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.[1] It connected the Edinburgh and Hawick Railway at Hawick with Carlisle.
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.[1] The railway was built as a double-track main line throughout.
The line was closed to all traffic by British Railways on 5 January 1969. The line was dismantled in 1971.[1]
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.[2]