Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)

Introduction

This line provided a connection between the Caledonian Railway and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in Edinburgh. The line is also known as the Duff Street connection or Duff Street spur. It was built by the Caledonian Railway in 1859. The intention was to allow their trains to run into Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley. Access was not allowed and the line became a long expensive siding to the Caledonian Distillery, also served by the North British Railway but with a track arrangement to not allow through running. Fortunately with the opening of the Granton Branch (Caledonian Railway) in 1861 most of the line came into regular use. A connection was finally made in 1964 by British Railways, allowing Edinburgh Princes Street to close.






Dates

  /  /1847Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
Slateford to Haymarket (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) Act passed.
13/10/1853Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
From Slateford Junction [1st] to a bay platform by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway's Haymarket station opened. Trains could run from the bay to Carstairs or Falkirk. The line is opened with a running of the Royal Train to Haymarket. The connection at Haymarket was taken out later.
  /  /1860Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
Branch re-authorised.
01/08/1879Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
Slateford Junction [1st] to Granton Junction authorised for passengers - with the opening of the Leith North Passenger Branch (Caledonian Railway) .
07/09/1964Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
Duff street connection opened (Duff Street Junction, at Haymarket on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened). This connection allowed Edinburgh Princes Street to be closed.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Slateford to Haymarket

This was a double track junction east of Slateford station (and the present Slateford Junction). It was the connection between the 1848 Caledonian Railway and the abortive Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway) of 1859 which was intended to allow the Caledonian access to Haymarket to Edinburgh Waverley.
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More details

See also
Caledonian Railway
A through-the-window 'grabshot' (ie excuse for a rubbish photo - like I need an excuse) of the former Slateford Junction box. It had a fairly short ...
David Panton 19/09/2020
The 1960s signal box at Slateford Junction is long out of use as a box, but is still in use for something. For a while it was the home of the ...
David Panton 16/01/2020
The interior of Slateford signalbox in 1981, shortly before its closure. ...
Bill Roberton //1981
Out of use signalbox at Slateford, now a signalling training centre. By permission of Railtrack. ...
Ewan Crawford //
4 of 9 images. more




Freshly painted in fine Caledonian blue, this bridge carries the Carstairs line over Murieston Crescent, Edinburgh, south west of Haymarket station. ...
David Panton 07/02/2015
1 of 1 images.


Lost Railfreight 26002 shunts a pair of Co2 tanks at the Caledonian Distillery, adjacent to Haymarket station, in 1988. The distillery has ...
Bill Roberton //1988
1 of 1 images.





Duff Street Spur

This junction is directly west of Haymarket station. It opened in 1964, finally completing the line from Slateford Junction [1st] laid down in 1859. The connection was known as the Duff Street Spur. This joined together the former Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and the Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway).
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More details

See also
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
266, nearing Haymarket tram stop, and 334034 heading for Edinburgh, run in parallel at Haymarket East Junction on 27th February 2023. ...
Mark Bartlett 27/02/2023
Works at Haymarket, Christmas 2019. ...
Network Rail /12/2019
The view west from Haymarket station in the summer of 2007. On the left a Virgin CrossCountry service heading for Manchester Piccadilly has just taken ...
John Furnevel 25/07/2007
170472, on a Glasgow Queen Street to Edinbrgh Waverley service, clatters over the points at Haymarket East and into the station. Photographed from ...
David Panton 07/08/2017
4 of 29 images. more