Gretna Green railway station
Encyclopedia
Gretna Green railway station serves the village of Gretna Green
and the town of Gretna
in Dumfries and Galloway
, Scotland
. It is located on the Glasgow South Western Line
and is managed by First ScotRail
who provide all passenger train services.
on 23 August 1848 as Gretna. The Glasgow and South Western Railway
renamed the station as Gretna Green in April 1852.
On 6 December 1965 the station was closed. Following closure, the station building was sold. In 1975 the site of the station became the eastern end of the single line section to Annan
, as part of the route rationalisation carried out by British Rail following the electrification of the West Coast Main Line
.
The station re-opened in September 1993 with just one platform, on the north side of the line to the west of the previous station, coinciding with the west end of the points
marking the end of the single track section from Annan.
The second platform came into use when the line to Annan was restored to double track
in August 2008.
The Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway station was one of three serving Gretna, the others being:
(with some longer gaps) and every two hours through to Kilmarnock
and Glasgow. There are also a small number of through trains to Newcastle.
On Sundays there are five departures for Carlisle and four for Dumfries, two of which run through to Glasgow.
Gretna Green
Gretna Green is a village in the south of Scotland famous for runaway weddings. It is in Dumfries and Galloway, near the mouth of the River Esk and was historically the first village in Scotland, following the old coaching route from London to Edinburgh. Gretna Green has a railway station serving...
and the town of Gretna
Gretna
-Places:In Scotland:*Gretna, Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway*Gretna GreenIn Canada:*Gretna, ManitobaIn the United States:*Gretna, Florida*Gretna, Louisiana*Gretna, Nebraska*Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania*Mount Gretna Heights, Pennsylvania...
in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is located on the Glasgow South Western Line
Glasgow South Western Line
The Glasgow South Western Line is a mainline railway in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, and then either via Dumfries, or Stranraer via Ayr, with a branch to East Kilbride.- History :...
and is managed by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
who provide all passenger train services.
History
The station was opened by the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle RailwayGlasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway
The Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway was a company in Scotland, which built and ran what is now known as the Glasgow South Western Line. The line was authorised on 13 August 1846 and was constructed between 1846 and 1850...
on 23 August 1848 as Gretna. The Glasgow and South Western Railway
Glasgow and South Western Railway
The Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
renamed the station as Gretna Green in April 1852.
On 6 December 1965 the station was closed. Following closure, the station building was sold. In 1975 the site of the station became the eastern end of the single line section to Annan
Annan railway station
Annan railway station serves the town of Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the Glasgow South Western Line 28 km north west of Carlisle and is managed by First ScotRail who provide all passenger train services....
, as part of the route rationalisation carried out by British Rail following the electrification of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
.
The station re-opened in September 1993 with just one platform, on the north side of the line to the west of the previous station, coinciding with the west end of the points
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
marking the end of the single track section from Annan.
The second platform came into use when the line to Annan was restored to double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
in August 2008.
The Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway station was one of three serving Gretna, the others being:
- GretnaGretna (Caledonian) railway stationGretna railway station was a railway station close to Gretna Green in Scotland. The Caledonian Railway, however, built the station just south of Gretna Junction and the England/Scotland border, in Cumbria.- History :The station opened on 9 September 1847...
built by the Caledonian RailwayCaledonian 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...
in 1847, closing in 1951. - GretnaGretna (Border Union) railway stationGretna railway station was a railway station close to Gretna Green in Scotland although the station was on the English side of the border. However the Border Union Railway built the station adjacent to the Caledonian Railway's Gretna station south on Gretna Junction and in the England/Scotland...
built by Border Union RailwayBorder Union RailwayThe Border Union Railway was a railway line in south of Scotland. It was authorised on 21 July 1859 and advertised as the Waverley Route by the promoters - the North British Railway...
in 1861, closing in 1915.
Services
The station has the same service level as neighbouring Annan, namely one train per hour to Carlisle and DumfriesDumfries railway station
Dumfries railway station serves the town of Dumfries in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the Glasgow South Western Line and is managed by First ScotRail who provide all passenger train services...
(with some longer gaps) and every two hours through to Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock railway station
Kilmarnock railway station is a railway station in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is served by trains on the Glasgow South Western Line.- History :...
and Glasgow. There are also a small number of through trains to Newcastle.
On Sundays there are five departures for Carlisle and four for Dumfries, two of which run through to Glasgow.