St Boswells: Integrated rail transport, but not for much longer. Steam meets diesel at St Boswells on the station's last day as a passenger junction, 13th June 1964. The footplate crew of the Standard Class 2 2-6-0 heading the 4.2 pm branch train to Kelso and Berwick (the last ever eastbound service) chat to the driver of the English Electric Type 4 hauling the 2.43 pm Edinburgh to Carlisle service.
Frank Spaven Collection (Courtesy David Spaven) 13/06/1964

St Boswells

Location type

Station

Names and dates

New Town St Boswells (1849-1865)
St Boswells (1865-1969)

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

Description

This station was located in Newtown St Boswells, thus its original name, but was renamed for the larger nearby town. In addition to serving the town it was a junction station, described by its large station boards featuring 'St Boswells Change for Jedburgh, Kelso and Berwick' (southbound platform) and 'St Boswells Change for Kelso, Berwick also Jedburgh' (northbound platform) to which the words 'bus service' were added after 1948. The station also served the route to Duns and Reston.

This was a four platform station - two through platforms and a bay at either end for branch use. To the north of the station was a large goods yard on the east side, approached from the north.

The middle part of the station was on a road bridge and the main station building, larger than many Waverley Route buildings and of three storeys at the roadside and two storeys at platform level, was on the east side, on the north side of the road bridge.

The goods yard was extended several times and the approach to this crossed a minor road, the bridge over which required extension east. There was a very large three storey grain store in the yard, similar to that which survives at Duns. Originally approach was by reversing from the southbound line onto a reversing spur, but this was later converted into a loop. The yard had the original locomotive shed before it was relocated to the south end of the station (St Boswells Shed [2nd]). A large market, Southern Central Mart, developed alongside the goods yard which remains today. On the west side was the Newtown Mart, which no longer exists.

The station hotel, near the main building, there are some architectural features in common with the station building.

Another station building, of North British Railway design, existed on the northbound platform, south of the road bridge. There was a footbridge between the platforms as well as access from via the platform buildings. A signal box was located on the northbound platform at the south end of the bay. A projected extension of this was added.

There was a signal box at the north end of the station and goods yard, closed in 1966, the other as above, closed 1969, and another to the south at Kelso Junction, also closed in 1966. (The configuration changed and at one stage the station may have had three boxes with an additional box controlling the south end.)

With the demolition of the bridge over the road and the station building alongside, conversion of the goods yard into several car parks and units little remains of the north end of the station other than the long bridge crossing the minor road. At the south end St Boswells Shed [2nd] still stands, the bay platform is intact and much of the southbound platform remains.

Prior to 1865 the station enjoyed many different names depending on the timetable used. Examples include Newtown St Boswells, St Boswells New Town, Newtown Junction and New Town St Boswells.

Local

St Cuthbert's Way passes under the former line just south of the station.

To the east is Dryburgh Abbey but, as it is on the east bank of the River Tweed, a large diversion via Mertoun Bridge is needed to reach the abbey from the former station.

Tags

Station

Aliases

Newtown St Boswells St Boswells New Town Newtown Junction

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map




Chronology Dates

17/07/1862Berwickshire Railway
Act receives Royal assent for a line from Duns to St Boswells. At both ends the line will connection with the North British Railway.
16/11/1863Berwickshire Railway
Line opened from Duns to Earlston. A coach ran from Earlston to St Boswells.
02/10/1865Berwickshire Railway
Line extended from Earlston over the Leaderfoot Viaduct to St Boswells (Ravenswood Junction).
17/07/1871Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway)
Auction Mart started by John Swan & Sons by the St Boswells station.
13/08/1948Berwickshire Railway
St Boswells (Ravenswood Junction) to Duns (excluded) is closed to passengers. The Langton Burn Bridge, between Duns and Greenlaw, is washed away and the track is left hanging, bridging the gap. Due to this flood damage Greenlaw to Duns is closed to all traffic. St Boswells to Reston via Duns ceases to be a through route.
15/06/1964Kelso Branch (North British Railway)
Kelso to St Boswells closed to passengers. Kelso, Roxburgh, Rutherford, Maxton closed.
06/01/1969Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway) Border Union Railway (North British Railway) Carlisle and Port Carlisle Railway and Dock
Edinburgh (Portobello East Junction) to Hawick [2nd] to Carlisle (Port Carlisle Junction) closed to passengers. Newtongrange [1st], Gorebridge, Tynehead, Heriot, Fountainhall, Stow, Galashiels [1st], Melrose, St Boswells, Hassendean, Hawick [2nd], Stobs, Shankend, Riccarton Junction, Steele Road, Newcastleton stations closed.

News items

29/10/2023Borders Railway extension: Group to drive project forward [Border Telegraph]
01/09/2023Next steps 'agreed' for extending Border Railway to Carlisle [News and Star]
26/05/2023Tweed Valley railway: Plan for proposed route to be revealed [Border Telegraph]
31/12/2022Extension of Borders Railway a priority, say politicians [Border Telegraph]
07/12/2022John Lamont: Borders Railway next steps discussed at meeting [Border Telegraph]
13/10/2022Borders Railway extension delay frustrations aired [BBC News]
04/03/2022Campaign for Borders Rail look to extend railway to Carlisle [News and Star]
03/03/2022Berwick 'would have key role' in bid to restore old rail links [Berwick Advertiser]
03/02/2022Borders Railway extension project 'dead in water', says chief [Border Telegraph]
26/01/2022STPR2: Borderers 'ignored' in transport review, says Tory MP [Peeblesshire News]

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Scotland - The Lowlands and the Borders v. 6 (Regional railway history series)

Forgotten Railways: Scotland

Galashiels 1897: Selkirkshire Sheet 08.02 (Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Selkirkshire)

Galashiels to Edinburgh: Including the Lauder and Dalkeith Branches - the Waverley Route (Scml)

Hawick 1897: Roxburghshire Sheet 25.07 (Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Roxburghshire)

Hawick to Galashiels: The Waverley Route Including the Selkirk Branch (Scottish Main Lines)

Last Years of the Waverley Route

North British Railway, Vol. 1 (Standard Railway History)

North British Railway, Vol. 2 (Standard Railway History)

On the Waverley Route

Railways Of Scotland 2: The Waverley Route DVD - Cinerail

The Waverley Route Through Time

The Waverley Route: Its Heritage and Revival

The Waverley Route: The Postwar Years

Waverley Route: The battle for the Borders Railway

Waverley Route: The Life, Death and Rebirth of the Borders Railway

Waverley: Portrait of a Famous Route