George Stephenson favoured, and carried out preliminary surveys for, a scheme to link England and Scotland by a railway running along the coast between Lancaster and Carlisle, but this 'Grand Caledonian Junction Railway' was never built, the direct route over Shap being preferred.
Maryport to Whitehaven (Bransty)[REF] (leased by London and North Western Railway 1865; amalgamated with LNWR 1866) .