page_title: Caledonian Railway lines to Edinburgh
section_title: First main line to Edinburgh
hierarchical_section_title: Caledonian Railway lines to Edinburgh / History / First main line to Edinburgh
caption_attribution_description: English: Diagram of the Caledonian Railway main line in 1849
context_page_description: The Caledonian Railway lines to Edinburgh started with the main line that reached Edinburgh in 1848 as part of its route connecting the city with Glasgow and Carlisle. The potential of the docks at Granton and Leith led to branch line extensions, and residential development encouraged branch lines in what became the suburbs of Edinburgh. In 1869 a line was opened from Carfin through Shotts giving the Caledonian a shorter route between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
  In the twentieth century the industrial decline of the areas served resulted in closures. However the main line from Carstairs and the Glasgow route through Shotts have increased their passenger services considerably, and some reopenings of stations have taken place.
context_section_description: The Caledonian Railway entered Edinburgh on 15 February 1848 when it opened its Edinburgh line from Carstairs to a terminus at Lothian Road. A locomotive depot was established at Dalry Road. This completed the first continuous railway line between Edinburgh and England; trains from Edinburgh combined with trains from Glasgow at Carstairs, and ran to London in combination. The rival North British Railway had already opened southwards from Edinburgh but for the time being passengers had to change at Berwick-upon-Tweed to cross the River Tweed on foot. The Caledonian Railway also ran trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow, competing with the more direct Edinburgh and  Glasgow Railway, and a period of ruinous competition began.
caption: The first Caledonian Railway main line