Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Portobello East Junction (1847-)

Opened on the North British Railway.

Opened on the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway).

Description

This junction is open. The East Coast Main Line from Berwick-Upon-Tweed meets the line from Tweedbank and passenger trains run west to Edinburgh Waverley.

The original version of this junction was further west, just to the east of Portobello [2nd] station.

Here a short branch of the North British Railway left the main line to run south and east to join the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway's Eskbank route. This was to give access to the line south to Hawick.

A substantial yard was developed here to the north of the running lines, and absorbed the original alignment pushing the passenger lines south to a new alignment through Portobello [3rd] station. The Lothian Lines were built partly to sidestep this junction and give trains to and from Leith South an alternative approach to the Edinburgh, Suburban and Southside Junction Railway, East Coast Main Line and Waverley Route.

After closure of the yards and station the line was realigned further north and junction much simplified. A few sidings remain as the disused Freightliner terminal and PW sidings.

Around 1973, when the box at Niddrie North Junction closed, the junction between the Suburban and Millerhill lines was moved north to just shy of Portobello Junction.

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