Beattock Station was opened in 1847 by the Caledonian Railway and became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway company in 1923.
It was a very important stop, particularly for steam trains travelling north, as it was here that an extra engine was attached to the northbound train to enable it to climb the gradient to Beattock Summit.
This meant that hundreds of staff were employed for the purpose, including drivers, firemen, guards, signalmen, inspectors and maintenance staff. As a result, the village of Beattock was built around the station to house employees.
Even in the mid-1960s, more than 150 railway staff still worked at Beattock.
Because of the significance of Beattock Summit, the main line route between London and Glasgow became known as ‘via Beattock’, a term which is still used by railway operators today to differentiate between the West Coast and East Coast routes.
A link line, opened in 1883, allowed passengers to alight at Beattock and join a train for the two-mile journey to Moffat. This service was closed to passengers in 1954 and to freight in 1964.
Beattock Station survived the Beeching closures of the early 1960s, but was closed in 1972 when the West Coast Main Line was electrified and modernised.