Morningside Road railway station
Encyclopedia
Morningside Road railway station is a former railway station in the Morningside
area of Edinburgh
, Scotland
. It was opened by the Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
(ESSJR) on 1 December 1884 as Morningside Station.
After the ESSJR was incorporated into the North British Railway
on 1 March 1885, the station was renamed Morningside Road in October 1886.
Morningside Road station closed in 1962, when passenger rail services were withdrawn from the Edinburgh Suburban line as part of the British Railways rationlisation programme known as the Beeching Axe
, although the line itself was retained for rail freight use. The route continues to be used for freight services to this day, and occasionally diverted passenger trains also pass through Morningside.
and was accessed via a gate on the west side of the road, opposite the Morningside Clock.
Today the station is derelict and the entrance to the station is now occupied by a branch of the Bank of Scotland
. The outer circle platform has been removed to allow Mk 3 coaching stock to operate on the line. ScotRail
retains an advertising hoarding
on the bridge next to the clock, where they display posters advertising passenger rail services. The iron footbridge from the former station still stands to this day, connecting Maxwell Street to Balcarres Street.
, the Capital Rail Action Group (CRAG), is running a campaign for the SSJR line to be re-opened to passenger services, and proposes that it should be operated either as a commuter rail service or as a light rail
system to form an extension of the forthcoming Edinburgh Tram Network. Following a petition submitted to the Scottish Parliament
in 2007, the proposal was rejected in 2009 by transport planners due to anticipated cost.
Morningside, Edinburgh
Morningside is a district in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is south of the areas of Bruntsfield, Burghmuirhead ; south-west of Marchmont, and south-east of Merchiston...
area of 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...
, 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 was opened by the Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
The Edinburgh Suburban and South Side Junction Railway is a freight and former commuter railway which runs in a loop across the southern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It opened in 1884 for both freight and passenger services...
(ESSJR) on 1 December 1884 as Morningside Station.
After the ESSJR was incorporated into 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:...
on 1 March 1885, the station was renamed Morningside Road in October 1886.
Morningside Road station closed in 1962, when passenger rail services were withdrawn from the Edinburgh Suburban line as part of the British Railways rationlisation programme known as the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, although the line itself was retained for rail freight use. The route continues to be used for freight services to this day, and occasionally diverted passenger trains also pass through Morningside.
Location
The station was located by Morningside Road, where the road bridge crosses the suburban line,and was accessed via a gate on the west side of the road, opposite the Morningside Clock.
Today the station is derelict and the entrance to the station is now occupied by a branch of the Bank of Scotland
Bank of Scotland
The Bank of Scotland plc is a commercial and clearing bank based in Edinburgh, Scotland. With a history dating to the 17th century, it is the second oldest surviving bank in what is now the United Kingdom, and is the only commercial institution created by the Parliament of Scotland to...
. The outer circle platform has been removed to allow Mk 3 coaching stock to operate on the line. ScotRail
ScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
retains an advertising hoarding
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
on the bridge next to the clock, where they display posters advertising passenger rail services. The iron footbridge from the former station still stands to this day, connecting Maxwell Street to Balcarres Street.
Future
A local advocacy groupAdvocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
, the Capital Rail Action Group (CRAG), is running a campaign for the SSJR line to be re-opened to passenger services, and proposes that it should be operated either as a commuter rail service or as a light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system to form an extension of the forthcoming Edinburgh Tram Network. Following a petition submitted to the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
in 2007, the proposal was rejected in 2009 by transport planners due to anticipated cost.