Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway

Introduction

This main line railway is open. The line runs from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street High Level and carries both express services between those locations and local trains.

Why built

The line was built as an intercity route between Edinburgh and Glasgow to carry passengers and goods.

When first opened the fastest trains, carrying mail, took an hour and a half. Those stopping at the ten stations, and two termini, took two hours.

Service

ScotRail runs a regular passenger service runs between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street High Level.






Dates

  /  /1838Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Act receives Royal assent.
  /  /1840Nethercroy Colliery
In operation above Auchinstarry on Croy Hill, later operated by the Carron Iron Works and they built a railway round the east side of the Croy hill to the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /  /1840Dunmore Quarry, Polmaise Quarry, Plean Quarry, Bannockburn Quarry
Opened after the Scottish Central Railway and Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened.
  /  /1841Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Cowlairs Works opens at the north end of the Cowlairs Incline at a site with space to expand. At this time the works site included the locomotive shed (for locomotive operations at the top of the incline). The shed was on the west side of the line and incline engine on the east side.
18/02/1842Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow Queen Street High Level station opened (originally called Glasgow or Dundas Street). (Date also given as the 21st.)
21/02/1842Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Service starts between Glasgow Queen Street (then simply 'Glasgow') and Haymarket ('Edinburgh').
  /  /1844Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Banking engines Hercules (loco no 21) and Samson (no 22) tried on the Cowlairs Incline between Glasgow Queen Street High Level and Cowlairs. Rope haulage was used to assist locomotives pulling trains up this incline. The rope was dropped at the top of the incline. Brake vans were used going down into Glasgow Queen Street High Level.
26/12/1844Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
New Kirkintilloch station opened to exchange with Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway station of same name by the Bothlin Viaduct.
26/12/1844Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway's Horse-drawn service between Kirkintilloch Basin station and new Kirkintilloch station commences.
  /  /1845Caledonian Railway
Approval for a curve at Castlecary from the Caledonian Railway to the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. This curve was not built.
01/03/1845Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Passenger service from Glasgow Queen Street to Coatbridge [NB] and Airdrie (Commonhead?) begins around this date. This used the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, Garngaber Curve (Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway), Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and Ballochney Railway. The Monkland line was upgraded for this service and began to use steam hauled passenger trains. This new service ran in competition with that from Glasgow Townhead over the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway to Coatbridge [CR] with a road coach connection to Airdrie.
29/03/1845Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
At the instigation of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, Ballochney Railway and Slamannan Railway pool their receipts. The Wishaw and Coltness Railway did not get involved.
  /10/1845Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Wishaw and Coltness Railway
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway agrees to buy the Wishaw and Coltness Railway.
31/12/1845Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway begins to work the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, Ballochney Railway and Slamannan Railway.
  /  /1846Stirlingshire Midland Junction RailwayEdinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Stirlingshire Midland Junction Railway absorbed by Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /  /1846Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Edinburgh General station (Edinburgh Waverley) opened further east from Haymarket, the former terminus.
  /  /1846Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
Bill prepared to merge into the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, Ballochney Railway andSlamannan Railway. The Bill is rejected.
  /  /1846Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Slamannan Railway
On failure of merger Bill the E&G ceases to work the older railways.
  /01/1846Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Wishaw and Coltness Railway
Service from Morningside [1st] to Glasgow Townhead is diverted over the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway to reach Glasgow Queen Street.
01/08/1846Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Line extended from Haymarket to meet the North British Railway at North Bridge station.
  /12/1846Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Wishaw and Coltness Railway
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway decided not to buy the Wishaw and Coltness Railway, which immediately enters discussions with the Caledonian Railway.
  /  /1847Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
Slateford to Haymarket (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) Act passed.
  /  /1847Wester Dalry Branch and Dalry Road Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Wester Dalry Branch linking the Caledonian Railway to the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway authorised. The permission is allowed to expire (but is later revived).
04/03/1847Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Cowlairs Incline engine brought back into use, having been fitted with larger cylinders.
01/12/1847Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow Queen Street to Airdrie service ceases. New service from Glasgow Townhead (Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway) to Airdrie replaces it.
  /  /1848Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Villas start being built by Lenzie station.
  /  /1848Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Give up using banking engines on the Cowlairs Incline.
  /  /1849Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway absorbed by Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. (Confirmed by Act of 1852.)
  /  /1850Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Some villas built by Bishopbriggs station.
  /  /1852Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Act authorises merger. The Act gives other companies running powers over the main line and Shotts and Bathgate branches.
12/09/1853Scottish Central Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Operating agreement for the use of Stirling station made by Scottish Central Railway, Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and Stirling and Dunfermline Railway.
13/10/1853Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
From Slateford Junction [1st] to a bay platform by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway's Haymarket station opened. Trains could run from the bay to Carstairs or Falkirk. The line is opened with a running of the Royal Train to Haymarket. The connection at Haymarket was taken out later.
01/04/1858Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Cowlairs station opened, possibly as an exchange in anticipation of the opening of the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway the following month.
28/05/1858Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway
Opened as single track from Cowlairs Junction to Bowling and Dalreoch Junction to Helensburgh. Due to a disagreement over station access charges between the company and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway the first trains ran to Buchanan Street using the Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) and a connection at St Rollox (Sighthill West Junction) with the Buchanan Street Extension (Caledonian Railway) line. The disagreement was resolved a month later. (Alternative date 31st.) Stations opened at (eastern portion) Maryhill, Dalmuir [1st] and Kilpatrick, and (western portion) Cardross and Helensburgh.
  /  /1860Grangemouth Railway (Forth and Clyde Canal Company)
Line opened to minerals. Worked by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. (At the time the Carmuirs Curve did not exist and approach from the west was from Larbert.)
  /  /1860William Baird & Co Forth and Clyde Canal Bairds of Gartshore's Railway
Open mines at Twechar, Twechar Swing Bridge laid across the Forth and Clyde Canal for the private line which ran from Kilsyth to Gartshore Loops on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /  /1860Gartshore Colliery Pits 9 and 11
Sunk by William Baird & Co to the south of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /  /1860Caledonian Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Scottish Central Railway
A Bill is presented to merge the Caledonian Railway, Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and Scottish Central Railway. It is rejected.
  /  /1861Cleland to Morningside Line (Caledonian Railway)
An extension of the Cleland branch to Morningside [CR] is promoted. The branch will serve numerous mines and the Coltness Iron Works, avoiding the Morningside Incline of the existing route to Morningside [1st]. It also provides possible access to Edinburgh over the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway owned Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway. The Morningside [CR] extension of the Cleland branch predates the Cleland and Midcalder Line (Caledonian Railway) which was required after the Wilsontown route was merged into the North British Railway in 1865.
14/08/1862Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway absorbed by Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
14/08/1862Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
The Helensburgh line was absorbed by Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /  /1864Alva RailwayEdinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Alva Railway absorbed by Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /  /1864City of Glasgow Union Railway
Act receives Royal assent. The line was to join the Glasgow and South Western Railway (part owner of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway) and Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway serving a central Glasgow station and crossing the River Clyde in the city.
  /  /1864Caledonian Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Scottish Central Railway
Proposed Act for the merger of the Caledonian Railway, Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and Scottish Central Railway is rejected.
  /  /1864General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway
Caledonian Railway and Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway agreement.
  /  /1864Dugald Drummond
Working for Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /  /1865General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway Caledonian Railway
General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway absorbed by Caledonian Railway. Running powers are granted to the City of Glasgow Union Railway, Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, Glasgow and South Western Railway and Monkland Railways.
31/07/1865Monkland Railways Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Monkland Railways absorbed by Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. In addition to the railways the larger company inherited 27 engines. The following day the larger company was absorbed by the North British Railway.
01/08/1865Edinburgh and Glasgow RailwayNorth British Railway
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway absorbed by North British Railway. (The Scottish Central Railway and Caledonian Railway are granted running powers over the former Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway main line.)
  /  /1867Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Cowlairs Works becomes the principal works of the North British Railway.
  /  /1868Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Edinburgh Waverley station re-building starts, new station designed by James Bell.
  /  /1870Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Running water becomes available at Lenzie and villa building increases.
  /  /1870Stobcross Railway
Act passed. To be worked by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway with running powers for the Caledonian Railway. The two companies to have separate goods stations. A 30 chain diversion of the Forth and Clyde Canal was required. The line curved round the west of Glasgow after opposition for a more direct route, particularly of James Fleming of Kelvinside Estate.
  /  /1872Wester Dalry Branch and Dalry Road Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Wester Dalry Branch linking the Caledonian Railway to the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway authorised (with restrictions on its use).
  /  /1874Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
1868 Edinburgh Waverley station re-building ends.
  /  /1874Caledonian Railway
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Stirlingshire Midland Junction Railway
Wester Dalry Branch and Dalry Road Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Restrictions lifted. Caledonian Railway granted running power over the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
For westbound passenger traffic for the north, the Caledonian Railway must pause at Damhead Junction to pick up any North British Railway coaches.
For goods and minerals the company may run from north of Larbert Junction and from Grangemouth Junction over the proposed Wester Dalry branch via Damhead Junction (later Haymarket West Junction) for Edinburgh, Leith and Granton traffic.
30/06/1874Dalry Road Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Dalry Middle Junction to Haymarket West Junction (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) authorised.
  /  /1875Gartshore Colliery
Opened by William Baird & Co beside the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
03/07/1876Dalry Road Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Dalry Middle Junction to Haymarket West Junction (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) opened. The Caledonian Railway had running powers to Larbert from here.
  /  /1879Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow Queen Street High Level station re-built.
01/02/1887Glasgow City and District Railway Glasgow and Coatbridge Branch (North British Railway) City of Glasgow Union Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh RailwayStobcross Railway
Circular service introduced by the North British Railway.
  /  /1888Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Improvement to Glasgow Queen Street High Level station complete. The tunnel mouth at the foot of the Cowlairs Tunnel was opened out in preparation for the opening of a second (eastern) bore, and although the portal was built the tunnel was not.
  /  /1890Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Edinburgh Waverley extended following opening of the Forth Rail Bridge.
  /  /1896Redding Colliery
James Nimmo and Company sink new Redding Colliery No 23 shaft, on the north bank of the Union Canal and by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /10/1901Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
New Cadder Yard, a hump shunted marshalling yard, opened by the North British Railway. It was part of a much larger reorganisation of the NBR's goods facilities in Glasgow including rebuilding High Street Goods and Sighthill Goods, and the opening of Shettleston Yard, a further marshalling yard.
12/01/1903Glasgow City and District Railway Glasgow and Coatbridge Branch (North British Railway) City of Glasgow Union Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh RailwayStobcross Railway
Circular service withdrawn.
  /  /1904John G Stein
Opens new brickworks at Castlecary to use higher alumina content, than Bonnybridge, found there. Built by the Caledonian Railway and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /09/1904Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Eastfield Shed opened north of Cowlairs West Junction. The shed replaced the running shed at the Cowlairs Works
26/08/1909Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
End of cable haulage on the Cowlairs Incline.
28/06/1919Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Eastfield Shed damaged by fire, 19 locomotives were damaged.
  /  /1920Gartshore Colliery Pit 3
Starts to work coal instead of ironstone, Gartshore Colliery Pit 12 also driven alongside, to the north of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
10/12/1937Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
35 are killed in a train crash at Castlecary when an Edinburgh to Glasgow express struck the rear of a Dundee to Glasgow. This was the worst crash in the London and North Eastern Railway's history.
03/03/1954Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Accident with banking engine at Glasgow Queen Street High Level station demolishes destination board.
08/01/1956Glasgow City and District Railway Coatbridge Branch (North British Railway) Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway New Monkland Line (Monkland Railways) Boghead to Cowdenhead Branch (Monkland Railways) Torbanehill and Bathgate Branch (Monkland Railways) Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Last regular Glasgow Queen Street Low Level to Edinburgh Waverley via Shettleston, Coatbridge Sunnyside and Bathgate Upper service runs.
  /11/1956Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Cowlairs Power Box opened.
  /  /1957Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
DMUs used for Edinburgh and Glasgow intercity service
07/01/1957Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Class 126 6 car DMUs introduced on line.
03/02/1958Corstorphine Branch (North British Railway)
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
North British Railway
North Berwick Branch (North British Railway)
Class 100 DMUs introduced on the Corstorphine [2nd] to North Berwick service.
09/09/1960Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
A signalling error leads to a collision at Castlecary.
06/01/1964Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow Queen Street High Level Goods closed.
07/09/1964Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
Duff street connection opened (Duff Street Junction, at Haymarket on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened). This connection allowed Edinburgh Princes Street to be closed.
07/09/1964Campsie Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Kirkintilloch [2nd] to Lenzie Junction closed to passengers.
07/09/1964Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Cowlairs station closed.
  /  /1965Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow Queen Street High Level closed to steam.
  /  /1966Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
The Haymarket Coal Concentration scheme allows many rail served local coal yards in Edinburgh to close.
  /04/1966Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Cowlairs Goods closed.
04/04/1966Campsie Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Lennoxtown [1st] to Kirkintilloch [2nd] to Lenzie Junction (excluded) closed to freight.
  /  /1968Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Cowlairs Works closed. Alternative date: 1966.
29/09/1968Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Collision at Castlecary.
  /  /1971Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
DMUs withdrawn from Edinburgh and Glasgow intercity service
  /03/1971Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Trials begins of trains on the line using a pair of Class 27s. 12 Class 27s were set aside (10 to be used daily) and 36 Mk 2 carriages.
03/05/1971Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
2 x Class 27 trains begin running.
  /  /1973Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow Queen Street High Level and Glasgow Queen Street Low Level modernised.
  /06/1977Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Lenzie station buildings demolished.
  /  /1978Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
New building opened at Lenzie station.
  /08/1979Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Tests with push-pull Class 47/7s and Mk 3 carriages and a Mk 2 Driving Brake Standard Open begin.
  /01/1983Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
West Highland Terrier Dog symbol adopted for the depot, with the logo being applied to locomotives (particularly appropriate for the Class 37s on the West Highland Railway).
10/07/1984Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
13 were killed and 61 injured, 17 seriously, when train hit a cow on the line near Polmont. The lightweight driving trailer of the push-pull lifted off the track pushed by the locomotive in the rear.
  /  /1989Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Bridge which carried the Port Dundas Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) over Springburn Road to Port Dundas Basin dismantled.
  /  /1989Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Class 158 DMUs introduced to replace Class 47/7s.
  /10/1992Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Eastfield MPD closed.
  /05/1997Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Railtrack completes a drainage scheme at Croy at a cost of £460K.
  /05/1997Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Railtrack plans to spend £670,000 on new pumps and drains and removing silt from the Niddry Burn to prevent flooding of the Winchburgh Tunnel.
27/04/1998Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Derailment at Eastfield MPD.
  /  /1999Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Class 170 'Turbostars' replace Class 158 DMUs. Service increased from half hourly to every 15 minutes.
  /11/1999Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
New station building built at Croy and car park enlarged.
24/07/2001Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
6 people taken to hospital when train from Glasgow hits buffers at Waverley.
26/10/2001Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Winchburgh Tunnel pump destroyed by arson.
  /09/2002Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Railtrack announces re-wiring of Edinburgh Waverley signal box, despite impending remodelling of Edinburgh Waverley station.
17/01/2004North British Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
During a two day (17-18) blockade Edinburgh Waverley's signalled and control equipment is re-fitted.
  /03/2004Edinburgh Airport Rail Link
Proposed scheme would have a station under Edinburgh Airport served by a link off the Forth Bridge Connecting Lines (North British Railway) and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and the Forth Bridge lines. The layout would be southern approaches (both approached from the east) from South Gyle and Gogar combining and passing under Edinburgh Airport before dividing with a western link to Humbie Signal Box and northern link to Dalmeny South Junction. This layout would allow trains from Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street High Level to serve the station and the line to the north from Edinburgh to Fife, Aberdeen and Inverness over the Forth Bridge. The estimated cost was £500M.
  /03/2004Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Grant of £14M from Scottish Executive to open Eastfield TMD on site of Eastfield MPD. The new depot to open for cleaning, fuelling and overnight stabling.
  /03/2004Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Automatic ticket barriers installed at Glasgow Queen Street High Level.
17/09/2004Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
A cow from a road vehicle escapes onto the railway line damaging fencing near Linlithgow and leading to train cancellations.
  /12/2004Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Polmont station car park enlarged by 150 spaces.
13/12/2004Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Eastfield TMD opened on the site of the closed and demolished Eastfield MPD. (Haymarket TMD was at capacity.)
10/10/2005Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
A proposal to open Bonnybridge station is rejected by councillors despite a 5000 signature petition. The council had received a £450,000 grant from the Scottish Executive to investigate public transport improvements in the M80 corridor.
  /  /2006Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow Queen Street High Level: additional platforms intended during a £50m expansion between 2006 and 2012. To finance the work offices and flats are to be built on the car park to the east of the site. [This proposal did not go ahead in this form.]
  /07/2006Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Completion of extension of Haymarket TMD to allow all Class 170s to be maintained at the site. The cost of £6.72M was largely met by the Scottish Executive.
  /10/2006Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
A £6M multi storey car park is planned by SPT at Croy.
  /09/2007Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Proposal to make Croy a transport hub with a 900 space car park.
  /01/2011Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Tenders requested for the reconstruction of Glasgow Queen Street High Level. Redevelopment is to include a link to Buchanan Galleries and a 1500 space car park.
23/02/2011Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown opens new 700 space car park, adding to the existing 215, at Croy station.
  /10/2011Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Glasgow Queen Street High Level to receive new frontage and access to Buchanan Galleries.
  /  /2018Millerhill EMU Depot (Network Rail)
New EMU depot opened in connection with the electrification of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
  /07/2018Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Consort House and the Millenium Hotel extension demolished to allow enlargement of Glasgow Queen Street High Level.
04/10/2021Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
Official date of completion of the rebuilding of Glasgow Queen Street High Level.

Route described

The line runs west from Edinburgh to Linlithgow, Falkirk, Lenzie and Glasgow. The route was chosen to be as level as possible and skirts round the north of the high ground south of Falkirk and the Monklands.


Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

This is a high level terminus with seven platforms under a large glazed barrel roof trainshed to the north of George Square [Glasgow]. It is a terminus for lines to the north, west and east. The railway was electrified in 2016.
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A which was unveiled today at Glasgow Queen Street station. (One of three plaque unveilings for the National Railway Heritage Awards at Stirling, ...
John Yellowlees 11/07/2023
The George Square entrance to the revamped Glasgow Queen Street station, on the evening of Monday, 5th September 2022. ...
David Bosher 05/09/2022
Close-up of the commemorative plaque unveiled at Queen Street by the First Minister on 4th October 2021.
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John Yellowlees 04/10/2021
A Friday afternoon 3.45pm relief to Newcastle is ready to leave Glasgow Queen Street behind Eastfield B1 61116. ...
Robin McGregor 26/07/1963
4 of 548 images. more


Cowlairs Tunnel (also known as Queen Street High Level Tunnel) runs north from Glasgow Queen Street High Level half way up the Cowlairs Incline to Pinkston. It is a double track tunnel 999 yds long.
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D49 4-4-0 no 62704 'Stirlingshire' photographed leaving the tunnel shortly after departure from Queen Street with a Fife bound train on 20 ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 20/04/1954
Freightliner 66597 'Viridor' crawls out of Queen Street tunnel on the newly completed up line with a train of spent ballast. ...
Martin MacGuire 02/06/2016
Not actually black cats at midnight in a coal cellar, but two Glasgow-Edinburgh trains passing in the tunnel leading to Queen Street High level on a ...
Colin McDonald 30/01/2016
In this photograph, the light at the end of the tunnel really is that of an approaching train but the crossover in the tunnel which is about to put ...
Colin McDonald 30/01/2016
4 of 15 images. more


The Cowlairs Incline is a double track mile and a quarter long uphill gradient running north from Glasgow Queen Street High Level to the former station at Cowlairs. The southern half of the route is within the Cowlairs Tunnel.
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380 116 coasts down the Cowlairs incline. ...
Bill Roberton 02/06/2018
Emerging from the Queen Street tunnel, B1 class No 61345 is throwing everything at the 1 in 41/42 gradient of Cowlairs Incline while heading a special ...
Colin Kirkwood 11/04/1966
Scene on Cowlairs incline in the summer of 1955 as a Queen Street - Perth train passes a convoy of light locomotives descending from Eastfield shed to ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 04/07/1955
With a few days to go before the wires were energised, 156500 on an Anniesland service climbs noisily out of the tunnel and under the substantial ...
Colin McDonald 30/08/2017
4 of 92 images. more


This junction was formed in 1992 with the opening of the south to east curve of the Cowlairs Chord (British Railways). The chord provides direct access to Cumbernauld for trains from Glasgow Queen Street High Level, formerly commencing from Springburn with a connecting Milngavie-Queen Street Low Level-Springburn shuttle. The original Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway is ...

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See also
Port Dundas Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Cowlairs Chord (British Railways)
After an effortless climb, 170408 on a Glasgow - Edinburgh service reaches the top of the Cowlairs incline and into the sunlight on 22nd February ...
Colin McDonald 22/02/2016
170 416 nears the end of its climb to Cowlairs with the 0915 to
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David Panton 11/09/2010
a 101 & a 107 pass each other at Cowlairs. ...
Brian Forbes //1988
Against a backdrop of the high flats of Springburn 158 741 descends
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David Panton 11/09/2010
4 of 8 images. more




This was a station located at the top of the Cowlairs Incline. The station had an island platform. Nearby was the steam engine which hauled the cable bringing trains up the incline from Glasgow Queen Street High Level. A footbridge from the south end of the platform connected to the Cowlairs Works. The platform was originally very narrow and was widened around 1908 (after removal of ...

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47 642 idles at Cowlairs. This derelict land is now crossed by the Cowlairs Chord. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
Ivatt Mogul 43134 leaving Cowlairs station on 26 April 1952 with a train from the Fife coast. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 26/04/1952
47.709 reaches the top of Cowlairs Incline, with an express to Edinburgh, new mark 3 stock in tow. The 101 is heading downhill to Queen Street. ...
Brian Forbes /04/1987
4 of 5 images. more


These carriage sidings were on the east side of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway south of Cowlairs West Junction. The Turkey Yard was immediately to the east and, beyond that, the Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) and the City of Glasgow Union Railway.
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See also
Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
View south over the City of Glasgow Union Railway and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway's Sighthill Branch to Cowlairs carriage sidings in 1989. ...
Ewan Crawford //1989
Work in progress at the former Cowlairs Carriage Sidings. The site is being prepared for a new centralised maintenance depot. Work nearby begins for a ...
Thomas McPake (Network Rail) /10/2006
An 08 shunts the Cowlairs Carriage sidings. CGU and Sighthill Branch in foreground. ...
Ewan Crawford //1987
The shed at the Cowlairs Carriage Sidings viewed from the east with the remains of the train-washer in the foreground. ...
Ewan Crawford 28/10/2006
4 of 12 images. more


This was the railway works and locomotive shed of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, located on the west side of the railway at the north end of the Cowlairs Incline. Cowlairs station was on the east side of the works, connected to it via a footbridge.
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Fairburn 2-6-4T 42265, Standard Class 3 77007 and an unidentified Black 5 were present outside Cowlairs Works in the steaming siding and erecting shop ...
Robin McGregor 23/06/1964
Preserved Caledonian Railway 419 stands at Cowlairs following restoration on 20 September 1964 prior to collection by the SRPS. See image 34030 ...
John Robin 20/09/1964
Caledonian Railway 419 newly restored at Cowlairs Works in September 1964. ...
G W Robin 20/09/1964
CR 419 has just been preserved at Cowlairs works and awaits collection by the SRPS. ...
John Robin 20/09/1964
4 of 5 images. more


J38 0-6-0 65905 takes a brake van past Cowlairs West junction in August 1965. Cowlairs Works can be made out in the background. ...
Robin McGregor 21/08/1965
A class N2 0-6-2T passing Cowlairs West Junction with empty stock in September 1955. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 06/09/1955
Gresley V3 2-6-2T no 67600 with a Glasgow Queen Street - Kirkintilloch train passing Cowlairs West Junction on 6 September 1955. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 06/09/1955
Haymarket A3 Pacific no 60035 Windsor Lad brings the 6pm Queen Street - Waverley through Cowlairs West Junction in the summer of 1956. [South ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 26/06/1956
4 of 35 images. more


An island platform on the west side of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and within the triangle of lines formed by Cowlairs West Junction (to the west), Cowlairs West Junction (to the south) and Cowlairs East Junction (to the north). The platform was served by two loops on the west side of the main line directly west of Eastfield Shed.
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Eastfield Shed did not date from the opening of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. It replaced Cowlairs Shed, which closed, located north of the Cowlairs Works.
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Not my best head out of window photo but an interesting occurence. 37112 in large logo livery is alongside Eastfield Depot in Summer ...
Crinan Dunbar //1983
Grabshot from a passing train of the progress of the electrification work in early October 2017. The previous day there were dozens of contractor's ...
Colin McDonald 05/10/2017
Class 365s at Eastfield. The recent electrification work makes this a difficult photograph to take. ...
John Yellowlees 16/05/2018
Grab shot of 55003 Meld (actually 55022 Royal Scots Grey I believe) at Eastfield on 12 June 2015 with stock for St Rollox. ...
Mark Poustie 12/06/2015
4 of 16 images. more


This junction is located at the north of a triangular junction. A curve was put in during 1878 between the 1842 Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and 1858 Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway. Its opening allowed goods and mineral trains to run from the north bank of the River Clyde towards Stirling, Falkirk and Edinburgh without requiring a reversal.
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Cowlairs North Junction to Cowlairs East Junction (North British Railway)
Gresley V2 2-6-2 no 60927 photographed passing Cowlairs East Junction on 26 April 1952. The train is the Glasgow - Leeds North Briton. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 26/04/1952
'Director' 4-4-0 no 62689 Maid of Lorn photographed passing Cowlairs East Junction on Saturday 26 April 1952 with a train for Fife. ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 26/04/1952
Class 25 No. 7590 leads an Edinburgh-Glasgow push-pull working approaching Cowlairs East Jct. The photo is taken from Eastfield MPD (behind the ...
John McIntyre 16/09/1972
J39 0-6-0 64897 held at signals with a lengthy freight at Cowlairs East Junction on 26 April 1952. The Eastfield breakdown crane stands alongside in ...
G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 26/04/1952
4 of 13 images. more


This is a two platform station on the Edinburgh and Glasgow main line and is served by local trains. The main building is on the Glasgow bound platform. The station crosses over Crowhill Drive on a bridge. It is located at Bishopbriggs Cross.
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An unidentified Scotrail HST roaring through Bishopbriggs on its way to Inverness on a lovely frosty January day. ...
Gordon Steel 19/01/2022
A Class 156 from Queen Street to Falkirk Grahamston calls at Bishopbriggs in June 1997. Around this time there was a crush-relieving service from ...
David Panton 17/06/1997
A six-car Stirling service draws to a halt at Bishopbriggs on 11 December 2019. ...
David Panton 11/12/2019
A Glasgow to Dunblane service calls at Bishopbriggs on 25 August 2018. Opinion is divided on whether Bishopbriggs means 'Bishop's bridges' or ...
David Panton 25/08/2018
4 of 25 images. more


This signal box was at the west (Glasgow) end of Cadder Yard. The box was on the south side of the main running lines, the westbound (down) yard departure/headshunt lines being to the south of the box.
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Cadder Marshalling Yard and Colliery Branches (North British Railway)




This was a large marshalling yard on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway built by the North British Railway. It was hump shunted. The northern part of the yard was looped and the southern part was originally a set of dead end sidings shunted from the west but later looped.
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Cadder Marshalling Yard and Colliery Branches (North British Railway)
Scotland's Railway's new purpose-built engineering depot at Cadder was visited by Minister for Transport, Jenny Gilruth MSP and Amy Callaghan MP today ...
Network Rail 12/05/2022
365513 leads an Edinburgh to Glasgow 8 car service past Cadder Yard on 23 November 2018 ...
John McIntyre 23/11/2018
Scotland's Railway's new purpose-built engineering depot at Cadder was visited by Minister for Transport, Jenny Gilruth MSP and Amy Callaghan MP today ...
Network Rail 12/05/2022
HST passing Cadder Depot at speed. The new facility will support nighttime cleaning, servicing and maintenance of the HST fleet that operates from ...
Network Rail 12/05/2022
4 of 38 images. more




This is a two platform station. There is a car park on both sides of the station and the main station building is on the Glasgow, westbound, platform.
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Campsie Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
380107 and a 3-car 380 approach Lenzie with an Edinburgh to Glasgow service on 2 September 2018. As the PIS display states, the next train is not ...
John McIntyre 02/09/2018
An Alloa to Glasgow Queen Street Class 170 DMU service at Lenzie in September 2018. ...
Alastair McLellan 21/09/2018
158786, on a Glasgow Queen St to Alloa stopping service, calls at Lenzie on 21st September 2018. ...
Alastair McLellan 21/09/2018
A Glasgow service calls at Lenzie on 8 September 2018. The train was delayed because the Class 365 in front was brought to an emergency stop just west ...
David Panton 08/09/2018
4 of 36 images. more


This junction was east of Lenzie station and was the western end of a west to south curve which connected the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway to the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway. The curved line - known as the Bull Curve and requiring a banker going downhill (!) for heavy trains - was single track and connected with the double track mainlined and Garngaber Yard on the south ...

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Garngaber Curve (Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway)
Pile of stone sleepers seen on the <i>Bulls horns</i> east of Lenzie where there was transhipment between the E&G and M&K lines. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.


Sign at Whitegates, south of Kirkintilloch Basin. ...
Ewan Crawford //
1 of 1 images.


This is a double track five arch masonry viaduct which carries the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway over the Bothlin Burn and which also crossed the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway. The embankment to the east also crossed a feeder for the Forth and Clyde Canal. The viaduct is around 300 ft long.
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This is the south side of the Bothlin Viaduct viewed from the trackbed of the former Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway in 1987. The trackbed is now, ...
Ewan Crawford 07/04/1987
View of the north side of the Bothlin Viaduct looking east. The second arch carried the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and was skewed, unlike the ...
Ewan Crawford 07/04/1987
A view of the Bothlin Viaduct east of Lenzie station. Just to the east of Lenzie station were two junction - one north to Lennoxtown and another south ...
Ewan Crawford 07/04/1987
3 of 3 images.


An eastbound train is propelled past Woodilee Hospital in 1990. A branch formerly served the hospital, making a trailing connection to the eastbound ...
Ewan Crawford //1990
A 101 has left Lenzie for Falkirk and passes the Woodilee Institution. ...
Brian Forbes //1980
Looking east from Woodilee Village (built on the site of the former Woodilee Hospital) OHLE mast bases are already in place but so far only a solitary ...
Colin McDonald 22/02/2016
Eastbound DMU passing Woodilee. ...
Ewan Crawford //1990
4 of 7 images. more


This junction opened in 1895 with a North British Railway built connection from Waterside (on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) south to Bridgend Junction (on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway. It allowed westbound trains on E&G to reach the blast furnaces around Coatbridge without having to run round and reverse at Garngaber High Junction.
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See also
Waterside Junction to Bridgend Junction (North British Railway)
In June 1988, a morning Glasgow Queen Street to Dunblane service is captured en route between Lenzie and Croy. The location is near the former ...
Mark Dufton /06/1988
Eastbound on the E&G in 1988. The view is from the Wester Gartshore bing and shows Waterside Junction, the M&K link built for Bairds to link their ...
Ewan Crawford //1988
All blue Class 104 dmu heads east past Fauldhead the miners village, with its water tower. situated between Waterside and Garngaber Junctions. ...
Brian Forbes //1988
DMU heading east viewed from the top of the Wester Gartshore bing in 1988. Near here an east facing junction was made with a spur from the Monkland ...
Ewan Crawford //1988
4 of 5 images. more




This set of sidings were for Gartshore Coal Pits Nos 9 and 11. These were approached from the west and located on the south side of the line. The signal box was on the north side of the line just west of the point of connection of the sidings.
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There are loops on either side of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway at Gartshore, historically the interchange point with the Bairds of Gartshore's Railway which ran north serving many coal pits. The Gartshore Exchange Sidings were just to the north.
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See also
Bairds of Gartshore^s Railway
Derby Heavyweight DMU 107364 passes the west end of the Gartshore Loops in 1990. ...
Ewan Crawford //1990
1 of 1 images.


This is a two platform station originally serving a large area but with low population.
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170408, with a second unit, on a service to Glasgow Queen Street calling at Croy on the evening of 25th July 2017. ...
David Bosher 25/07/2017
The new Access for All footbridge, and associated lifts, nearing completion at Croy in July 2022.
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John Yellowlees 16/07/2022
Croy station's new, fully-accessible footbridge and lifts are now open for passengers.
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Network Rail /10/2022
A Glasgow Queen Street service pulls into Croy on 19 September 2020. ...
David Panton 19/09/2020
4 of 33 images. more




This was a two platform station with the main station building on the westbound platform. There were no goods facilities at first, but a small yard was added to the south of the line, west of the station and reached from the west.
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This signal box opened east of Dullator station to serve Dullator Colliery (on the north side of the line) and Dullator Sand Quarry (south side). The colliery originally opened in 1913 but failed by 1914 before being resunk in 1934.
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This mine was located east of Dullator on the north side of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.
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This was a two platform station at the west end of the Castlecary Viaduct. To the north of the station was the Castlecary Fireclay and Lime Works which was rail served from the east (and had a tramway to the Forth and Clyde Canal).
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Alloway Cemetery.

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Colin Miller 24/01/2015
A Glasgow - Edinburgh Push-Pull service clatters across Castlcary viaduct in August 1988 with the houses of the village standing amongst the trees ...
Brian Forbes /08/1988
2 of 2 images.


This viaduct enjoys an impressive setting and will be better known to road users than rail users as it crosses the M80. The viaduct is double track, 582 ft long overall, 95 ft high and has eight arches.
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A road/rail vehicle parked at the side of the road near the viaduct awaiting use on the overnight renovation works. The east end of the viaduct are ...
Colin McDonald 20/10/2015
A westbound DMU crosses Castlecary Viaduct in 1990. View looks west. ...
Ewan Crawford //1990
A detail shot of how to prepare to attach OLE to a viaduct. ...
Colin McDonald 24/11/2015
On a cold February afternoon, a Glasgow - Edinburgh DMU at speed passes the first set of OHLE masts to be fitted to the previously installed support ...
Colin McDonald 13/02/2016
4 of 8 images. more


This Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway curve never opened but the earthworks still partly remain.
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See also
Caledonian Railway
Looking west at the embankment and possible bridge pier on a projected spur from the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway to the Caledonian Railway near ...
Bill Roberton 27/10/2017
1 of 1 images.


At this junction trains from Glasgow to Edinburgh divide from those from Glasgow to Stirling and Perth. It is the junction between the former Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway of 1842 and the Scottish Central Railway of 1848. Both lines are double track.
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Scottish Central Railway
The Heaton - Glasgow Queen Street - Heaton high speed measurement train, comprising 43013 and 43014, seen at Greenhill Upper Junction on 22nd June ...
Douglas McPherson 22/06/2020
A pair of Class 156 units pass Greenhill Upper Junction in 1990, heading for Carmuirs.
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Bill Roberton //1990
A key junction at Greenhill near Falkirk on the Edinburgh-Glasgow main line was modernised. Over nine days, engineers replaced the junction and over ...
Network Rail /12/2023
View south from Greenhill Road Bridge on a wet and overcast 2 January 2013 with a Glasgow Queen Street - Edinburgh Waverley DMU running east along the ...
John Furnevel 02/01/2013
4 of 22 images. more


This was a relatively short lived station on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway which was an exchange point between that line and the Scottish Central Railway also serving the local, somewhat underpopulated, area. It must have been useful for railway employees however.
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Westbound electric on the Edinburgh and Glasgow viewed from the Greenhill Lower bridge. ...
Ewan Crawford 12/01/2018
1 of 1 images.


This was a two platform station almost surrounded by brick works. The station was partly built on a bridge over a road, the station buildings being to the east of this and platforms extending over to the west. There was a goods yard to the south of the line, west of the station and a goods line bypassed the station to the south.
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Lines to the west of Falkirk on the OS One Inch map of 1957.  All of
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David Panton //1957
1 of 1 images.




This was the west end of a loop which left the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway to serve works at Rough Castle and Port Downie on the Forth and Clyde Canal before rejoining the line at Falkirk High goods.
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Rough Castle Branch (North British Railway)


A view of the Rough Castle opencast loading pad, near Falkirk, seen from a passing eastbound train in June 1989. In 2011 this remains in place, but ...
Ewan Crawford 12/06/1989
The south portal of Roughcastle Tunnel on the Union/Forth & Clyde Canal link in March 2014, with a westbound 170 passing on the E & G route. ...
Bill Roberton 11/03/2014
View from a train passing Roughcastle coal loading point, west of Falkirk High, on a cold and snowy 1 March 1986. The loco is F C Hibberd 'Planet' ...
Bill Roberton 01/03/1986
3 of 3 images.


Lime Road Goods Station, a yard near Roughcastle, was east of Roughcastle Junction. It was a siding with a loop on the north side of the line, accessed from east. There was a signal box opposite to the south. The west end was later connected to create a loop off the eastbound line.
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Following the closure of the Union Canal the long flight of 11 locks and basins linking the canal to Port Downie's basin on the Forth and Clyde Canal ...
Ewan Crawford //2000
1 of 1 images.






This is a two platform station in the south of Falkirk. There is a car park to the north, the former goods yard, and a new station building on the eastbound platform, replacing two typical North British Railway buildings which faced each other on each platform.
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See also
Callendar Colliery Railway
Rough Castle Branch (North British Railway)
Cyril Bleasdale speaking at Falkirk High on 16 February 1992 on the occasion of the E&G 150th Anniversary. ...
Bill Roberton 16/02/1992
The time to celebrate the E&G will be later in the year when our new faster longer greener trains are in service.
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John Yellowlees 18/02/1992
A pair of electric 380s at Falkirk High. ...
John Yellowlees 10/12/2017
Even with the the 380s and the borrowed 365s the use of diesel on the EGML is not over - on 7 July anyway. ...
David Panton 07/07/2018
4 of 27 images. more


This is a double track tunnel of 845 yds length. The tunnel is just to the east of Falkirk High station. The line passes under the west end of the Callendar House grounds here.
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This box controlled access to the Shieldhill and Redding Collieries Railway, a private mineral line.
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Shieldhill and Redding Collieries Railway




This shed was west of Polmont station and Polmont Junction to the south side of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. The shed was approached from both east and west. The site was bounded to the south by the Union Canal.
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Name painted on the splasher of Robinson D11 4-4-0 no 62682, photographed in 1959 during the period the locomotive was 'stored' in the sidings ...
A Snapper (Courtesy Bruce McCartney) 15/08/1959
Locomotives 'stored' at Polmont in 1959 included C16 4-4-2T no 67492 and J72 0-6-0T no 69014. Both were ex-64A, with 67492 'officially withdrawn' the ...
K A Gray 27/07/1959
J37 0-6-0 no 64537 standing in the shed yard at Polmont on 15 August 1959. ...
A Snapper (Courtesy Bruce McCartney) 15/08/1959
Holden J69 0-6-0T no 68524 'stored' in the sidings alongside Polmont shed in the summer of 1959. 68524 is recorded as being withdrawn from here in ...
Robin Barbour Collection (Courtesy Bruce McCartney) 27/07/1959
4 of 15 images. more


This panel box is on the north side of Polmont Junction. It replaced Polmont Junction and Bo'ness Junction [1st] signal boxes in 1979.
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See also
Stirlingshire Midland Junction Railway


A ScotRail 158 about to complete the climb up from Falkirk Grahamston to join the E&G at Polmont junction on 7 August 2007. The train is a Dunblane - ...
John Furnevel 07/08/2007
An Edinburgh - Dunblane service westbound at Polmont Junction on 23 April 2010. The 158 is about to cross over before dropping down the bank towards ...
John Furnevel 23/04/2010
A Waverley bound 158 joins the E&G main line at Polmont Junction on 7 August 2007. ...
John Furnevel 07/08/2007
An Edinburgh - Dunblane 158 service, having just left the Edinburgh and Glasgow main line at Polmont Junction (at the bridge in the left background) ...
John Furnevel 07/08/2007
4 of 13 images. more


This is a two platform station on the Edinburgh and Glasgow main line. There is a station building on the eastbound platform.
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A Glasgow to Edinburgh stopping service pulls into a quiet Polmont on 16th July 2020. Polmont is famous for its Young Offenders Institution and - ...
David Panton 16/07/2020
A Glasgow to Edinburgh stopper pulls into Polmont on 16th July 2020. There are social distancing reminders on every lamppost but there's no problem ...
David Panton 16/07/2020
Engineers have been working around-the-clock to repair the line which was partially washed away near Polmont when the Union Canal burst its banks on ...
Network Rail /09/2020
A Class 380 calls at Polmont with an Edinburgh - Cumbernauld - Glasgow service on 14 March 2019. Along with Linlithgow, Polmont lost its direct trains ...
David Panton 14/03/2019
4 of 47 images. more


This signal box was east of Polmont station on the north side of the line. East of the station a long siding on the south side of the line was converted into a loop and a bay platform single track was added to the east end of the eastbound platform.
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This junction gave the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway access to the Bo'ness branch (Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway). Approach was from the west. Both lines were doubled with the branch dropping to single track after Bo'ness Low Junction. This layout dated from 1893 when a signal box ('Manuel High Level') opened here. The original 1851 connection was not direct but by ...

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This is the junction for the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway [Preserved] located at the west end of the former Manuel High Level station. Access to the line is by reversal from the eastbound line of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway to a headshunt on the north side of the line.
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See also
Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway
The Strathspey Railway Association Strathmore Express takes the Kinneil branch past Boness Junction signal box on 25 May 1974. ...
Bill Roberton 25/05/1974
1 of 1 images.


This was largely an interchange station between the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and the routes to Bo'ness and Slamannan. There were three high level platforms, two on the main line and a bay at the west end of the westbound platform for trains to Blackston Junction and beyond. Manuel Low Level was below at the east end of the high level station. When opened there was very ...

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See also
Slamannan Junction Railway
Running round a train from Boness at Manuel on 9 April 2011. ...
John Yellowlees 09/04/2011
D49 4-4-0 no 246 Morayshire dropping down from Manuel with the SRPS 12.55 to Bo'ness on 6 August 2013. ...
Bill Roberton 06/08/2013
An Edinburgh - Glasgow shuttle approaching Manuel in July 2007. ...
John Furnevel 07/07/2007
GNR N2 0-6-2T 1744 running round at Manuel on 20 October 2013 after bringing in a service from Boness. ...
Bill Roberton 20/10/2013
4 of 15 images. more


This is a double track 23 arch masonry viaduct, 442 yards long and 70 ft high, west of Linlithgow station.
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A Hunterston - Longannet working crosses the Avon Viaduct on a sunny day in March 2005, with the background incorporating the petrochemical complex at ...
John Clark 05/03/2005
A westbound train crossing the Avon Viaduct, Linlithgow. Wires up and looking ready for electric trains. View looks south. ...
Ewan Crawford 08/10/2017
A Glasgow - Edinburgh shuttle approaching Linlithgow on the Avon viaduct in 2005. ...
John Furnevel 30/05/2005
A 6-car 170 crossing the Avon Viaduct, Linlithgow, on 16 October.
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Brian Forbes 16/10/2010
4 of 6 images. more


This was a goods yard in the west of Linlithgow, west of Linlithgow station itself. The sidings were on a loop on the north side of the line. To the west is the Avon Viaduct.
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The site of Lochmill Goods in Linlithgow Bridge seen on 27 November 2019 with the EGML in the background. Any resemblance to a car park is purely ...
David Panton 27/11/2019
1 of 1 images.


This is a two platform station. An original station building stands on the eastbound platform, a remarkable survivor. The building is two storeys, one seen from the platform. At its east end is a covered area. The west end of the eastbound platform is slightly cantilevered out over St Michael's Wynd.
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An Edinburgh service pulls into Linlithgow on 19 April 2021. ...
David Panton 19/04/2021
170402 on an Edinburgh Waverley service at Linlithgow on 17th May 2016. ...
David Bosher 17/05/2016
385022 from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street arriving at Linlithgow, late in the afternoon of a bitterly cold Saturday, 16th March 2019. ...
David Bosher 16/03/2019
A Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh service calls at Linlithgow on the lovely early autumn morning of 23 September 2020. ...
David Panton 23/09/2020
4 of 73 images. more


This was a two platform station just to the north of the rail served Philpstoun Oil Works with which it was associated. The works had its own railway network spreading out to various oil shale mines.
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Between Philpstoun and Winchburgh Junction, the 10.00 ex. Queen Street Class 27 Push Pull working heads for Edinburgh in September 1979. These ...
John Clark /09/1979
An Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Queen Street shuttle service in the cutting approaching the site of Philpstoun station on 7 July 2007. ...
John Furnevel 07/07/2007
Class 365s near Philpstoun seen from the Union Canal towpath. ...
John Yellowlees 21/07/2018
A Dunblane - Waverley service approaches Philpstoun in 2003. ...
James Young 06/12/2003
4 of 7 images. more


This junction opened in 1890 between the 1842 Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and the approach to the then new Forth Bridge. It is the western end of a line which runs to Dalmeny. This was a double track junction.
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See also
Forth Bridge Connecting Lines (North British Railway)
A 47/7 propels an Edinburgh - Glasgow Queen Street push-pull near Philpstoun. ...
Bill Roberton //1990
A4 Pacific 60009 Union of South Africa climbing away from Winchburgh Junction with the morning SRPS Forth Circle special on 27 April ...
Jim Peebles 27/04/2014
Running east from Winchburgh Junction is a loaded coal train for Longannet. ...
Ewan Crawford //
An afternoon Glasgow Queen St to Edinburgh Waverley push-pull working hurries past Winchburgh Junction with what appears to be class 27 No. 5400 ...
Bill Jamieson /04/1972
4 of 9 images. more


This was a two platform station located partly in the cutting just to the north of Winchburgh Tunnel.
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An Edinburgh to Inverness service on 08/09/2023 near the site of Winchburgh station. The service was partially cancelled and only ran as far as Perth ...
David Laurie 08/09/2023
The SRPS Forth Circle special runs through Winchburgh on 14 September approaching the bridge over the B8020. Stanier Pacific 46233 Duchess ...
Jim Peebles 14/09/2014
Stanier Pacific 46233 Duchess of Sutherland crossing Beatly Road bridge at Winchburgh on 14 September 2014 with the SRPS Forth Circle ...
Jim Peebles 14/09/2014
K1 2-6-0 no 62005 heads for Winchburgh tunnel on 1 May 2014 with the Edinburgh Waverley - Fort William (train B) portion of the Great Britain ...
Jim Peebles 01/05/2014
4 of 10 images. more


This is a double track tunnel with the former Winchburgh station at the north end and the former Broxburn West Signal Box for the Niddry Castle Oilworks to the south. At both ends it approaches in long cuttings.
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The western portal of Winchburgh tunnel on 19th May 2015, photographed through the chainlink fencing. Work is due to start here shortly. [See recent ...
Colin McDonald 19/05/2015
A Metro-Cammell dmu bursts out of Winchburgh Tunnel on what is probably the 15:08 Stirling - Edinburgh Waverley service, thought to be in April 1972. ...
Bill Jamieson /04/1972
The scene at the Linlithgow end of Winchburgh tunnel on 2nd July 2015 with the lowering of the track level in progress. On the right are the ...
Colin McDonald 02/07/2015
View south from above the site of Winchburgh Station on 14 June 2015. The north portal of Winchburgh Tunnel is visible on the left, with the ...
Bill Roberton 14/06/2015
4 of 4 images.


This box controlled access to the Niddry Oilworks sidings from the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. The sidings were on the east side of the line, approached from the south.
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This was a short lived station. It opened not long after the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway but was too distant from Broxburn itself and closed shortly afterwards.
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This junction on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was for the Broxburn Oil Works branch, the Broxburn Railway. The branch also served the Albyn Oil Works. The branch was approached from the north.
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See also
Broxburn Railway
View towards Edinburgh at Broxburn Junction in 2003. The Broxburn branch ran off to the right and there were several sidings off the branch. The ...
Ewan Crawford 26/12/2003
Bings at the former shale works at Broxburn. ...
Ewan Crawford //
2 of 2 images.


This is a seven arch viaduct which crosses the A89. The viaduct is 139 yds long overall and 55 ft high. To the east is the much longer Almond Valley Viaduct.
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Looking east along the A89 towards Edinburgh on a pleasant April afternoon in 2009, as a ScotRail 170 DMU crosses Broxburn Viaduct with a limited stop ...
John Furnevel 02/04/2009
A late afternoon Queen Street to Waverley push-pull working (the rear class 27 is hidden by the trees) crosses the Broxburn Viaduct, which these days ...
Bill Jamieson /04/1972
There was no train crossing the Broxburn Viaduct over the then A8 trunk road when I photographed it late one afternoon in April 1972, but the vehicle ...
Bill Jamieson /04/1972
A 158 heading for Edinburgh on 2 April crosses the A89 east of Broxburn on Broxburn Viaduct. ...
John Furnevel 02/04/2009
4 of 5 images. more


This is a double track masonry 36 arch viaduct. The viaduct is 681 yds long overall and 60 ft high. The east end of the viaduct crosses the River Almond, the rest crossing the low lying land to the west. Alternative names for this viaduct are Almond Viaduct, Ratho Viaduct and Newbridge Viaduct.
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Almond Valley Viaduct, with Ratho Quarry in the foreground, and snow covered Ochil Hills in the background in February 2022. ...
Gordon Steel 10/02/2022
Almond Valley Viaduct looking east. ...
Ewan Crawford //
A Sprinter crossing Almond Valley Viaduct viewed from the south west in 2003. The dirt road is the trackbed of the mineral line to the Newliston Shale ...
Ewan Crawford 28/12/2003
Almond Valley Viaduct looking east. ...
Ewan Crawford //
4 of 10 images. more


Bathgate Junction was created with the opening of the Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway line west to Bathgate [1st] in 1849. It met the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway of 1842.
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See also
Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway
A mid afternoon service from Bathgate comes off the branch at Newbridge Junction on 24 November 2009. The ScotRail 158 is about to complete the ...
John Furnevel 21/11/2009
ScotRail 170408 runs east through a pre-electrification Newbridge Junction on 29 June 2008. The train is the 0845 Glasgow Queen Street - Edinburgh ...
John Furnevel 29/06/2008
Anti-graffiti artwork at Newbridge Junction.
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John Yellowlees 30/05/2017
Newbridge junction's original name, carried on as a location in 1995. ...
David Panton //1995
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This former station gave rise to the curiosity that is Ratho Station, a small village on the edge of Edinburgh with no station. (Akin to Balfron Station or even Stromeferry (no ferry)). Ratho Station, the village, developed to the north of the station.
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44767 'George Stephenson' and 'Maude' head west through Ratho, having appeared at the Haymarket Depot Open Day in August 1985. They are returning to ...
Bill Roberton 24/08/1985
156439 passes the closed (on 18 June 1951) High Level station at Ratho, with a service from Edinburgh to Bathgate, in 1999. The goods yard, low level ...
Bill Roberton //1999
47714 'Grampian Region' hauls an eastbound service through Ratho station, which had closed in 1951, in 1985.
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Bill Roberton //1985
Sunday PW work on the E&G main line alongside the M8 east of Ratho on 11 June 2006. ...
John Furnevel 11/06/2006
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This junction was east of Ratho station (on the 1842 Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) and Ratho (Low Level) (on the 1866 South Queensferry Branch (North British Railway)), formed with the branch opened.
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South Queensferry Branch (North British Railway)
The closed signal box at Ratho Junction on 14 May 1978. ...
Bill Roberton 14/05/1978
Not a sight you could see nowadays, even on a Sunday! The photographer's sons and friends are shown some detail of the trackwork at Ratho by the local ...
Frank Spaven Collection (Courtesy David Spaven) 30/04/1961
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The passenger and goods stations at Gogar were at different locations. Gogar is a rural area right on the western edge of Edinburgh.
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The hamlet of Roddinglaw is by the E&G line between the former stations of Ratho and Gogar. A Class 385 passes through the last mile of countryside ...
David Panton 08/05/2021
An Edinburgh to Helensburgh service is still accelerating from the Edinburgh Park stop as it passes the site of Gogar station, once serving the many ...
David Panton 30/06/2021
An Edinburgh service passes the site of Gogar station as it slows down for a stop at Edinburgh Park on 22 July 2019. Despite its proximity to the city ...
David Panton 22/07/2019
A fragment of the Up platform fencing is all that remains of Gogar station. It closed in 1930, unsurprisingly as Gogar parish lacked any centre of ...
David Panton 21/10/2019
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This is a two platform modern glass and steel station built in Edinburgh Park, a business park to the south of the Gyle Centre and to the west of Edinburgh.
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An incoming service from the Bathgate line pulls up at Edinburgh Park on 5th August 2020. Class 334s have held complete sway on the Airdrie-Bathgate ...
David Panton 05/08/2020
A Class 385, from Dunblane perhaps, reaches the city proper at Edinburgh Park on 14 April 2021. Office development in Edinburgh Park itself advances ...
David Panton 14/04/2021
The Up Highland Chieftain whizzes through Edinburgh Park on 8 September 2021. The retreating Class 170 also sped through; as there are no diesel ...
David Panton 08/09/2021
A service from Helensburgh calls at Edinburgh Park on 21 April 2021 (at 10.50, as you can see). Trains from Milngavie are a casualty of the emergency ...
David Panton 21/04/2021
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This was a four platform station on raised embankments to the east side of Saughton Road in western Edinburgh.
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Forth Bridge Connecting Lines (North British Railway)
A 6-car class 334 EMU set eastbound between Edinburgh Park and Haymarket on a sunny summer afternoon in July 2014. The train is the 1323 Milngavie - ...
John Furnevel 25/07/2014
ScotRail 170414 running west at speed on the approach to Saughton Junction on 26 October 2002 with an Edinburgh Waverley - Glasgow Queen Street ...
John Furnevel 26/10/2002
Shortly after leaving Balgreen on a sunny 25 July 2014 a westbound Edinburgh tram about to cross the Edinburgh - Glasgow main line on the approach to ...
John Furnevel 25/07/2014
A Bathgate train westbound from Haymarket in November 2006 approaching Saughton Junction. ...
John Furnevel 02/11/2006
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This junction is west of Edinburgh. This is where the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway of 1842 is met by the Forth Bridge Connecting Lines (North British Railway) of 1890. The location is just east of the former Saughton station. Both lines are double track and from the east of the junction to Edinburgh the line is quadrupled.
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Forth Bridge Connecting Lines (North British Railway)
A couple of spotters look on as a Glasgow to Edinburgh service recovers from a signal slow on 29 July 2021. Photographed from the tram bridge which is ...
David Panton 29/07/2021
Pathfinder Tours 'The Edinburgh Explorer' passing Saughton on 27 April 2002. 66040 and 66117 were in charge. This view has since been transformed and ...
Bill Roberton 27/04/2002
A Helensburgh Central to Edinburgh service nears journey's end on 5 June 2021. Who knows, one day there may be overhead wires on the Fife Lines side ...
David Panton 05/06/2021
156504 and 156462 pass the former Saughton Junction with a service for Edinburgh. ...
Bill Roberton //1990
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This signal box was around a quarter of a mile to the east of the original connection between the 1890 Forth Bridge Connecting Lines (North British Railway) and the 1842 Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway at Corstorphine Junction. The signal box was on the south side of the line. The box opened in 1894, a year in advance of the quadrupling of the line between Corstorphine Junction and ...

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Just west of Haymarket West Junction class A4 60011 'Empire of India' passing Balgreen Halt with Perth - Edinburgh train. ...
David Murray-Smith 14/08/1961
Balgreen tram stop occupies the exact location of Balgreen Halt, hard by the main line near Haymarket West Junction. The morning LNER Aberdeen to ...
David Panton 16/07/2018
A train for Glasgow via Cumbernauld passes Haymarket West Junction (and Balgreen tramstop) on 13 April 2019. ...
David Panton 13/04/2019
View near Haymarket West Junction, taken from an Edinburgh-bound diesel multiple unit, with an English Electric Type 4 accelerating an express in the ...
Brian Haslehust //1963
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This is a train maintenance depot in the west of Edinburgh, just west of Haymarket station and accessed from the east.
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40052 inside Haymarket Depot in 1983. Before the year was over the loco had been withdrawn and cut up at Crewe Works. ...
Bill Roberton //1983
26015 on shed at Haymarket on 24 June 1981. ...
Roger Geach 24/06/1981
37054, a March Depot boilered loco at the time, is seen on Haymarket shed along with 40165 and 20218 in June 1981. One did not come to Scotland to ...
Roger Geach 24/06/1981.
47701 'St Andrew' and 47704 'Dunedin' outside Haymarket shed looking east to Edinburgh Castle in 1983. The Class 20 in the sidings appears to be ...
Bill Roberton //1983
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This junction is west of Haymarket station and Haymarket East Junction. The junction opened with the Edinburgh, Suburban and Southside Junction Railway junction in 1884.
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Edinburgh, Suburban and Southside Junction Railway
Haymarket Central Junction signal box with Haymarket depot on the right of the shot and a couple of Claytons visible. No details for this shot but ...
John Clark //1971
This is a view of the recently wired-up Haymarket Central Junction from a passing train. Part of the EGIP project it will allow the new electric ...
Charlie Niven 20/06/2016
60009 Union of South Africa passing Haymarket coal yard on 1 September 1979 with a railtour heading for Aberdeen. St Mary's Cathedral is centre ...
John Furnevel 01/09/1979
Preserved A4 Pacific 60009 Union of South Africa with a railtour westbound between Haymarket station and Haymarket MPD. The train is about to ...
John Furnevel 01/09/1979
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This coal yard was immediately east of where the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was crossed by the Granton Branch (Caledonian Railway).
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V2 4771 'Green Arrow', and 9F 92220 'Evening Star', take coal at Haymarket yard in preparation for the 'EMI Music Express' from Waverley to Gleneagles ...
Bill Roberton 07/04/1986
Lost Railfreight A class 47 passes Haymarket Coal Yard with a mixed freight from Aberdeen in 1986. #COP26 ...
Bill Roberton //1986
Lost Railfreight. Diesel fuel for Haymarket Depot being shunted at the nearby coal yard by 20137 in 1981. #COP26 ...
Bill Roberton //1981
20137 shunts Haymarket coal yard in 1981.
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Bill Roberton //1981
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This goods yard was built to the north of Haymarket station. Approach was from Haymarket Central Junction and Haymarket Coal Yard was just to the west, also on the north side of the line.
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The site of Haymarket goods station was used by a coal merchant until the early 1990s, then it lay empty for a while. Here in January 1998 work had ...
David Panton 19/01/1998
The curved loading platform at Haymarket Goods has seen decades of development all around it, perhaps because it provided a daylight gap in the ...
David Panton 07/04/2021
Looking east across the site of Haymarket goods on 16 October 2019. This is pretty close to my view in January 1998 see image 29758 taken before ...
David Panton 16/10/2019
The loading platform of the former goods station at Haymarket survives which I find rather surprising; offices seem to have been built round it even ...
David Panton 13/04/2020
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This junction is directly west of Haymarket station. It opened in 1964, finally completing the line from Slateford Junction [1st] laid down in 1859. The connection was known as the Duff Street Spur. This joined together the former Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and the Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway).
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Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway)
266, nearing Haymarket tram stop, and 334034 heading for Edinburgh, run in parallel at Haymarket East Junction on 27th February 2023. ...
Mark Bartlett 27/02/2023
Works at Haymarket, Christmas 2019. ...
Network Rail /12/2019
The view west from Haymarket station in the summer of 2007. On the left a Virgin CrossCountry service heading for Manchester Piccadilly has just taken ...
John Furnevel 25/07/2007
170472, on a Glasgow Queen Street to Edinbrgh Waverley service, clatters over the points at Haymarket East and into the station. Photographed from ...
David Panton 07/08/2017
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Lost Railfreight 26002 shunts a pair of Co2 tanks at the Caledonian Distillery, adjacent to Haymarket station, in 1988. The distillery has ...
Bill Roberton //1988
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This is a five platform station in the west of Edinburgh where the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and Caledonian Railway divide. An 1842 Georgian building, by John Miller, dating from the opening as a terminus now fronts a station which is a train, tram and bus interchange.
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Haymarket drainage installation during Christmas 2023. New drainage systems were installed at Princes St Gardens and Haymarket station, to help the ...
Network Rail /12/2023
An incoming service from the Airdrie - Bathgate line pulls into Haymarket on 2 September 2020. ...
David Panton 02/09/2020
On 16 June 2021 a CrossCountry Class 220 pulls into Haymarket with a train for Plymouth - or was it Penzance? Someone would care. ...
David Panton 16/06/2021
Haymarket station on 28 April 2021 was still quiet in terms of people, and trains were less frequent because of the emergency timetable. However more ...
David Panton 28/04/2021
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The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was extended east from Haymarket through Haymarket Tunnels to what is now Edinburgh Waverley station through Princes Street Gardens and the Mound Tunnels under The Mound in 1846.
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Pride-branded 334006 leads the 15.54 from Helensburgh Central to Edinburgh through Princes Street Gardens on 10 June 2023. The footbridges spanning ...
Bill Roberton 10/06/2023
An Arbroath service heads towards Haymarket North Tunnel on 13 August 2021. In 1841 the new railway ploughed through a section of St Cuthbert's ...
David Panton 13/08/2021
A Glasgow Queen Street service about to plunge into Haymarket Tunnel on 6 August 2021. I've pulled back a bit so you can appreciate Castle Rock. ...
David Panton 06/08/2021
Side by side. Trains passing in Princes Street Gardens cutting, midway between The Mound and Haymarket Tunnels, on a dank and dreary November day in ...
John Furnevel 21/11/2019
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This is the main station in Edinburgh and acts as both a terminus and through station. The larger part of the station is covered by a large glazed roof by Blyth and Cunningham and is an island platform with bays at either end. There is a smaller island platform outwith the main roof on the south side.
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North British Railway
Borders Railway (Network Rail)
A poster celebrating the 40th anniversary of ScotRail. ...
John Yellowlees 22/09/2023
Here is the Borders Railway Community Partnership for the Borders Railway Tapestry Panel. The panel is due to be inaugurated next Easter at the ...
John Yellowlees 23/09/2023
43147 at Waverley platform 15 with the 16.30 to Aberdeen on 21st April 2023. 43033 was on the rear. ...
Bill Roberton 21/04/2023
170395 at Waverley platform 3, with the 15.11 to Tweedbank, on 27 December 2022.
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Bill Roberton 27/12/2022
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