors. The disturbance led to the arrest of the local minister and he was only released after David Steel
David Steel
David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its merger with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats...
, MP, who was travelling on the sleeper service negotiated with the police. This caused 1M82 to arrive 2 hours late in Carlisle.
On the afternoon of 6 January at Riddings Junction, BR staged a tracklifting 'ceremony' for the press to split the London Midland and Scottish Regions, demonstrating their determination to close the route.
After the passage of 1M82, the line was formally closed to passengers, and the line between Hawick and Longtown closed completely and came under engineers possession for dismantling.
Freight traffic, however, continued until 28 April 1969 as far as Hawick with a daily service, mainly coal traffic from Lady Victoria Pit. The signalling was drastically reduced after passenger closure with 'telephone and notice board' working.
At the southern end of the route the line between Carlisle Kingmoor and Longtown remained open to traffic until 31 August 1970 when it was cut back to Brunthill.
The section from Carlisle Kingmoor to Brunthill remains open to this day and sees periodic freight traffic.
Tracklifting had begun, but was temporarily halted in early 1969 while negotiations with British Rail were held to discuss buying the infrastructure by a private consortium: The Border Union Railway Co. Various options were put forward to keep the route open such as singling large sections of the track and reducing the number of signal boxes, however this came to nothing, and British Rail ceased negotiations on 23 December 1969, after requesting hefty interest payments to keep the infrastructure 'in situ' while funding for the £1 million capital required was sought.
An inspection saloon ran over the route in early 1970 to allow contractors to bid for the demolition work. Track lifting started in earnest and trains could be seen from time to time on the route undertaking dismantling duties. The Down Line between Hawick and Longtown was lifted by 1 April 1972, the Up Line having been lifted by February 1970. The entire route between Longtown to Newtongrange was removed by early 1972. The final stretch between Newtongrange and Millerhill was closed on 28 June 1973 and removed soon thereafter.
The last train to cross Hawick station viaduct did so on 18 April 1971. Hauled by locomotive No. D3880 (08713), it was employed on track lifting duties lifting the line in rear of it. Hawick South signalbox was demolished on 13 July 1972, while work on dismantling the station buildings and goods shed started on 20 January 1975. Strangely though, after the closure and lifting of the line, the parcels office at Hawick remained open and British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
vans continued to carry parcels traffic by road. Demolition of the viaduct over the River Teviot commenced nine months later on 1 September 1975.
Omissions in the decision process have been pointed out since the closure, which might have resulted in the line remaining open. For example, construction of significant new housing in Galashiels was underway at the same time as the line closure.
In the late 1990s there was some discussion about reopening the southern section from Carlisle as far as Riccarton Junction. With the trees in the reforested areas of Kielder Forest
Kielder Forest
Kielder Forest is a large forestry plantation in Northumberland, England, surrounding the reservoir Kielder Water. It is the largest man-made woodland in Europe...
now approaching maturity, the network of only minor roads and the local population were seen as being vulnerable to and unable to cope with a significantly increased logging traffic. Reinstating a single track was seen to provide transport capacity for heavy loads bypassing the villages, but the project was not pursued any further.
Heritage activities
Whitrope Siding
Whitrope Siding was a trailing short siding or spur off the "up" line, an associated trailing cross-over between up and down lines, a pair of railway cottages and a signal box on the Waverley Line or Waverley Route. It was used as a goods loading bay. The site is now the home of the Whitrope...
(just short of) Whitrope Tunnel
Whitrope Tunnel
The Whitrope Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel in the Scottish Borders, situated south of Hawick on the Waverley Route, near Whitrope. With a length of , it is the fourth longest tunnel in Scotland. The tunnel is on the Hawick to Carlisle part of the line, opened in the 1860s by the North...
track panels have been relaid by the Waverley Route Heritage Association (WRHA) as part of a heritage railway which as of 2009 stretches from Whitrope tunnel for about 0.5 miles. A heritage centre is also being constructed at Whitrope
Whitrope
Whitrope is a densely forested area, high in the Southern Upland hills managed by the Forestry Commission in the south central Scottish Borders of Scotland, in the former Roxburghshire....
as part of the WRHA activities. The track panels that had also been laid at Riccarton Junction have now (2010) been lifted.
The Heritage Centre had two open days in July 2010, with official opening of the Centre taking place on Sunday at 2pm. The opening was performed by the Rt Hon Michael Moore MP, the local MP as well as the new Secretary of State for Scotland, and Mrs. Madge Elliot, veteran Borders rail campaigner who led the fight to save the Waverley Route in the late sixties
Line restoration
In June 2006, the Waverley Railway (Scotland) ActWaverley Railway (Scotland) Act 2006
The Waverley Railway Act 2006 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament. It authorises the reconstruction of a railway from a point in Midlothian immediately south of Newcraighall in the City of Edinburgh to Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders, including stations at Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange,...
was passed by the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
by 114 votes to 1. It will re-open the line as far as Tweedbank
Tweedbank
Tweedbank is a large village located south east of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, Scotland.Tweedbank, as the name suggests, is adjacent to the River Tweed, approximately 500 metres down river from Abbotsford House – the historic home of Sir Walter Scott.It is the site of the biggest...
, just south of the burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
of Galashiels
Galashiels
Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often shortened to "Gala" .Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders...
. The bill was given the Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
in July 2006.
£115 million has been allocated for the proposed route and services, which will extend an existing Edinburgh suburban service from Newcraighall
Newcraighall
Newcraighall is a southeastern suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. A former mining village, its prosperity was based on the Midlothian coalfields and in particular the now closed Monktonhall pit. The village had a miners club and bowling green...
to Shawfair
Shawfair
Shawfair is the name of a new town planned to be built on the site of the former Monktonhall Colliery in the south-east wedge of Edinburgh. The name is derived from a local farm steading of the same name....
, Eskbank
Dalkeith
Dalkeith is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the River North Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540...
, Newtongrange
Newtongrange
Newtongrange is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. Known in local dialect as Nitten, or Nitten by the Bing ,it became Scotland's largest mining village in the 1890s, with the sinking of the Lady Victoria Colliery and a shaft over 1600 feet deep...
, Gorebridge
Gorebridge
Gorebridge is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. The village gets its name from the bridge across the River Gore, a tributary of the South Esk. It was once the home of Scotland's first gunpowder mill, at the Gore Water, commencing operation in 1794.Gorebridge has an annual gala day....
, Stow
Stow, Scottish Borders
Stow of Wedale, or simply Stow, is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, seven miles north of Galashiels. Population 620 .-The name:...
, Galashiels
Galashiels
Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often shortened to "Gala" .Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders...
and Tweedbank
Tweedbank
Tweedbank is a large village located south east of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, Scotland.Tweedbank, as the name suggests, is adjacent to the River Tweed, approximately 500 metres down river from Abbotsford House – the historic home of Sir Walter Scott.It is the site of the biggest...
.
On 27 March 2007, Transport Minister Nicol Stephen
Nicol Stephen
Nicol Ross Stephen, Baron Stephen of Lower Deeside in the City of Aberdeen is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South, and was leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 2005 to 2008...
formally initiated preparatory works. Vegetation clearance took place with a view for construction to begin in 2009 with the first trains due to run in 2011.
In August 2008, the timelines were readjusted, with tendering starting in 2009, final tendering starting in 2010, groundwork starting early 2011 and trains running early 2013. In November 2009, it was announced that the reopening would be delayed for a year. Services are expected to start in 2014.
On 3 March 2010, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson
Stewart Stevenson
Stewart Stevenson is a Scottish politician who became a member of the Scottish Parliament in 2001....
cut the first sod of the Borders Rail Project in Galashiels. This and the beginning of ancillary works marked the official start, activated the Waverley Rail Act which allows the scheme to be built and formally triggered a clause within this act of parliament that commits the Scottish Government to complete the scheme within five years. Main construction is due to start in 2011.
On 27 March 2010, it was announced that tendering was under-way with three bids received in June 2010. The winning bids were to be announced in September 2011. The final cost estimated at £235m to £295m with the start of revenue services now expected in 2014. The tender process was scrapped on 29th September 2011 and the line will now be built by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
.
External links
- Campaign for Borders Rail
- Waverley Railway Project
- Waverley Route Heritage Association
- Waverley Route Trust
- Last Day of the Waverley Route
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/A3799272