Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a nominally independent railway in south west Scotland which linked Dumfries to Castle Douglas.

Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
Principal stations (from north to south)
(stations in bold are open)
Dumfries
Maxwelltown
Lochanhead
Killywhan
Kirkgunzeon
Southwick railway station
Dalbeattie
Castle Douglas

[edit] History

The old railway from Dumfries to Stranraer just outside Dumfries. 2005.
The old railway from Dumfries to Stranraer just outside Dumfries. 2005.

It was incorporated on 21 July 1856; the act was obtained by the Glasgow and South Western Railway.

It opened on 7 November 1859 and was closed, under the Beeching Axe, in 1965.

In 1861 the Portpatrick Railway completed a connection from Castle Douglas to Portpatrick and Stranraer.

The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was acquired by the Glasgow and South Western Railway on 1 August 1865 - this was itself acquired by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in the 1921 grouping of the railways.

The Caledonian Railway gained running rights over the line between Dumfries and Castle Douglas; which allowed it access to Portpatrick, Stranraer and Stranraer harbour over a jointly owned line, the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway. These running rights allowed the Caledonian Railway to run Irish boat trains from Carlisle and south of the border without having to go though Ayrshire.

[edit] Connections to other lines

[edit] External links



The "Big Four" pre-nationalisation British railway companies
v  d  e

Great Western London Midland & Scottish London & North Eastern Southern

GWR constituents: Great Western RailwayCambrian RailwaysTaff Vale Railway
Barry RailwayRhymney Railway(Full list)
LNER constituents: Great CentralGreat EasternGreat NorthernGreat North of Scotland
Hull & BarnsleyNorth BritishNorth Eastern(Full list)
LMS constituents: CaledonianFurnessGlasgow & South WesternHighland
Lancashire & YorkshireLondon and North WesternMidlandNorth Staffordshire(Full list)
SR constituents: London and South Western RailwayLondon, Brighton and South Coast Railway
South Eastern RailwayLondon, Chatham and Dover Railway(Full list)

See also: History of rail transport in Great Britain 1923 - 1947List of companies involved in the grouping