This line is closed. It was a short (just over 6 miles long) single track line running mostly north from Brechin to Edzell with an intermediary station at Stracathro. The line had opened in 1896 during the Caledonian Railway's great expansion and improvement of lines in Strathmore. It closed to passengers in 1931 and re-opened experimentally in 1938 but closed again the same year. Closure to freight was much later, 1964.
The journey time between Brechin and Edzell varied, but was roughly half an hour. It often was an extension of the service which ran from Montrose [CR] to Brechin with many trains running round in Brechin and continuing to Edzell.
The line left east of Brechin station and curved round to Brechin North Junction, where it met the Forfar and Brechin Railway [*]. Beyond the junction it ran parallel to that line as far as Trinity Road, before turning tightly north to Stracathro and Edzell. This first part was on a constant climb. After passing Brechin golf course the line dropped to Cruick Water beyond which the route was relatively level for the rest of the journey.
The largest structure was the West Water Bridge between Stracathro and Edzell.
A portion of the line in Brechin is now a nature trail. A number of railway cottages survive at the former stations. Bridges (concrete and brick) have not survived, with the exception of culverts. Road overbridges have been filled in and bridges over large streams and the West Water demolished.
* from Brechin to Brechin North Junction was built by the Brechin and Edzell District Railway, from Brechin North Junction to Brechin East Junction was built by the Forfar and Brechin Railway.
This line is divided into a number of portions.
This is a preserved station, a terminus. At its height services from Brechin ran to Montrose [CR] (via Dubton), Edzell and Dundee East (via Careston, Forfar [2nd], Kingennie and Broughty Ferry).
...
This was a junction between the Forfar and Brechin Railway lines (opened 1895) and the Brechin and Edzell District Railway line (opened 1896).
...
This is a closed station, the name of which changed a number of times. The station was at Inchbare (to the immediate east) some way (1.5 miles) west of Stracathro. Dunlappie is 2 miles to the north west. Stracathro is the biggest settlement.
...
This was the terminus of a branch from Brechin. The station was close to the centre of the village and to the south west. Nearby the station was the Glenesk Hotel, still open. Edzell was small when the railway opened to the south of the existing village. It was a railhead with coaches continuing up Glen Esk to Tarfside and Invermark.
...