Southwick (Dumfries & Galloway) Railway Station

The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a railway in south west Scotland which linked Castle Douglas to Dumfries. It opened in 1859. Other companies' lines extended westwards and southwards, and the CD& D line formed a key link in opening up the agricultural area of south-west Scotland. When Stranraer and Portpatrick were reached by the contiguous lines, the CD& D line was the eastern section of the Port Road, which provided an important route from English originating points to the north of Ireland by ferry between Portpatrick and Donaghadee. Much later the ferry route was from Stranraer to Larne. The CD& DR was absorbed by the larger Glasgow and South Western Railway in 1865. The line closed in 1965 except for a stub from Dumfries to Maxwelltown Oil Terminal, which continued until 1994, although it was dormant in the latter years. Nothing now remains of the rail activity on the line. HistoryAuthorisation and constructionIn the middle of the nineteenth century the counties of Galloway, Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire were devoted to agriculture, but lacked efficient land communications links with the rest of the United Kingdom. Mail from the northern part of England, and Scotland, to Ireland passed this way through the ports of Portpatrick and Donaghadee, but the poor roads made the passage difficult.

The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a railway in south west Scotland which linked Castle Douglas to Dumfries. It opened in 1859. Other companies' lines extended westwards and southwards, and the CD& D line formed a key link in opening up the agricultural area of south-west Scotland. When Stranraer and Portpatrick were reached by the contiguous lines, the CD& D line was the eastern section of the Port Road, which provided an important route from English originating points to the north of Ireland by ferry between Portpatrick and Donaghadee. Much later the ferry route was from Stranraer to Larne. The CD& DR was absorbed by the larger Glasgow and South Western Railway in 1865. The line closed in 1965 except for a stub from Dumfries to Maxwelltown Oil Terminal, which continued until 1994, although it was dormant in the latter years. Nothing now remains of the rail activity on the line. HistoryAuthorisation and constructionIn the middle of the nineteenth century the counties of Galloway, Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire were devoted to agriculture, but lacked efficient land communications links with the rest of the United Kingdom. Mail from the northern part of England, and Scotland, to Ireland passed this way through the ports of Portpatrick and Donaghadee, but the poor roads made the passage difficult.