Northumbrian Gunner: Edinburgh - North British Railway War Memorial

The North British Railway (NBR) was incorporated in 1844 to build a railway between Edinburgh and Berwick. The line was opened in June 1846. In 1850, the Royal Border Bridge across the River Tweed was opened creating a continuous route from London to Edinburgh, the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

Royal Border Bridge 1850

The North British Railway expanded through acquisition and amalgamations to become the largest railway in Scotland by the mid 1860's. The NBR developed main line routes to Carlisle, Glasgow, Perth, Stirling, Fort William and Mallaig.

North British Railway Express Train

It created suburban services around Edinburgh and Glasgow, and branch lines in central Scotland, Fife, the Borders and Northumberland.

North British Railway Train

Lines serviced the coalfields of Lanarkshire, Lothian, and Fife, iron and steel industries in central Scotland, as well as fishing ports along the east and west coasts, giving the NBR extensive goods operations.

North British Railway Goods Train

On the eve of World War One the North British Railway ran along the North Sea from Berwick to Aberdeen; with its trunk lines radiating from Edinburgh to Carlisle, Perth, Stirling, Glasgow, Fort Wilham and Mallaig. Through its association with the Highland Railway at Perth, its partnership with the Great Northern and the North-Eastern in the East Coast Route between London and Scotland, and its co-operation with the Midland in respect to the Waverley Route, via Carlisle, Galashiels and Edinburgh, the NBR was an important link in the British rail network.

North British Hotel and Waverley Station Edinburgh

Northern Express crosses Forth Rail Bridge

The North British Railway's network assumed prominence during the war as a major line of communication. It transported troops to defensive positions along the Scottish East Coast. It linked military depots and training centres. Naval traffic serviced the naval base at Rosyth and passed along the NBR routes north to Inverness and Thurso for Scapa Flow.

Forth Bridge 1914

The threat of invasion on the East Coast of Scotland and the importance of the railways of the North British led to the stationing of one of two armoured trains in the Britain being stationed in Edinburgh. The trains could speed to an invasion site and deploy infantry supported with artillery from two-gun carriages at either end of the train, to slow down the invaders until further support arrived.

Armoured Train

On the outbreak of the First World War the North British Railway employed 24,625 people, of which 4,836 would join the Armed Forces.

The North British Railway War Memorial in Edinburgh Waverley Station records the names of 775 railway workers who lost their lives during the Great War. The memorial panels record their occupations on the railway.

The memorial was unveiled on the 12th March 1922 by the Duke of Buccleuch.

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