Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway
Encyclopedia
The Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway, which later became the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway, was a railway
in Edinburgh
. It carried passengers and freight between the city centre and the northern ports. It was Edinburgh's second railway, after the Duke of Buccleuch's Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway
. All of the original route has been dismantled, but part of one of its later connections remains in use for freight.
to allow building of the railway received its Royal Assent
on 13 August 1836. A further Act of Parliament on 1 July 1839 authorised an extension to Newhaven and abandonment of the Leith portion. A third Act, on 19 July 1844, reconstituted the company as the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway.
The line was originally horse-drawn
, and ran from Canonmills
(later Scotland Street) to Newhaven
(later Trinity), with services beginning on 31 August 1842. As well as carrying passengers and cargo between the port and the city, it gave access to the Trinity Chain Pier at Newhaven which was popular with bather
s. On 19 February 1846 the line was extended into the Duke of Buccleuch's recently built harbour at Granton
(completed in 1838), and became the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway.
A branch to Leith
was opened on 10 May 1846; Citadel station in Leith (formerly North Leith) is one of the remaining structures from the original line. It is now a youth centre. An intermediate station was provided at Bonnington, and Junction Road opened in 1869.
It was further extended to its city centre terminus at Canal Street in 1847, by the 1000 yd Scotland Street tunnel
. This carried the line from Canal Street under Edinburgh's New Town
with a peak gradient of 1 in 27, using a stationary engine to haul trains up the slope with an endless rope
. Canal Street was later absorbed into Waverley station
. It was named after an ornamental canal, proposed to replace the Nor Loch
but never built. The tunnel was designed by the renowned civil engineer Thomas Grainger
, and its construction supervised by George Buchanan
. The difficulties overcome included shifting sand under the New Town, and concerned property owners above ground. The tunnel is just below street level at Scotland Street, but is 49 feet (15 m) below St. Andrew Street and 37 feet (11 m) below Princes Street. At the same time as the tunnel was opened, horse power was abandoned on the rest of the network in favour of steam locomotives.
On 27 July 1847, the company was taken over by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway
.
At Granton, the world's first train ferry
took goods wagons by boat to Burntisland
in Fife
. The service commenced on 3 February 1850. Thomas Bouch
designed the ferry slip
. The ferry was the Leviathan, and was also designed by Thomas Grainger. From Burntisland, Edinburgh and Northern Railway services connected to Perth
and Tayport
(ferry to Broughty Ferry
, for Dundee
). It was intended as a temporary measure until the railway could build a bridge, but this, the Forth Railway Bridge, was not opened until 1890, its construction delayed in part by repercussions from the catastrophic failure of Bouch's Tay Rail Bridge. The through train ferry service was withdrawn in 1876, but a passenger ferry continued for many years.
On 29 July 1862 the line was taken over by the North British Railway
. In 1868 they connected it to the East Coast Main Line
at Piershill
and Abbeyhill
, allowing the closure of Scotland Street tunnel. Scotland Street station was retained as a goods depot until 1967, with access only from the north. Scotland Street tunnel was used to store wagons, then for commercial mushroom
growing (1887-1929), and as an air raid shelter during World War II
. It was also used as one of ten emergency control centres for the LNER
during the war. In the 1970s, Cochranes Garages used the north end to store vehicles. The southern entrance to the tunnel, long abandoned, was rediscovered in 1983 during the construction of Waverley Market
.
In 1902 the line was extended to Granton Gas Works, and given a connection to the Caledonian Railway
network. In 1903 the North British opened a new line into Leith Central railway station
. This closed to passengers on 7 April 1952, and final closure after a period as a motive power depot
was on 29 April 1972.
The North British Railway was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway
at the Grouping
in 1923, and LNER was in turn absorbed by British Rail
in 1948. Passenger services to Granton were discontinued in 1925, and freight in 1986. The last few cargoes were naphtha
.
The loop via Piershill and Abbeyhill was retained and used as a diversion for slower trains, and in both 1970
and 1986
a temporary passenger halt at Meadowbank was built for the duration of the Commonwealth Games
. It fell into disuse upon electrification of the East Coast Main Line in 1989. As of 2006 track was still in place on the Abbeyhill loop from Piershill Junction to Abbeyhill Junction, but the junction to the main line had been disconnected. The embankment along the shore from Trinity to Granton was removed and landscaped in the 1990s.
to the East Coast Main Line
, is still in use, and is used to carry waste from the waste management plant
at Powderhall to a landfill
site in East Lothian
.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. It carried passengers and freight between the city centre and the northern ports. It was Edinburgh's second railway, after the Duke of Buccleuch's Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway
Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway
The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway, also called the Innocent Railway, was Edinburgh's first railway. It carried coal from the mines in Lothian to its city centre terminus at St Leonards...
. All of the original route has been dismantled, but part of one of its later connections remains in use for freight.
Formation
The Act of ParliamentAct of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
to allow building of the railway received its Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 13 August 1836. A further Act of Parliament on 1 July 1839 authorised an extension to Newhaven and abandonment of the Leith portion. A third Act, on 19 July 1844, reconstituted the company as the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway.
Route history
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
, and ran from Canonmills
Canonmills
Canonmills is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-east of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Inverleith.It lies in low-lying ground north of Edinburgh's New Town on ground that was uneconomic to connect to the higher New Town street levels....
(later Scotland Street) to Newhaven
Newhaven, Edinburgh
Newhaven is a district in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, between Leith and Granton. Formerly a village and harbour on the Firth of Forth, it currently has approximately 5,000 inhabitants....
(later Trinity), with services beginning on 31 August 1842. As well as carrying passengers and cargo between the port and the city, it gave access to the Trinity Chain Pier at Newhaven which was popular with bather
Sea bathing
Sea bathing is swimming in the sea or in sea water and a sea bath is a protective enclosure for sea bathing. Unlike bathing in a swimming pool, which is generally done for pleasure or exercise purposes, sea bathing was once thought to have curative or therapeutic value. It arose from the medieval...
s. On 19 February 1846 the line was extended into the Duke of Buccleuch's recently built harbour at Granton
Granton, Edinburgh
Granton is a district in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Granton forms part of Edinburgh's waterfront along the Firth of Forth and is, historically, an industrial area having a large harbour. Granton is part of Edinburgh's large scale waterfront regeneration programme.-Name:Granton first appears...
(completed in 1838), and became the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton Railway.
A branch to Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
was opened on 10 May 1846; Citadel station in Leith (formerly North Leith) is one of the remaining structures from the original line. It is now a youth centre. An intermediate station was provided at Bonnington, and Junction Road opened in 1869.
It was further extended to its city centre terminus at Canal Street in 1847, by the 1000 yd Scotland Street tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
. This carried the line from Canal Street under Edinburgh's New Town
New Town, Edinburgh
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is often considered to be a masterpiece of city planning, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
with a peak gradient of 1 in 27, using a stationary engine to haul trains up the slope with an endless rope
Cable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
. Canal Street was later absorbed into Waverley station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being...
. It was named after an ornamental canal, proposed to replace the Nor Loch
Nor Loch
The Nor Loch, also known as the Nor' Loch and the North Loch, was a loch formerly in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the area now occupied by Princes Street Gardens, which lies between the Royal Mile and Princes Street.- Geological formation :...
but never built. The tunnel was designed by the renowned civil engineer Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger
Thomas Grainger FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor. He was born in Ratho, outside Edinburgh, to Hugh Grainger and Helen Marshall. Educated at Edinburgh University, at sixteen he got a job with John Leslie, a land surveyor.He started his own practice in 1816. In 1825 he formed a...
, and its construction supervised by George Buchanan
George Buchanan (engineer born 1790)
George Buchanan FRSE FRSSA was a Scottish civil engineer and land surveyor who worked primarily on bridges and harbours. He supervised the construction of the Scotland Street tunnel....
. The difficulties overcome included shifting sand under the New Town, and concerned property owners above ground. The tunnel is just below street level at Scotland Street, but is 49 feet (15 m) below St. Andrew Street and 37 feet (11 m) below Princes Street. At the same time as the tunnel was opened, horse power was abandoned on the rest of the network in favour of steam locomotives.
On 27 July 1847, the company was taken over by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway
Edinburgh and Northern Railway
The Edinburgh and Northern Railway was a Scottish railway company. It was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1845. It operated services between Burntisland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth, Perth and Tayport, with a junction at Ladybank...
.
At Granton, the world's first train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
took goods wagons by boat to Burntisland
Burntisland
Burntisland is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland on the Firth of Forth. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 5,940....
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. The service commenced on 3 February 1850. Thomas Bouch
Thomas Bouch
Sir Thomas Bouch was a British railway engineer in Victorian Britain.He was born in Thursby, near Carlisle, Cumberland, England and lived in Edinburgh. He helped develop the caisson and the roll-on/roll-off train ferry. He worked initially for the North British Railway and helped design parts of...
designed the ferry slip
Ferry slip
A ferry slip is a specialized docking facility that receives a ferryboat or train ferry. A similar structure called a barge slip receives a barge or car float that is used to carry wheeled vehicles across a body of water....
. The ferry was the Leviathan, and was also designed by Thomas Grainger. From Burntisland, Edinburgh and Northern Railway services connected to Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and Tayport
Tayport
Tayport is located in Fife, Scotland.Te oportet alte ferri - "It is encumbent on you to carry yourself high." This actually a rather terrible pun on:"Tayport at auld Tay Ferry"....
(ferry to Broughty Ferry
Broughty Ferry
Broughty Ferry is a suburb on the eastern side of the City of Dundee, on the shore of the Firth of Tay in eastern Scotland...
, for Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
). It was intended as a temporary measure until the railway could build a bridge, but this, the Forth Railway Bridge, was not opened until 1890, its construction delayed in part by repercussions from the catastrophic failure of Bouch's Tay Rail Bridge. The through train ferry service was withdrawn in 1876, but a passenger ferry continued for many years.
On 29 July 1862 the line was taken over by the North British Railway
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
. In 1868 they connected it to the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
at Piershill
Piershill
Piershill is a suburb of north east Edinburgh, Scotland, in the shadow of Arthur's Seat.It is mainly residential, with local amenities including a large Morrisons supermarket and filling station, bank, public library, optician, pharmacy, several takeaway restaurants and specialist retailers along...
and Abbeyhill
Abbeyhill
Abbeyhill is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.As with many other city suburbs, the area has varying definitions. Generally it may be taken to mean the part of town lying between Holyrood Park to the south, Meadowbank to the east; Calton Hill and Leith to the north; and the yards of...
, allowing the closure of Scotland Street tunnel. Scotland Street station was retained as a goods depot until 1967, with access only from the north. Scotland Street tunnel was used to store wagons, then for commercial mushroom
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
growing (1887-1929), and as an air raid shelter during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was also used as one of ten emergency control centres for the LNER
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
during the war. In the 1970s, Cochranes Garages used the north end to store vehicles. The southern entrance to the tunnel, long abandoned, was rediscovered in 1983 during the construction of Waverley Market
Princes Mall Shopping Centre
Princes Mall is a shopping centre in Edinburgh, Scotland.It is located at the East end of Princes Street in the City Centre, next to Edinburgh Waverley Railway station...
.
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
network. In 1903 the North British opened a new line into Leith Central railway station
Leith Central railway station
Leith Central Railway Station was a railway station in Leith, Scotland. It formed the terminus of a North British Railway branch line from Edinburgh Waverley...
. This closed to passengers on 7 April 1952, and final closure after a period as a motive power depot
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
was on 29 April 1972.
The North British Railway was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
at the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
in 1923, and LNER was in turn absorbed by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1948. Passenger services to Granton were discontinued in 1925, and freight in 1986. The last few cargoes were naphtha
Naphtha
Naphtha normally refers to a number of different flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, i.e., a component of natural gas condensate or a distillation product from petroleum, coal tar or peat boiling in a certain range and containing certain hydrocarbons. It is a broad term covering among the...
.
The loop via Piershill and Abbeyhill was retained and used as a diversion for slower trains, and in both 1970
1970 British Commonwealth Games
The 1970 British Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 16 July to 25 July 1970.This was the first time the name British Commonwealth Games was adopted, the first time metric units rather than imperial units were used in events, and also the first time the games were held in...
and 1986
1986 Commonwealth Games
The 1986 Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland for the second time. The Games were held from 24 July-2 August 1986.-Organisation and Controversy:...
a temporary passenger halt at Meadowbank was built for the duration of the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
. It fell into disuse upon electrification of the East Coast Main Line in 1989. As of 2006 track was still in place on the Abbeyhill loop from Piershill Junction to Abbeyhill Junction, but the junction to the main line had been disconnected. The embankment along the shore from Trinity to Granton was removed and landscaped in the 1990s.
Connections to other lines
- To the Edinburgh and Glasgow RailwayEdinburgh and Glasgow RailwayThe Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was a railway built to link Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Act of Parliament for building the railway received its Royal Assent in 1838 which was open on 28 July 1863. Services started between Glasgow Queen Street and Haymarket on 21 February 1842. The line was...
(1847 to 1868) at Canal Street (later Waverley), via a very tight 90° curve. - To the rest of the North BritishNorth British RailwayThe North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
network at Piershill and Abbeyhill (from 1868). - To the CaledonianCaledonian RailwayThe Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
network at Granton Square. This was one of only two connections between the rival networks in Edinburgh (the other being at HaymarketHaymarket railway stationFor the Tyne and Wear Metro see Haymarket Metro station.Haymarket railway station is in Haymarket, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is Edinburgh's second largest station after Waverley, a major commuter and long-distance destination, located quite centrally near the West End...
) until the Caledonian's 1 August 1903 opening of the Leith New Lines from Newhaven to the east end of Leith docks.
Current operations
A section of the 1868 connecting line, from PowderhallPowderhall
Powderhall is an area in the north of Edinburgh, the Scottish capital. It is mainly centred around Broughton Road. Until recently it was best known for its greyhound racing track, which has now closed. The site has been redeveloped for housing and business purposes...
to the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
, is still in use, and is used to carry waste from the waste management plant
Incineration
Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas, and...
at Powderhall to a landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
site in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
.
Sources
- W.A.C. Smith and Paul Anderson (March 1995). The Illustrated History of Edinburgh's Railways, Irwell Press, ISBN 1871608597