Larkhall

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Larkhall Central (1905-1965)
Larkhall (2005-)

Station code: LRH National Rail ScotRail
Where: South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Opened on the Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway).
Open on the Glasgow to Larkhall.

Description

This is a two platform terminus of the line from Hamilton (Haughhead Junction).

The line is single track from Allanton Loop to the north and doubles before entering the station.

There is a car park to the south.

The station is built on the same site as the station closed in 1965. The platforms survived and there were hopes to re-used them but clearance was insufficient. The present platforms are straight, the former ones on a gentle curve.

The original station had a street level building on Caledonian Road. Below were canopied platform buildings and a covered footbridge. The signal box was built in under the east side of the footbridge.

To the south was the large goods yard, on the east side of the line. This, and the former southbound trackbed, are the carpark. The goods yard was approached via a long reversing spur which start from just south of MacNeil Street and reached almost as far as the Broomhill Viaduct.

With the opening of Larkhall Central in 1905, Larkhall [1st] became Larkhall East.

The line was single track north to Merryton Junction, north of today's Merryton station and south of today's Allanton Loop. Just to the north of the station was Raploch Colliery Nos 1 and 2.

The next station north is Merryton and the next station south was Stonehouse [Lanarkshire]. To reach the later the line crossed the Broomhill Viaduct.

The station closed to passengers in 1965, the box closing with it. The line remained open until 1968/69 to serve the Auchlochan Nos 9 and 10 Collieries.

Although station buildings the platforms and trackbed survived the closure and remained, becoming increasingly overgrown until the line's re-opening.

Tags

Station terminus

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map

Facilities

Gaelic name: Taigh na h-Uiseig




Chronology Dates

  /  /1896Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Construction of line from Merryton Junction, (Lesmahagow Railway) to Larkhall Central and Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] (Lesmahagow Railway) begins.
  /  /1897Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Merryton Junction via Larkhall Central to Stonehouse East Junction authorised. Previously authorised Lanark Loop abandoned.
  /  /1901Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Merryton Junction via Larkhall Central to Stonehouse East Junction, extension of time to complete.
01/07/1905Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Merryton Junction, (Lesmahagow Railway) to Larkhall Central and Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] (Lesmahagow Railway) opened. Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] (Lesmahagow Railway) to Blackwood Junction (Lesmahagow Railway) opened. Blackwood Junction (Lesmahagow Railway) to Alton Heights (Lesmahagow Railway) opened. Cot Castle Goods (Lesmahagow Railway) to Strathaven Central opened. Stations opened at Larkhall Central, Blackwood [2nd], Lesmahagow [2nd]. Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] rebuilt.
04/10/1965Lesmahagow Railway Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Coalburn to Hamilton (Haughhead Junction) closed to passengers. Stations closed: Coalburn, Lesmahagow [2nd], Blackwood [2nd], Stonehouse [Lanarkshire], Larkhall Central. Additionally Strathaven Central to Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] closed to passengers.
16/09/1968Lesmahagow Railway Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Auchlochan Nos 9 and 10 Collieries to Larkhall Central (excluded) closed to freight.
04/11/1968Lesmahagow Railway Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Larkhall Central to Haughhead Junction (excluded) closed to freight.
04/07/2005Lesmahagow Railway Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Signalling switched on for the re-opening of the Hamilton (Haughhead Junction) - Larkhall branch. The contractor for the reinstatement of the line was Carillion.
17/07/2005Lesmahagow Railway Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Overhead Line Equipment (overhead wires) energised for the re-opening of the Hamilton (Haughhead Junction) - Larkhall line.
26/09/2005Lesmahagow Railway Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Driver training begins on the Larkhall line.
12/12/2005Lesmahagow Railway
Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Line opened from Haughhead Junction via Chatelherault and Merryton to terminate at Larkhall. Total cost was £35M.
  /03/2008Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Strathclyde Passenger Transport commissions a £50K examination of extension from Larkhall to Stonehouse [Lanarkshire].

News items

02/03/2023MSPs team up in bid to extend rail link across rural Lanarkshire [Daily Record]
22/02/2023Laying track to Levenmouth [Rail Engineer]
19/05/2018Pensioner dies in collision at Larkhall railway station [Scotsman]
18/05/2018Car crashes onto train platform in Lanarkshire [BBC News]
02/07/2017Death of Glasgow councillor Alistair Watson [BBC News]
29/06/2017Staff at 'Scotland's worst station' to get body cams in blitz on yobs after protests and emergency summit [Daily Record]
23/07/2014Extending and developing Scotland's rail network [Scotsman]
16/03/2006Transport plans - costs and delivery [Scottish Executive]
09/12/2005New rail link for Larkhall opens [BBC News]
22/05/2005Track reaches Larkhall