The West Coast Main Line and the line from Kilmarnock south to Gretna
were both built to ensure that passenger services from Scotland would
connect to towns and cities in England and, more importantly, that it
would open up markets for both manufactured goods and mineral traffic,
principally coal, which at that time was required in vast quantities for
both industrial and domestic use. The line south from Glasgow to
Stranraer was to provide a connection with the ferries for both goods
and passengers to and from Ireland. Lines to multiple destinations on
the Clyde Coast connected with ferries to various islands for an
ever-increasing volume of commuter traffic. The various changes to
motive power, liveries and services over the last 30 years are reflected
in the illustrations, which also record the demise of the once huge
volume of coal traffic. South of Edinburgh, there is a look at the
Borders Railway, which, when it was opened in 2015, was the longest line
to be reopened within the UK. With over 170 color photographs, this book
takes the reader on a journey throughout the south and west of Scotland.
