A History of Britain’s Railways
Kelvin Valley Railway
This page
Introduction
Local area
Chronology
Locations
Maryhill Park
station
Kelvin Valley Junction
Blackhill Brickworks
Summerston station
Bardowie station
Balmore station
Balmore colliery
Torrance station
Kelvin Valley East Junction
Twechar station
Exchange sidings with Bairds of Gartshore
Kilsyth Junction
Kilsyth (Old)
This site
Other sites
ScotRail
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This railway is closed. The line ran from Kirkintilloch to Kilsyth and from Maryhill to Kilsyth. |
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This line runs from the north of Glasgow east to the former mining town of Kilsyth.
From Kilsyth to Kirkintilloch and Maryhill. The line was built to feed coal to the Glasgow docks (via Maryhill) and Lanarkshire steelworks (via the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway).
The original Maryhill Park station has been demolished and closed. Recently a new "Maryhill" station has opened on the same site. A regular train service runs to here from High-level Glasgow Queen Street. The train continues on to Knightsbridge Junction at Westerton to swap from the Down track to the Up track.
The site of this junction with the Helensburgh line has been dramatically altered. A shopping centre now exists where the railway embankment once was. The new Summerston station has been built near this site.
This junction faced west. The Kelvin Valley Railway ran north and east from here. The original name of the junction was "Kelvin Valley Junction" but it must have been renamed at an unknown date to avoid confusion. The signalbox here was called "Maryhill East Junction".
This works was immediately to the south of Summerston station. The works are closed and a rubbish landfill site has completely eradicated its remains.
This station had a single platform, simple wooden shelter and goods yard. When the line originally opened the Railway was expected to provide a station here although there would be very little income.
The overgrown remants of this station remain, including a platelayers hut, loading bank and station master's house (now a private house).
Like summerston this station was apparently opened after the passenger service had already started.
This station has been largely landscaped into farmer's fields. The station master's house remains.
The station had a single timber-clad platform and small building. To its east the line passed under a road and to its west passed over a road. Both bridges are now gone and the station site now occupied by houses. The station master's house remains.
The site is now completely landscaped and in use as farmer's fields.
Until recently the remains of this station could be seen in the undergrowth. The station had one platform, a loop and a small yard. This yard saw business after the line's official closure to this point. The site has now been landscaped and turned into an area of seating and bushes at the level of the road, which the railway used to pass under.
At this point the Kelvin Valley Railway passed over the Campsie Branch of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and was joined by a spur which ran from that Kelvin Valley West Junction on that railway. At this point trains from Low-level Glasgow Queen Street approached from Torrance along with empty coal trains from the clyde docks, and trains from High level Glasgow Queen Street approached from Kirkintilloch along with empty coal trains form Lanarkshire steelworks.
The formation is still visible.
This station was also known as "Gavell". The station was single track and had an extensive yard for coal train stabling.
The station is now a private house.
Exchange sidings with Bairds of Gartshore
At this point the Bairds of Gartshore's Railway joined the Kelvin Valley Railway. It was this coal traffic which was responsible for keeping the railway open. Other traffic was very slight.
At this point the Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway left the original Kelvin Valley Railway. There was a locomotive shed at this site to the north of the junction. The junction site has been landscaped and is now parkland.
This was the original terminus of the Kelvin Valley Railway which was closed when the Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway was opened. The station had an overall stone roof.
The site is now the Kilsyth swimming baths which were built quite recently.
