Glasgow & South Western

Carlisle to Glasgow

First opened by the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway in 1848, the line runs for 115 miles from the border town of Carlisle to Glasgow Central via the major towns of Dumfries and Kilmarnock in South West Scotland.

We travel in the cab of a class 156 DMU on one of the two-hourly services that run the full distance. Known as the Nithsdale route, the line is double track most of the way but with a couple of single line sections.

Much of the line is still under the control of mechanical signal boxes operating semaphore signals. This is a scenic route with a stark contrast between the tiny rural populations and those of the Glasgow conurbation.

The history of the route and its piecemeal origins is truly fascinating.