title: Border Union Railway
text: # Border Union Railway
  
  The Border Union Railway was a railway line which connected places in the south of Scotland and Cumberland in England. It was authorised on 21 July 1859 and advertised as the Waverley Route by the promoters - the North British Railway. It connected the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway at Hawick with Carlisle.
  
  ## History
  
  The first section of the route was opened between Carlisle and Scotch Dyke on 12 October 1861, to Newcastleton on 1 March 1862, Riccarton Junction on 2 June 1862 and throughout on 24 June 1862. The railway was built as a double-track main line throughout.
  
  ## Connections to other lines
  
  * Edinburgh and Hawick Railway at Hawick
  * Border Counties Railway at Riccarton Junction
  * Caledonian Railway Main Line at Gretna
  * Maryport and Carlisle Railway, Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, Midland Railway Settle and Carlisle Line and Lancaster and Carlisle Railway at Carlisle Citadel
  
  ## Current operations
  
  The line was closed to all traffic by British Railways on 5 January 1969. The line was dismantled in 1971.
  
  The Waverley Route Heritage Association have preserved a part of the former route at Whitrope and are working on reopening the section from its base at Whitrope itself down into Riccarton Junction as a heritage railway.
  
  