Reston railway station

Reston
Station site, 1997
Location	Reston, Scottish Borders Scotland
Coordinates	55°51′02″N 2°11′50″W / 55.8506°N 2.1972°W / 55.8506; -2.1972Coordinates: 55°51′02″N 2°11′50″W / 55.8506°N 2.1972°W / 55.8506; -2.1972
Grid reference	NT877619
Platforms	3
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	North British Railway
Pre-grouping	North British Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
22 June 1846 (1846-06-22)	Station opened
13 August 1849	Duns branch opened
10 September 1951	Duns branch closed
4 May 1964 (1964-05-04)	Station closed

Reston railway station served the village of Reston in Scotland between 1846 and 1964. It was on the main line of the North British Railway and for most of its life was the junction for the branch to Duns. The line passing through the station site remained open and now constitutes part of the East Coast Main Line; construction of a new Reston station close to the site of the original began March 2021.

History[]

The main line of the North British Railway, between Edinburgh (North Bridge) and Berwick-upon-Tweed, was authorised either on 4 July 1844^[1] or on 19 July 1844,^[2] and opened to the public on 22 June 1846.^[3][1][4] One of the original stations was Reston, which was flanked by Grantshouse towards Edinburgh and Ayton towards Berwick.^[5] The initial service was of five trains each way on weekdays, and two on Sundays.^[3]

The station became a junction with the opening of the branch to Duns on 13 August 1849;^[6][7] this line was later extended by the Berwickshire Railway, reaching Earlston on 16 November 1863 and St. Boswells on 2 October 1865.^[8][9] The main line ran roughly east–west through Reston, but turned to the south-east in the eastbound direction. The line to Duns and St. Boswells began at a junction facing Berwick-upon-Tweed and ran southwards towards the first station at Chirnside.^[10]

Facilities[]

In 1904 the station (then listed as Reston for Coldingham and St. Abbs) was able to handle all classes of traffic (goods, passengers, parcels, wheeled vehicles, livestock, etc.) and there was a goods crane capable of lifting 1.5 long tons (1,524 kg).^[11] Between Reston and Chirnside (on the Duns line) there were sidings known as Auchencrow Siding (just south of the road overbridge at grid reference

NT860599) and Billiemains Sidings (just north of the road underbridge at

 WikiMiniAtlas

NT858593), each on the western side of the line and able to handle goods only.^[12][13]

Maps of the period show that Reston station had platforms on both sides of the double-track main line which were linked by a footbridge; the station building was on the northern (eastbound) platform; the platform for the single-track Duns line was on the north side of that line; the goods yard with its crane was on the north side of the main line on the western side of the station; and that the junction was to the east of the station. The maps also show sidings close to the junction, a weighing machine in the goods yard, a turntable in the angle between the two routes, a signal box near the junction and several signals.^[13]

Decline and closure[]

The St. Boswells line was cut back to Duns following flood damage on 12 August 1948.^[9] The Duns branch closed to passengers on 10 September 1951,^[7][14] and to freight on 16 July 1965.^[15] Reston and Grantshouse stations were listed for closure in the first Beeching report,^[16] and duly closed on 4 May 1964;^[17] Ayton had closed on 5 February 1962.^[18]

The remaining infrastructure at Reston consists of two engineer's sidings, one on each side, and two crossovers 47 miles 14 chains (75.9 km) from Edinburgh Waverley.^[19]

The future[]

Proposals to reopen the station have received the backing of John Lamont MSP, who has taken the case to the Scottish Parliament.^[20] A study published in 2013 proposed that East Linton and Reston stations be reopened.^[21]

In 2019, Transport Scotland confirmed that the station would be operational by 2024.^[22] The outline plans for the new station include 260-metre (853 ft) platforms either side of the Berwick-to-Edinburgh line, long enough to accommodate a 10-carriage train, as well as an accessible footbridge, shelters and a 70-space car park with provision for expansion in the future.^[23][24] In December 2020, a planning application for a new station was submitted.^[25] The application was approved in February 2021 and construction began in March 2021.^[26]

In September 2021, the line was closed for a weekend, allowing the footbridge for the station to be moved into position over the railway.^[27]

Proposed services[]

In 2021, a consultation by CrossCountry has stated that either TransPennine Express services between Newcastle and Edinburgh could call at the station or ScotRail services between Edinburgh and Dunbar could call but it is likely that CrossCountry services will call up to 5 times a day heading towards Edinburgh Northbound and Plymouth (via Newcastle, York, Leeds, Wakefield and Sheffield).

The consultation states however that if CrossCountry services call at Reston they will not call at Dunbar. Beyond 2023, it had been suggested a shuttle run between Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh calling at Dunbar and Reston along the way every two hours.^[28] In September 2021, TransPennine Express announced that they would be introducing a five return trains per weekday semi-fast service between Newcastle and Edinburgh from December 2021, which will call at Reston.^[29]

Notes[]

References[]

• Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing. CN 8983.
• Beeching, Richard (27 March 1963). The Reshaping of British Railways, part 1: Report (Report). London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
• Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
• Conolly, W. Philip (January 1976). British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer (5th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0320-3. EX/0176.
• "East coast rail study submitted to transport minister". BBC News. BBC. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
• Ellis, Cuthbert Hamilton (September 1959) [1955]. The North British Railway (2nd ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. 813/284/15 959.
• Yonge, John (December 2007) [1987]. Jacobs, Gerald (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (5th ed.). Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-3-6.
• "Reston station case taken to Scottish Parliament". BBC News South Scotland. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
• "The Berwickshire Railway". Dunse History Society.
• Berwickshire (Map). 1:2500. Ordnance Survey. 1908.
• "Chronology for Berwickshire Railway". Railscot.
• The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 1970 [1904]. ISBN 0-7153-5120-6.
• "Eastern fury at Abellio's delay for rail timetable". Southern Reporter. Selkirk: Johnston Publishing Ltd. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2016.

External links[]

• Reston Station on navigable 1947 O.S. map
• Photographs of Reston at Railscot

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Ayton Line open, station closed		North British Railway NBR Main Line		Grantshouse Line open, station closed
	Disused railways
Terminus		North British Railway Berwickshire Railway		Chirnside Line and station closed