Gifford and Garvald Railway

The Gifford and Garvald Railway was a 9.25-mile-long (14.89 km) single-track branch railway line in East Lothian, Scotland, that ran from a junction west of Ormiston on the Macmerry Branch to Gifford via three intermediate stations, Pencaitland, Saltoun, and Humbie.

Gifford and Garvald Railway
Overview
LocaleScotland
SuccessorNorth British Railway
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Length9+14 mi (14.9 km)
Macmerry and
Gifford Lines
Garvald
(
authorised
extension
)
Gifford
Humbie
Saltoun
Pencaitland
Macmerry
Winton
Ormiston
Crossgatehall Halt
Inveresk
Smeaton
 

History

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Gifford and Garvald Railway Act 1891
Act of Parliament
 
Long titleAn Act to incorporate the Gifford and Garvald Railway Company and to empower them to construct a Railway in the County of Haddington and for other purposes.
Citation54 & 55 Vict. c. lxxxv
Dates
Royal assent3 July 1891
Text of statute as originally enacted

The line was proposed in November 1890 and the company was authorised by the Gifford and Garvald Railway Act 1891 (54 & 55 Vict. c. lxxxv) on 3 July 1891 to construct a line of 12 miles and 200 yards. Only 9.25 miles of line was completed and opened on 14 October 1901.[1] Run by the North British Railway from opening the line remained independent until 1923 when it became part of London and North Eastern Railway. At Pencaitland, the line served the Glenkinchie distillery, and continued onward to Gifford where it terminated next to what is now the Gifford Community Woodland. The extension of the line to Garvald was never completed.

The line closed to passengers on 3 April 1933 when the Macmerry Branch withdrew its services. After a bridge collapse in August 1948 the section from Gifford to Humbie closed but the remaining line stayed open. On 2 May 1960 the line past Humbie closed to freight and the remaining line on 25 April 1965.

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "The route of the Gifford & Garvald Railway 1890". Gifford Online. Retrieved 27 January 2012.

See also

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The Smeaton railway branches of the Lothians

Bibliography

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