Granton

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Granton (1846-1917)
Granton (1919-1925)

Opened on the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway.

Description

This was the terminus of the line from Edinburgh Canal Street after its extension from Trinity [1st]. It was located on the middle pier at Granton Harbour. From this pier operated, after 1849, the world's first train ferry (for the ferry services see Granton Pier).

The station had a single platform on the west side of the rounding loop, harbour lines and slip lines. The station building was on the long, rather poor, largely wooden building with a canopy (an addition to the original building) standing on the wooden platform. Lines ran onto Granton Pier from which a train ferry operated to Burntisland Albert Pier in Fife. The linkspan to the ferry and the ferries themselves were designed by Thomas Bouch. Trains themselves were loaded onto the specially built and equipped boats.

Granton Shed, a single road building, was to the south of the station at the base of the pier (its south end).

After 1890, when the Forth Bridge opened, train ferries no longer ran to Burntisland Albert Pier. But the passenger ferry service continued, with fewer steamers.

The station closed in 1925 and the signal box closed in 1933 (this was to the south of the station, on the north side of the junction where a connection over Harbour Road was made with the Granton Branch (Caledonian Railway).

Some railway lines remain in place on the pier. Nothing remains of the passenger station. The slip still exists. The site of the station is now the Royal Forth Yacht Club .

Tags

Station terminus pier

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
05/10/2023


Chronology Dates

28/05/1838Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway
Victoria Jetty, Granton opened for traffic to Burntisland.
  /  /1844Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway
Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
An Act is passed renaming the company the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway and giving assent to building branches from Trinity [1st] to Granton and from Warriston Junction to Leith [ELGR].
  /  /1846Granton Branch (Caledonian Railway)
Act for Caledonian Railway branch from Slateford to Granton rejected by Government.
19/02/1846Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Trinity [2nd] and the line to Granton opened, Trinity [1st] turned into a goods station.
  /  /1850Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
World's first train ferry, designed by Thomas Bouch, operates from Granton Pier (by Granton station) to Burntisland Pier [1st] (near Burntisland [1st]).
  /  /1876Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Burntisland [1st] to Granton train ferry withdrawn.
  /  /1913Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
North British Railway authorised to construct additional sidings at Granton.
  /  /1913Lothian Lines (North British Railway)
New Lothian Lines authorised, particularly as relief lines for colliery traffic. Railways Nos 2 to 12 and the South Leith Branch connection were not to be used for passenger traffic. The Lothian colliery owners were given the power to provide their own wagons and North British not obliged to provide wagons where the colliery uses its own wagons. In addition further sidings were authorised at Granton and the Caledonian Railway authorised to have facilities.
  /  /1916Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
North British Railway authorised to construct further additional sidings at Granton.
02/11/1925Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Easter Road Deviation (North British Railway)
Edinburgh Waverley to Granton passenger service withdrawn. Trinity [2nd] and Granton closed.
  /  /1951Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Vehicle ferry service from Granton started.
01/06/1960Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
The goods yard at Granton is closed.
25/02/1969Easter Road Deviation (North British Railway)
Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Easter Road Junction to Granton begins to be worked as a single line on closure of signal boxes. Trinity Junction box closed 17/07/1968 and Bonnington South Junction box on 25/02/1969.
  /  /1981Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
Very little traffic to Granton from this date. Granton Shell Siding closed in 1980 and the Texaco Siding in 1981 due to the deteriorating condition of the oil quay on the Western Breakwater. The remaining traffic was infrequent trains of naphtha to Granton Gasworks.
20/01/1986Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway
The Granton Gasworks branch closes to freight. The line from Granton to London Road Junction [Edinburgh] and Lochend South Junction becomes disused but remains in place for a while.

News items

19/05/2023Council developing plans for restoration of four Edinburgh buildings [Edinburgh Reporter]
11/03/2023It was a grand day for the opening of Granton Station Square [The Edinburgh Reporter]
09/03/2023Edinburgh's newest public square opening marks first major milestone of Granton Waterfront regeneration [EdinburghLive]
02/02/2023Questions over Edinburgh's £1 billion transport plan as public consultation gets go-ahead [Edinburgh Live]
02/12/2022Edinburgh trams unveils extension plans with new route from Granton to city centre via Orchard Brae [STV]
23/08/2022Edinburgh Council to launch plans for brand new tram route across the city [Edinburgh Live]
14/04/2022SNP promises two extra tram lines and tourist tax if re-elected [insider]
02/02/2022When an Edinburgh gas works station was a Nazi bombing target during World War II [Edinburgh Live]
13/08/2021Wasps studios will move into the Edwardian building in 2022 as part of the £4.75M project [Edinburgh News]
29/07/2021The Edinburgh gasworks that was never completed and now sits abandoned [Edinburgh Live]