| Solway Junction Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Solway Viaduct - Solway Junction Railway | |||
| Overview | |||
| Locale | Scotland | ||
| Continues as | Caledonian Railway | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 13 September 1869 | ||
| Closed | 27 April 1931 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | ||
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The Solway Junction Railway was built by an independent railway company to shorten the route from ironstone mines in Cumberland to ironworks in Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.
It opened in 1869, and it involved a viaduct 1 mile 8 chains (1.8 km) long crossing the Solway Firth, as well as approach lines connecting existing railways on both sides.
The viaduct was susceptible to damage from floating ice sheets, and the rising cost of repairs and maintenance, and falling traffic volumes as the Cumberland fields became uncompetitive, led to closure of the viaduct in 1921. The viaduct and the connecting railways were dismantled, and now only the shore embankments remain.