Galashiels railway station

Summary

Galashiels is a railway station on the Borders Railway, which runs between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank. The station, situated 33 miles 22 chains (54 km) south-east of Edinburgh Waverley, serves the town of Galashiels in Scottish Borders, Scotland. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by ScotRail.

Galashiels
National Rail
General information
LocationGalashiels, Scottish Borders
Scotland
Coordinates55°37′04″N 2°48′20″W / 55.6178113°N 2.8054719°W / 55.6178113; -2.8054719
Grid referenceNT493361
Owned byNetwork Rail
Managed byScotRail
Platforms1
Tracks1
Other information
Station codeGAL
History
Original companyEdinburgh and Hawick Railway
Pre-groupingNorth British Railway
Post-grouping
Key dates
20 February 1849Opened
5 January 1969Closed
6 September 2015Reopened at a different site
Passengers
2018/19Increase 0.360 million
2019/20Decrease 0.328 million
2020/21Decrease 37,486
2021/22Increase 0.187 million
2022/23Increase 0.269 million
Location
Galashiels is located in Scottish Borders
Galashiels
Galashiels
Location in Scottish Borders, Scotland
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History edit

The station was opened on 20 February 1849 by the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway,[1] which later became known as the Waverley Route. The line was nicknamed after the popular Waverley Novels, written by Sir Walter Scott.[2][3][4]

Upon completion on 1 July 1862, the line ran from Carlisle to Edinburgh Waverley via Hawick, covering a distance of 98+14 miles (158 km). The station, along with the line, was closed by British Rail on 5 January 1969.[1]

 
A train at the station

Following the opening of the Borders Railway on 6 September 2015, the line was extended 30 miles 60 chains (49 km) south-east from Newcraighall to Tweedbank. The current station is located slightly to the north of the original.[5]

Services edit

Borders Railway
(including Edinburgh Crossrail)
 
 
 
 
 
Edinburgh Park  
 
 
South Gyle
 
 
 
Haymarket
 
Edinburgh Waverley  
 
Brunstane
 
Newcraighall
 
Shawfair
 
Eskbank
 
Newtongrange
 
Gorebridge
 
Stow
 
Galashiels
 
Tweedbank

As of the May 2021 timetable change, the station is served by an hourly service between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank, with a half-hourly service operating at peak times (Monday to Saturday). Some peak time trains continue to Glenrothes with Thornton. All services are operated by ScotRail.[6]

Rolling stock used: Class 158 Express Sprinter and Class 170 Turbostar

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Stow   ScotRail
Borders Railway
  Tweedbank
  Historical railways  
Bowland   North British Railway
Waverley Route
  Melrose
Disused railways
Clovenfords   North British Railway
Peebles Railway
  Terminus
Terminus   North British Railway
Selkirk and Galashiels Railway
  Abbotsford Ferry










References edit

  1. ^ a b Quick 2022, p. 201.
  2. ^ Caplan (1985), p. 5.
  3. ^ Thomas (1969), p. 96.
  4. ^ Thomas (1981), p. 60.
  5. ^ "Borders to Edinburgh railway opens as longest line in UK in a century". BBC News. 6 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Train times: Edinburgh – Newcraighall – Tweedbank / Dùn Èideann – Talla na Creige Nuadh – Bruach Thuaidh" (PDF). ScotRail. 16 May 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.

Sources edit

  • Caplan, Neil (1985). The Waverley Route. Railway World Special. Weybridge: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1541-4.
  • Quick, Michael (2022) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.04. Railway & Canal Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2022.
  • Thomas, John (1969). The North British Railway. Vol. 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4697-0.
  • Thomas, John (1981) [1976]. Scotland. Forgotten Railways. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8193-8.

External links edit

  •   Media related to Galashiels railway station at Wikimedia Commons
  • Train times and station information for Galashiels railway station from National Rail