As early as 1825 the notion of a railway network covering much of central Scotland was being formed, but the cost of forming the line, and the limitations of the technology of the time, resulted in the scheme being shelved. In March 1836 a prospectus for a proposed Edinburgh, Haddington and Dunbar Railway was issued. The promoters had examined alternative routes to reach Dunbar; a coastal route (close to the present-day main line) was far easier to construct and operate, but the Garleton Hills lay between the coast and Haddington. Routing through the town generated more traffic, but it involved much more complex engineering, and would involve steep gradients that were challenging to the motive power of the period.