Longridge to Bathgate (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)

Introduction

This 1850 extension of the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway (1845) to the Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway (1849) from Longridge to Bathgate left both Bathgate [1st] and Longridge [1st] stations on short branches. Bathgate Upper was to open later (1880).

Why built

This extension was first considered by the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway in 1849, it was a logical extension there being much coal in the Torbane and Bathgate areas and the Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway had just opened. This extension would make the line a constituent in an alternative Edinburgh to Glasgow route.

The Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway was merged with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in 1849.

The extension line was built by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway who had no physical connection.

This purchase had consolidated the E&G position in the area by blocking the Caledonian Railway from buying the line and creating a short Edinburgh to Glasgow route. This new line connected their Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway purchase to nearby friendly lines.





Dates

  /  /1850Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway
Longridge to Bathgate (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Morningside line extended from Longridge [2nd] to Bathgate where a connection was made to the Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway. Stations opened at Longridge [2nd] and Whitburn. With the opening of the extension, the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway is re-opened to passengers.
  /02/1851Bathgate Chemical Works
Opened. There was access from the nearby Longridge to Bathgate (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway).
01/10/1864Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway
Longridge to Bathgate (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Re-opened to passengers. Blackhall, Crofthead [NB], Longridge [2nd], Whitburn re-opened and new Bents station opened.
10/08/1964Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway
Longridge to Bathgate (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Fauldhouse and Crofthead to Bathgate (Polkemmet Junction) closed to goods (remains open to minerals).
02/05/1966Levenseat Railway
Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway
Longridge to Bathgate (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
Levenseat Lime Works to Fauldhouse and Crofthead to Whitrigg Colliery (excluded) closed.
18/05/2010Longridge to Bathgate (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway)
A DB Shenker train becomes the first to enter the new railway between Airdrie and Bathgate at Bathgate, from which the line was laid westwards.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Longridge to Bathgate

This was the main portion of the line.

This was a short lived replacement for Longridge [1st], just to the south, the original terminus of the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway.
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This was a single platform station, the stone built platform on the north side of the line on the west side of a level crossing, and with a goods yard to the south, approached from the west. A stone station building stood on the platform.
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Looking west over the site of Bents station on the Longridge to Bathgate extension of the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway built by the ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
1 of 1 images.


This junction, also known as Foulshiels Junction, was immediately south of the level crossing by the former Foulshiels station. There was a long passing loop on the main route running south from the junction, accommodated by the line here having been prepared for two tracks, and a short passing loop on the branch line.
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See also
Addiewell Branch (North British Railway)


This short lived station had a single platform on the east side of the line. It was just to the north of a level crossing close to West Foulshiels farm.
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This station had a brick built station building on the platform. The platform was on the west side of a loop, the line being single track to north and south. There were sidings on either side, approached from the south.
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The site of Whitburn station, West Lothian, looking north beyond the A705 road bridge towards Bathgate in September 2013. The location is just over a ...
John Furnevel 23/09/2013
The site of Whitburn station, looking south in May 1997. The station was located at East Whitburn. See image 44781 for a view of the bridge from ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
Whitburn station lost its passenger service as long ago as 1930, although the line continued to handle freight well into the 1960s. The trackbed is ...
John Furnevel 23/09/2013
3 of 3 images.


This was a shale oil works. Paraffin was distilled here from coal and oil shale, the process invented and patented by the chemist James Young. The works was opened with Edward Meldrum and Edward William Binney as E.W. Binney & Co. in 1851. The process was perfected by 1856.
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The original trackbed here was built for two lines by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway extending the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway from Longridge [1st] to Bathgate East Junction [1st]. The eastbound only was laid at opening.
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This was a four way junction in the west of Bathgate. Today the location is a double track electrified railway with no junction.
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See also
Torbanehill and Bathgate Branch (Monkland Railways)
One of the tasks given to Bathgate's J36 65267 on 15th February 1965 was to bank a westbound coal train up the hill to Armadale. I was quietly ...
Robin McGregor 15/02/1965
Rumours of a treasure wagon buried somewhere in Bathgate during the A to B ground investigation had spurred this gold digger to take up his iron pinch ...
Charlie Niven 01/04/2008
A train from Milngavie has just passed the site of Polkemmet Junction on the western approach to Bathgate station on 19 December 2019. The former ...
John Furnevel 19/12/2019
View east over Whitburn Road, Bathgate, in July 2008, showing Boghead Bridge carrying the trackbed of the closed Airdrie - Bathgate route, with the ...
John Furnevel 31/07/2008
4 of 22 images. more


This was a two platform through station built on a curve in the south of Bathgate. The main station building was on the eastbound platform. The building had a large canopy. Opposite was a NB style waiting room.
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See also
Bathgate Loop (North British Railway)
With an appropriately setting Sun, the Branch Line Society railtour of 16th October 1965 paused at the closed station of Bathgate Upper while ...
Robin McGregor 16/10/1965
On its way back to Glasgow, the Branch Line Society railtour of 16th October 1965 paused at the closed station of Bathgate Upper, where GNSR 4-4-0 ...
Robin McGregor 16/10/1965
NBR J36 0-6-0 65345, leaving Bathgate with the Scottish Rambler No 5 railtour on 11th April 1966.
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Robin McGregor 11/04/1966
In January 1965, J36 0-6-0 65243 'Maude' pauses for water from the column at the closed Bathgate Upper station, whilst on the way to the nearby ...
Robin McGregor 08/01/1965
4 of 34 images. more


This junction was created in 1850 when the 1849 Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway was met by the Longridge to Bathgate (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) line just east of Bathgate [1st] station. The connection faced Edinburgh, allowing goods and minerals to run through whereas passenger trains would need to reverse to reach Bathgate station.
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See also
Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway
NBR J36 0-6-0 65345 with the Scottish Rambler No 5 railtour at Bathgate on 11th April 1966. ...
Robin McGregor 11/04/1966
An Edinburgh service approaches Bathgate on 18 June 2019. ...
David Panton 18/06/2019
Winter sunlight catches J36 65243 'Maude', approaching the signalbox for Bathgate Yard, with a trainload of coal from a local colliery on 8th January ...
Robin McGregor 08/01/1965
An afternoon train for Newcraighall via Waverley leaving the single line terminus at Bathgate during heavy rain on 19 August 2008. To the right of the ...
John Furnevel 19/08/2008
4 of 26 images. more





Whitrigg Colliery Branch

This ran from south of Whitburn station to the Whitrigg Colliery.

This station had a brick built station building on the platform. The platform was on the west side of a loop, the line being single track to north and south. There were sidings on either side, approached from the south.
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More details
The site of Whitburn station, West Lothian, looking north beyond the A705 road bridge towards Bathgate in September 2013. The location is just over a ...
John Furnevel 23/09/2013
The site of Whitburn station, looking south in May 1997. The station was located at East Whitburn. See image 44781 for a view of the bridge from ...
Ewan Crawford 03/05/1997
Whitburn station lost its passenger service as long ago as 1930, although the line continued to handle freight well into the 1960s. The trackbed is ...
John Furnevel 23/09/2013
3 of 3 images.







Riddochhill Colliery

This was a two platform through station built on a curve in the south of Bathgate. The main station building was on the eastbound platform. The building had a large canopy. Opposite was a NB style waiting room.
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More details

See also
Bathgate Loop (North British Railway)
With an appropriately setting Sun, the Branch Line Society railtour of 16th October 1965 paused at the closed station of Bathgate Upper while ...
Robin McGregor 16/10/1965
On its way back to Glasgow, the Branch Line Society railtour of 16th October 1965 paused at the closed station of Bathgate Upper, where GNSR 4-4-0 ...
Robin McGregor 16/10/1965
NBR J36 0-6-0 65345, leaving Bathgate with the Scottish Rambler No 5 railtour on 11th April 1966.
...
Robin McGregor 11/04/1966
In January 1965, J36 0-6-0 65243 'Maude' pauses for water from the column at the closed Bathgate Upper station, whilst on the way to the nearby ...
Robin McGregor 08/01/1965
4 of 34 images. more


This foundry was operated by the North British Steel Foundry Ltd, associated with the Menzies family. It was opened in 1907 and made track components for the railway industry.
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