Hailes Halt railway station explained

Hailes Halt
Status:Disused
Borough:Edinburgh
Country:Scotland
Grid Name:Grid reference
Coordinates:55.913°N -3.262°W
Platforms:1
Pregroup:Caledonian Railway
Postgroup:London Midland and Scottish Railway
Years1:16 November 1908
Events1:Station opens as Hailes Platform
Years2:26 September 1927
Events2:Renamed Hailes Halt and became public station[1]
Years3:1 November 1943 (Last train)
Events3:Station closes (LMS Last train)
Years4:1 June 1949
Events4:Station closes (BR Officially)
Years5:1967
Events5:Line closed to freight

Hailes Halt railway station was opened in 1908 as Hailes Platform railway station and was unadvertised private use for golfers. It became a public station in 1927 serving the area of Hailes that now forms part of the city of Edinburgh with Hailes House nearby.

History

Opened by the Caledonian Railway, it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923, and the LMS ran the last train to serve the station in 1943. The line passed to the Scottish Region of British Railways upon nationalisation in 1948 who then officially closed Hailes Halt in 1949. Until 1927 the station had a private or restricted use status. It stood close to the clubhouse of the Kingsknowe Golf Club with a public path running down to the halt that remains to this day.[2]

Infrastructure

The station had a single platform and was located on the northern side of the single track line. The Water of Leith lies to the south of the site of the old station. After the line closed to freight in 1967 the track was lifted in 1968.

The site today

The halt would have had little substantial infrastructure and is now part of a cyclepath that follows much of the route of the Balerno Loop.

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Railway Passenger Stations by M.Quick page 211
  2. Web site: Firth of Forth - Great Britain, Sheet 46, 1943. National Library of Scotland.