Larkhall re-opening

A line from Larkhall (formerly Larkhall Central) to Hamilton is to be re-opened. In connection with this a line in Glasgow, from Maryhill to Anniesland, is also to be re-opened. New stations at Larkhall, Merryton, Chatelherault and Dawsholm will be opened (photographs below).

>News about the Larkhall re-opening

Update: Dawsholm station renamed Kelvindale.

Key Black; lines for re-opening. Green; closed lines. Grey; currently open.

From a west facing junction at Hamilton (Haughhead Junction) a single track line will run to Chatelherault. The solum of the closed Coalburn Branch from the junction to Ferniegair is not intact as it was destroyed during building of the M74; however land has been retained by the M74 and enough space remains. A new cutting will be required. Nothing remains of the former Ferniegair station. There will be a loop and station at Chatelherault (perhaps at the former Ferniegair station site?). From there to Merryton, following the former Coalburn Branch, the solum is intact. A station will be built at Merryton to the south of Merryton Junction. From Merryton to Larkhall (formerly Larkhall Central) the solum of the Mid Lanark Lines will be followed. The former station at Larkhall still has two platforms. Formerly the line from Hamilton to Merryton was double track, from there to Larkhall Central was single track with a passing loop at the station.

The closed link from Maryhill (Maryhill Park Junction) to Anniesland (Knightswood South Junction) follows the course of the former Stobcross Railway which was closed and lifted in the late 1980s. Since then a fair amount of rubbish has been dumped on the line at Anniesland. Other than removing this rubbish there is little to stop the re-opening of the line except the necessary signalling alterations. The line will pass under the recently re-opened Forth and Clyde Canal. Initially there will be no connection at Anniesland station. The line will be a long siding into a terminal bay platform at Anniesland.

Haughhead Junction

Ferniegair / Chatleherault station

Merryton

Larkhall (Central)

Anniesland

Dawsholm / Temple / Kelvindale station

Maryhill Park Junction

Two trains an hour will serve Larkhall, linking there with Dalmuir via Singer.

The existing two trains an hour Motherwell to Dalmuir via Hamilton and Singer will be diverted to Milngavie, which will retain its existing two trains an hour to/from Springburn via Queen Street. It is so as to accommodate the additional two trains an hour in each direction through Westerton that the Queen Street to Maryhill trains will be extended to and from Anniesland.

Thus the frequency will become :
- Larkhall-Hamilton two an hour
- Hamilton-Newton four an hour
- Newton-Partick six an hour
- Partick-Hyndland fourteen an hour
- Hyndland-Westerton eight an hour
- Westerton-Milngavie four an hour

A half-hourly Hamilton-Anderston service will be introduced in December 2004 as a prelude to the new routes becoming available in autumn 2005.

Page created on 24/02/2004
Page last edited on 03/05/2004
E-mails to: Ewan Crawford