Motherwell

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Motherwell (1885-)

Station code: MTH National Rail ScotRail
Where: North Lanarkshire, Scotland
Opened on the Clydesdale Junction Railway.
Opened on the Lesmahagow Railway.
Open on the Carlisle to Glasgow.
Open on the Glasgow to Lanark.
Open on the Hamilton Circle.

Description

This is a four platform station. The station is at the junction of the Glasgow Central to London Euston main line and the Hamilton Circle line to Hamilton Central. There are carriage sidings on the west side of the station, next to the northbound platform of the Hamilton Circle lines.

This was not the original Motherwell station, Motherwell Junction being on the main line slightly to the south east and Motherwell Bridge directly south of the Hamilton platforms.

Construction involved the relocation of Muir Street (authorised in 1880) which formerly crossed the main line. The platforms were heavily canopied and there was a single line bay at the north end, between the main and Hamilton platforms.

The main entrance, on Muir Street, has been replaced when the station was modernised.

Lesmahagow Junction, a four way junction, is to the north of the station. The station is built in the southern 'V' of the junction. Hamilton Road Signal Box was at the south end of the Hamilton platforms.

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
04/03/2021

Facilities

Gaelic name: Tobar na Mathar



Chronology Dates

  /  /1847Lesmahagow Railway
Act passed for a line from Motherwell to Bankend (beyond Coalburn). The Caledonian Railway fail to build the line.
24/07/1851Lesmahagow Railway
Line authorised (this the semi independent 'Lesmahagow Branches' which is backed by the Caledonian Railway); route Motherwell to Ferniegair to Coalburn to Bankend, branch to Northfield (probably the Southfield Old Pit).
  /  /1854Lesmahagow Railway
Line reconsidered, stock alterations and route alterations. Route Motherwell to Ferniegair to Coalburn to Bankend, branch to Northfield (probably the Southfield Old Pit). Southfield branch authorised. Branch to Littlegill Colliery authorised.
08/10/1857Motherwell Deviation Line (Caledonian Railway)
Line opened from Jerviston Junction (Wishaw and Coltness Railway) to Lesmahagow Junction (Clydesdale Junction Railway). The line allowed Motherwell [1st] station to be moved further west to Motherwell atLesmahagow Junction. Motherwell [1st] remained standing and Motherwell was opened in the V of the junction at Lesmahagow Junction. A large viaduct was required, Braidhurst Viaduct.
11/05/1863Lesmahagow Railway
Caledonian Railway authorised to double Motherwell to Southfield (probably Southfield New Pit) and to run passengers trains to Lesmahagow [1st], the Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] branch and the Blackwood [1st] branch. The Caledonian Railway owns the Lesmahagow Lines by this time. Deviation, improvement and extension authorised.
01/11/1864Lesmahagow Railway
Motherwell to Southfield Junction line doubling complete. (Alternative date 1866.) Doubling was undertaken in anticipation of increased traffic after opening to passengers.
01/04/1868Lesmahagow Railway
Ferniegair to Motherwell, Lesmahagow Junction, opened to passengers. Trains start running from Buchanan Street to Lesmahagow [1st].
  /  /1871Dalzell Malleable Iron Works
Dalzell Malleable Iron Works opened in Motherwell by David Colville.
  /  /1880Clydesdale Junction Railway
For Motherwell station, deviation of a road, Muir Street, is authorised.
  /  /1881Dalzell Steel Works
Dalzell Steel Works opened in Motherwell.
  /  /1885Clydesdale Junction Railway Lesmahagow Railway
New Motherwell station opened in the 'V' of Lesmahagow Junction.
01/10/1887Caledonian Railway
Motherwell Mineral Office opened.
03/09/1888Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway
Line renamed Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway. The new line intended to carry iron ore from Ardrossan to Coatbridge and Motherwell.
  /  /1899Mossend West to Mossend South Curve (Caledonian Railway)
Authorisation for the line from Uddingston via Bellshill to Motherwell. This is the short curve from Mossend West Junction (west) to Milnwood Junction (south) at Mossend.
29/05/1962Glasgow South Bank Electrification
Cathcart Circle, Cathcart to Neilston and Cathcart to Motherwell via Kirkhill electrified.
  /05/1974Lesmahagow Railway Hamilton to Ferniegair (Caledonian Railway) Hamilton Branch (Caledonian Railway)
The Hamilton Circle is electrified from Motherwell to Newton.
04/10/1993Rutherglen and Coatbridge Branch (Caledonian Railway)
Local passenger service established between Glasgow (Rutherglen East Junction) and Whifflet. Trains interconnect with services to Motherwell and Coatbridge Central. 'Heritage' Diesel Multiple Units were used.
11/12/1994Glasgow Central Railway
The River Kelvin bursts its banks and floods the disused tunnels from Kelvin Bridge to Stobcross, where it floods the open Argyle Line railway. (Alternative date 9th.) The route through Glasgow Central Low Level is closed between Partick and Rutherglen and trains are diverted onto the Sunnyside Junction to Whifflet section of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway for access to Motherwell. This remains in operation for around nine months. Units 314208 and 314212 are trapped in the floodwater at Glasgow Central where the water reached half way up the sides of the carriages.
  /03/2008Clydesdale Junction Railway
Strathclyde Passenger Transport estimates that a new interchange station at Motherwell will cost around £25M-£41M.

News items

08/12/2023Marion Fellows MP visits Camp Viaduct rail bridge improvement project [Network Rail]
20/06/2023Motherwell station redevelopment and transport hub officially opened [Glasgow Times]
14/06/2023Lanarkshire councillor calls on ScotRail to install ticket machine at station [Daily Record]
08/06/2023Scotland's Railway supports community benefits through Ravenscraig bridge project [Network Rail]
28/04/2023Changes to Motherwell station as redevelopment enters final stages [Glasgow Times]
14/04/2023On-time completion for new £16m Ravenscraig rail bridge [Network Rail]
13/04/2023Record-breaking 5,000-tonne bridge move completed in Ravenscraig [STV]
28/03/2023Easter holiday travel warning for Lanarkshire train passengers [Daily Record]
23/03/2023'Biggest move of its kind in Europe' as new Lanarkshire bridge moves into place [Daily Record]
20/03/2023Ravenscraig project prepares for one of the largest bridge lifts in Europe [Network Rail]