This railway is largely closed. Portions of the line remain in use (as part of the West Coast Main Line) from Garnqueen South Junction to Gartsherrie East Junction, from near Sunnyside Junction to Greenside Junction (part of the Glasgow to Airdrie line),and from Sunnyside Junction to Whifflet (a diversionary route). Much of the rest of the route is now a footpath and cyclepath.
For much of its length, in the north particularly, it followed a similar course to a major canal feeder for the Forth and Clyde Canal.
This railway connected the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Monklands district and in particular its coal mines. Coal bound for Edinburgh via the Union Canal came to the canal at Kirkintilloch Basin.
/ /1823 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Survey by Thomas Grainger. |
17/05/1824 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act receives Royal assent. Engineer : Thomas Grainger and John Miller Contractors : Thomas Grainger, William Baird & Co & Charles McCaul. |
/ /1826 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Gartsherrie station opened. |
/10/1826 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Line opened under horse traction as a single track line. |
08/07/1828 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Coach service between Kirkintilloch Basin and Leaend commenced. |
/ /1830 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] [Ballochney Railway] Garden Square, Village built at Leaend for Railway workers. |
/ /1831 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Locomotives provided by Murdoch, Aitken and Co. |
01/06/1831 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Coach service between Kirkintilloch Basin and Leaend ceased before this date. |
/ /1835 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Basin and further sidings opened at Kirkintilloch. |
/ /1837 | Rosehall Railway ([Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway]) Branch opened to Rosehall colliery. |
/ /1837 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] A locomotive erecting works in a workshop by the [Ballochney Railway] is abandoned, and Kipps is opened, on the other side of the railway from the old shed. |
/ /1838 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Workshops established at Kipps. |
/ /1838 | Rosehall Railway ([Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway]) Leased by Robert Addie and Robert Miller from Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway for 30 years. |
/ /1839 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Carriage service from Kirkintilloch Basin to Gargill to connect with Glasgow to Leaend service commenced. |
/ /1839 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Work to double line commenced. |
/ /1840 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Work to double line completed. |
/ /1841 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Second basin and further sidings opened at Kirkintilloch. |
26/12/1844 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Carriage service from Kirkintilloch Basin to Gargill to connect with Glasgow to Leaend service ceases. |
26/12/1844 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] New Kirkintilloch station opened to exchange with [Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway] station of same name by the Bothlin viaduct. |
26/12/1844 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Service between new Kirkintilloch station and Hallcraig commences. |
26/12/1844 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway's Horse-drawn service between Kirkintilloch Basin station and new Kirkintilloch station commences. |
/ /1846 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Sunnyside Junction re-modeled to allow expansion of William Baird & Cos Gartsherrie Ironworks. Contractor for work: William Baird &Co. |
23/03/1846 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Service between Kirkintilloch Basin and new Kirkintilloch station withdrawn. |
/ /1847 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] New bridge opened which takes line over Monkland canal and road in central Coatbridge. |
27/07/1847 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Converted to standard gauge. |
14/08/1848 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] [Ballochney Railway] [Slamannan Railway] [Monkland Railways] Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway merges with Ballochney Railway and Slamannan Railway to become Monkland Railways. |
/ /1868 | Rosehall Railway ([Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway]) Expiry of lease by Addie and Miller. |
01/02/1871 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Coatbridge Sunnyside opened. |
26/10/1871 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Coatbridge station opened. |
26/10/1871 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Whifflet station opened. |
26/10/1871 | [Coatbridge Branch] ([North British Railway]) [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Whifflet to College passenger service starts. |
/ /1888 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Coatbridge Sunnyside opened. |
/ /1890 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] 537 men employed at Kipps works. |
/ /1905 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Branch to Bedlay Colliery opened - although a tramway occupied most of the route previously. |
01/05/1930 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] [Ballochney Railway] Passenger trains cease on Ballochney Railway, last regular passenger train runs between Greenside Junction and Kipps Junction. |
10/09/1930 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Coatbridge station closed. |
22/09/1930 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Whifflet station closed. |
28/10/1940 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Gartsherrie station closed. |
10/09/1951 | [Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway] Passenger trains running from Sunnyside Junction to Whifflet South Junction through Coatbridge for the Bothwell service cease to run - last regular passenger service over this section of line. |
/ /1954 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Rosehall Branch from Whifflet South Junction (excluded) closed. |
/ /1955 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Line from Whifflet South Junction (excluded) to Palacecraig Colliery closed. |
08/01/1956 | Glasgow City and District RailwayCoatbridge Branch (North British Railway)Monkland and Kirkintilloch RailwayBathgate and Coatbridge Railway (Monkland Railways)Edinburgh and Bathgate RailwayEdinburgh and Glasgow Railway Last regular Glasgow Queen Street Low Level to Edinburgh Waverley via Shettleston, Coatbridge Sunnyside and Bathgate Upper service runs. |
/ /1971 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Gartsherrie East Junction closed, line between here and the north end of Gunnie Yard lifted. |
18/08/1971 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Last freight runs between Greenside Junction and Kipps Junction, line closed. |
18/08/1971 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Ballochney Railway Greenside Junction (excluded) to Kipps Junction closed. |
11/12/1981 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Bedlay Colliery closed and line from there to Garnqueen South Junction closed. |
/ /1984 | Monkland and Kirkintilloch RailwayBallochney Railway Area around Kipps Junction landscaped and remains of railway and steel works removed. |
This line is divided into a number of portions.
Goods and (briefly) passenger line from Kirkintilloch Basin to Cairnhill Bridge.
This was the northern terminus of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway at 90 degrees to the Forth and Clyde Canal. It was a goods depot and briefly a passenger station. It was located in the west of Kirkintilloch. Also known as Middlemuir Basin.
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This foundry was established on the south bank of the Forth and Clyde Canal in 1861/2 by Alexander Smith, formerly of the Sun Foundry [Glasgow]. It was separated from the Canal Bank by Southbank Road.
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Also known as Woodleys Junction. This was the junction between the 1826 Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and a 1848 spur from Middlemuir Junction on the [[Campsie Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway). The lines meeting here were single track. Originally the line from Middlemuir Junction was double, dropping to single immediately before the junction.
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This was the junction between the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and the curve up to the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway's at Garngaber High Junction. The line dropped quite steeply from the high junction down to the older line and had a fairly tight curve to negotiate before running parallel for a little way to reach the junction.
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This siding was at Muckcroft Level Crossing, east of the crossing and on the south side, approached from the east. ...
More detailsThe line from Garnqueen divided into three here. Going to the north west, the original M&K route, two single track lines ran in parallel, giving the appearance of a double track line. The western track ran to Garngaber High Junction, the eastern to Woodley Junction. A newer route to Waterside Junction ran to the north. This later route was a conventional double track.
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This station was located at Bridgend in the north west of present day Moodiesburn, which did not exist when the station was open. It was north of Chryston, by which name the goods station was known some time after 1900.
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This signal box opened in 1895. It was located at the level crossing south of Avenuehead. The box was on the east side of the crossing, south of the line. The line here was double track. It was reduced to a gate box in 1909. This section of line, Garngaber Low Junction to Bedlay Junction, closed in 1965.
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This short lived station was opened by the Monkland Railways company on the former Monkland and Kirktintilloch Railway, a line which was chiefly concerned with mineral traffic, not passengers.
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This brick works was opened by P&M Hurll, who also owned the nearby Garnqueen Brick Works. They also came to own the Birkhill Fireclay Mine and brick works in Drumchapel.
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This level crossing is north of Coatbridge. Gartgill Road crosses the double track railway here on a section of line which is now a double track main line but started life as a portion of the Monkland and Kirktintilloch Railway, largely a coal railway, of 1826.
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This station opened on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway just east of the junction formed with the opening of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway in 1831.
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This box was at the north end of Gunnie Yard [1st] on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway. It was on the east side of the line just north of where the Gartsherrie Ironworks and Railways crossed overhead. The yard started immediately to the south of the bridge.
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The yard consisted of sidings on either side of the former Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway between Gunnie North Signal Box and Gunnie South Signal Box. The yard was largely associated with the local iron works, particularly the Gartsherrie Iron Works.
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This signal box was at the south end of Gunnie Yard [1st] on the former Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway east of the Gartsherrie Iron Works.
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This junction is the successor to the original junction between the main line of the Monkland and Kirktintilloch Railway and the Kipps branch, and the line to Glasgow.
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This was a junction on the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway controlled by a signal box on the east side of the line.
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This was the junction from which the 1828 Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway was extended south in 1834 by the Wishaw and Coltness Railway. From the same junction the Rosehall Railway ran south to the Rosehall Colliery.
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This was a roll foundry making rolls used in the steel industry and other products. It was founded by Robert Tennent in 1857 whose firm was R. B. Tennent & Sons Ltd.
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To the east was a large yard for the Calder Iron Works on the line to Faskine. The yard was on the original alignment of the Monkland and Kirktintilloch Railway, the railway being deviated to the north. The far end of the deviation was at Calder Iron Works Signal Box.
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Short lived station to serve the Calder Iron Works. ...
More detailsThe original route of the railway passed right through the Calder Iron Works. The deviated line was north of the Calder Iron Works. This signal box was at the point where the deviation (over the Dixon Cut of the Monkland Canal) rejoined the original route at the east end of the deviation. The box was at the east end of double track and on the north side of line. The west end of the ...
More detailsPassenger and goods line from Sunnyside Junction to Kippsbyre Colliery.
This junction is the successor to the original junction between the main line of the Monkland and Kirktintilloch Railway and the Kipps branch, and the line to Glasgow.
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This is a two platform station with the main building on the Glasgow bound platform. The Sunnyside Coffee Company is based in the station building.
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This was a double track junction east of Coatbridge Sunnyside. It was formed between the Kipps branch of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and the later New Monkland Line (Monkland Railways).
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This works opened by the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway 'opposite' the Greenside Works of the Ballochney Railway between Greenside Junction (west) and Kipps Junction (east). The works was on the south side of the line and approached from the west. It was named for Mosside Farm, to the east. The works carried out maintenance of locomotives and wagons. Locomotives were built ...
More detailsThis shed was located to the north side of the Kipps branch of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway just east of Greenside Junction. It was a double ended three road shed approach from both east and west. The site was bounded to the north by the gas works. There was a modern coal bunker at the east end of the site.
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This was a junction which grew to serve numerous lines and yards.
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Mineral line from Bedlay Junction to Bedlay Colliery.
Opened in 1905 by William Baird and Sons.
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