The Cornhill Branch project was authorized in 1882 to link the farming communities of north Northumberland with the market town of Alnwick and link the North Eastern Railway's Kelso line to its Alnwick Branch.
Increased bus competition in the 1920s led to passenger trains being withdrawn on 22 September 1930,[1] although the service resumed briefly during the Second World War to serve RAF Milfield near Akeld.
The line was thus split into two, Alnwick to Ilderton, and Coldstream to Wooler which included Akeld.
Freight services between Tweedmouth and Kelso followed suit the next year on 29 March with the complete closure of the line.
Only one track of the double line between Kelso and Tweedmouth was initially lifted, but all track was removed in 1969 from St Boswells through to Tweedmouth following closure of the freight service to Kelso and complete closure of the Waverley Route.