Cairn Valley Railway
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The Cairn Valley Light Railway was a rural railway line built to connect Moniaive and other communities in the Cairn Valley with the main railway network at Dumfries. It opened in 1905 but usage was disappointing, and declined further when bus companies started competing. It was closed to passengers in 1943, and completely closed in 1949.
The Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) fully opened its main line between Glasgow and Carlisle via Dumfries in 1850, revolutionising transport facilities at the places served. Communities that were by-passed began to feel disadvantages of not having a railway connection.
As early as 1865 a branch railway to Moniaive was proposed: the G&SWR paid two-thirds of the cost of a survey. In 1867 a determined effort was made to start construction. The cost of a line connecting Moniaive to the G&SWR was estimated at £66,000, but local promoters only managed to get commitment to £20,150 in subscriptions. They approached the G&SWR with a request to subscribe the difference, but the G&SWR took the view that any advantages would come to the inhabitants themselves, and it was for them to put up the money. The scheme came to nothing. A further scheme was proposed in 1872, the Glencairn Railway from Auldgirth to Moniaive; this scheme obtained Parliamentary authorisation, but was unable to raise the needed capital. Another unsuccessful proposal followed in 1879.
In 1896 two proposed lines were put forward; they planned different routes. One would strike east following the valley of the Shinnel Water to connect with the G&SWR main line at Thornhill; this was the shortest path to the main line, but would involve challenging gradients. The second proposed to descend south-south-east with the Cairn Water and the Cluden Water to join the G&SWR a short distance north of Dumfries, near Holywood. While also having significant gradients this route would be more moderate, and involved easier civil engineering, and had the advantage of reaching close to the County Burgh.
This time the G&SWR was persuaded of the advantage of having the railway constructed, and it adopted the Holywood scheme. The GS&WR Act of 6 August 1897 authorised the construction (along with several other G&SWR proposals): the line was named the Cairn Valley Railway, and its estimated cost was £165,840.
The Light Railways Act of 1896 had been enacted in order to permit the construction of local railways with some of the requirements for main line routes somewhat relaxed, to allow cheaper construction, and the G&SWR belatedly considered that the Cairn Valley line was well suited to the arrangement. Some changes to the route were suggested by them at this stage, but they were advised that the Act authorising the line could not be varied without a further Act of Parliament. Inaction followed until the Board resolved to apply for a Light Railway Order (LRO) for the originally determined route, on 4 October 1898; the budget was reduced to £123,857. The official process of approving the LRO was not swift, and it was finally ratified on 29 December 1899.
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Wikipedia