Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway

Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
Overview
StatusOpen
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleEdinburgh, Scotland, UK
TerminiEdinburgh Waverley (loop)
Service
SystemNational Rail
History
Opened31 October 1884 (1884-10-31)
Closed10 September 1962 (1962-09-10)
(to local passenger services)
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)

The Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway was a railway company that built an east-west railway (known as the Edinburgh Suburban Line or more familiarly the Sub) on the southern margin of Edinburgh, Scotland, primarily to facilitate the operation of heavy goods and mineral traffic across the city. The line opened in 1884. Although its route was rural at the time, suburban development quickly caught up and passenger carryings on the line were buoyant; the passenger service operated on a circular basis through Edinburgh Waverley railway station.

Bus and tram competition hit the passenger service badly as the twentieth century progressed, and in 1962 the line closed to local passenger trains. It continues in use for freight traffic and diverted and excursion passenger trains.

There have frequently been proposals to reintroduce the local passenger service on the line, but as of 2024 there is no active commitment to do so.


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