The Railways of Berwickshire

Railways transformed the world, supercharging the industrial revolution: an iron jetplane, internet and powergrid combined. Briton pioneered. Down here in Berwickshire the world’s first cross-border railway was built linking Edinburgh to Berwick-upon-Tweed; by the 1860s the eastern Borders boasted not only the East Coast Main Line and Waverley Route but trunks connecting them via Duns to the north plus Coldstream and Kelso to the south. Branches linked Jedburgh, Selkirk, Alnwick and Hexham while lines were later added reaching Lauder and Eyemouth.

This exhibition charts the rise and fall of railways in Berwickshire from initial development; through their Victorian heydays to the ‘Big Four’, nationalisation, and the eventual closure of every station between 1931 and 1969; finishing with contemporary hopes of revival. Included are a wide selection of rare photos, archive timetables, vintage posters, drawings, plus a huge tube-style wall map illustrating every line and station.

Railways rapidly became the primary means of transporting raw materials, manufactured goods, passengers and mail – transforming the economy and society, altering the landscape and inspiring new feats of engineering. From the glory of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ to the majesty of the Leaderfoot Viaduct – this is a celebration of rail.

Also included in the exhibition are features on who owned and who ran the railways; accidents and disasters; plus the Great Flood of 1948. “Did you know?” sections relate some quirkier aspects of local train heritage.

Staged as part of ‘Railway 200’ – 2025 sees the 200th anniversary of the world’s first modern railway: the Stockton & Darlington, opened 27th September 1825.

Stopping at Coldstream this summer, ‘the Railways of Berwickshire’ calls at Duns Library in the autumn