This is about the historical Scottish railway company; for the modern preserved line see Caledonian Railway (Brechin).
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottishrailway company operating in Scotland. 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. Due to legal complications this did not take place on 1 January1923 when the majority of the amalgamations took place, but was delayed until 1 July1923 (along with the North Staffordshire Railway).
The company was well supported by Glasgow and Edinburgh shareholders, however more than half of its shares were held in England.[1] It was an integrated railway company, in that it built and owned both the railway lines and the trains. It had a locomotive works, St. Rollox railway works, in Springburn, Glasgow, which became part of British Rail and is currently still in use, as a railway maintenance depot.
The company was formed in the 1830s to link local railways around Glasgow and Edinburgh to the railway network in England, at Carlisle. It sought to open the only cross-border main line (it was thought that only one main line was needed). Its empire was then extended to cover the triangle: Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh; and later reached out to serve Oban, Ballachulish, Dundee, Perth and Aberdeen.
The earliest railways in Scotland and England were unconnected. Before the Caledonian railway, the quickest journey between Glasgow and London would have been Glasgow to Liverpool by sea and then Liverpool to London by train. However, from March 1841 it was possible to catch the train between Glasgow and Greenock, then travel between Greenock and Liverpool by sea; and then to London by train (see below).[3]
This route was opened up as a railway line, the Caledonian Railway. The Caledonian wished to ensure that it was the only railway line built between Carlisle and Scotland, but they did not succeed in this. Two other lines were opened from Carlisle: these rival lines were the Glasgow and South Western Railway to Glasgow and the Waverley Line to Edinburgh.
After the Caledonian main line opened in 1849 it was possible to travel between London and Glasgow, by express train, without needing to change trains. It cut the total journey time to 12.5 hours.[4]
A branch, the Moffat Railway, just over one mile (1.6 km) and 5 furlongs long, ran between Beattock and Moffat.[8] It was opened on 2 April1883 and was taken over by the Caledonian, by Act of Parliament, on 11 November1889.[8]
Branches in Peebles and South Lanarkshire
The Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway led from the main line at Symington to Broughton. The Caledonian acquired it in 1861 and the line was extended to a new station at Peebles West, the extension opening in 1864.[9] They ran the "Tinto Express" in competition with the North British Railway's "Peebles-shire Express".
There were several Caledonian Railway branches that had an end-on-junction with branches of the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR).
These included:
a branch from Lanark to Douglas, Douglas West, Inches and Glenbuck railway stations; with an end-on-junction to Muirkirk railway station, on the G&SWR's branch from Cronberry.
a branch from Stonehouse railway station to Strathaven Central, Douglas, Ryeland and Drumclog railway stations; with an end-on-junction to Loudonhill railway station, on the G&SWR's Darvel Branch.
River Clyde and Clyde Coast branches
South side
On 9 July1847, the Caledonian amalgamated with the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (GP&G), which allowed it to gain access to coastal shipping services at Greenock and to enter into direct competition against the G&SWR's shipping services. The section between Glasgow and Paisley, the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, which opened in 1841, was jointly owned with the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&A) (later to become part of the G&SWR). Both the GP&G's and the GPK&A's Glasgow terminus was Bridge Street railway station, adjacent to the River Clyde; and this remained so for another 60 years due to difficulties in obtaining agreement from the Admiralty to build bridges over the Clyde.
In 1873 the Caledonian Railway finally obtained an Act to build a railway bridge across the Clyde, and initially planned to widen Glasgow Bridge and use part of this; however, their plans were changed in 1875, when a new Act was obtained to build a separate railway bridge. A four track railway bridge was built by Sir William Arrol across the Clyde. By 1879, construction work had been completed on Glasgow Central station and Bridge Street station was also rebuilt. The Caledonian Railway mainline services to London were transferred from Buchanan Street railway station to Central Station. Bridge Street station however remained the terminus of the Caledonian Railways Clyde Coast services until Central Station was rebuilt 1901 - 1905. It then closed.
In 1862 the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway was authorised. It opened on 13 May1865 and in August 1893 it amalgamated with the Caledonian Railway, having been operated by the Caledonian Railway since its opening.[10]
The opening of the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway by the G&SWR in 1869, against the opposition of the Caledonian Railway, led to a price cutting war between the Caledonian Railway and the G&SWR.[10]
North side
The Glasgow Central Railway was a six mile (10 km) underground railway passing through Glasgow from east to west.[3]
In addition to the early lines, such as the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway and the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway which opened in the early 1840s, both Glasgow and Paisley saw a huge railway expansion which continued into the early 1900s. Many of these lines were built as part of the rivalry between the Caledonian Railway and the Glasgow and South Western Railway to gain passengers and goods at the other's expense.
The Callander and Oban Railway was an independent railway company but it was supported by the Caledonian Railway.[13] The Caledonian railway company ran the train services, but the line remained independent until it was taken over by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at Grouping.[13] An extension from Connel Ferry to Ballachulish was authorised on 1 August1896 and opened on 24 August1903.[13]
Heap, Christine and Riemsdijk, John van, (1985). The Pre-Grouping Railways: Their development, and individual characters, Part 3, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 0-11-290432-7.
Nock, O.S. and Cross, Derek, (1960). Main Lines Across the Border. Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. (Revised in 1982, ISBN 0-7110-1118-4).
Rolt, L.T.C., (1966). Red for Danger: The Classic History of British Railway Disasters, (Extended Edition). Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd.
Robertson, C.J.A., (1983). The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722 - 1844. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers. ISBN 0-85976-088-X.
Thomas, John (1971). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Volume 6, Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5408-6.
