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This junction has had a series of openings (and closures) and has been largely associated with the munitions factories at Longtown, Gretna and Smalmstown, and the southern approach to the Waverley Route.

It is presently open, the approach to Longtown Exchange Sidings from the West Coast Main Line, the former Caledonian Railway main line.

The junction was originally opened in 1915, the south end of a south to east curve which linked the 1847 Caledonian Railway to the 1861 Gretna Branch (North British Railway). This was opened in connection with the extensive HM Factory Gretna Railway. This very large factory was opened during the Shell Crisis of 1915, particularly producing Cordite.

The junction had a signal box, opened in 1915. After the war this was reduced to a ground frame in 1924 and closed in 1929. The Mossband and Smalstown sites became ammunition depots after the war.

Mossband Junction re-opened in the Second World War in 1940. A serious derailment in 1944 destroyed the new box which was immediately replaced. Following the war the box closed in 1955.

A further new box opened in 1958. This survived until 1963 when it was replaced by Kingmoor Power Box. The connection now provided the Waverley Route's northern approach to Kingmoor Marshalling Yard. Trains for the yard would leave the Waverley Route at Longtown Branch Junction and join the West Coast Main Line at Mossband, or use the goods lines to approach the yard from the north. (Northbound trains for the Waverley Route from the yard made use of a reversing spur by Stainton Crossing. This was awkward and involved a two mile reversal from the northbound departure sidings to the spur.)

Although the Waverley Route is closed the junction still provides access to the munitions depot.

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