Shotts Line | |||
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Overview | |||
Owner | Network Rail | ||
Locale | Glasgow South Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire West Lothian Edinburgh Scotland | ||
Termini | |||
Service | |||
System | National Rail | ||
Operator(s) |
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Rolling stock | Class 158; Class 385 | ||
Technical | |||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE | ||
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The Shotts Line is a suburban railway line in Scotland linking Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts. It is one of the four rail links between the two cities.
Between Glasgow Central and Uddingston, the line is shared with the West Coast Main Line (WCML), before branching off towards Bellshill, rejoining the Edinburgh branch of the WCML at Midcalder Junction. The line's electrification was completed in early April 2019.
The Shotts line does not carry the principal service between the cities, with the journey taking around twice as long as the fast and frequent Glasgow Queen Street-Edinburgh service via Falkirk, which is the premier commuter link between the two cities.
The majority of the route follows ex-Caledonian Railway metals, with the North British Railway at the Edinburgh end.
The line was threatened with closure in the Beeching Report of 1963, but was reprieved. [1] Services were diverted from their original terminus at Edinburgh Princes Street to Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley when Princes Street closed in September 1965.
The route from Glasgow to Shotts was part of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network until it was taken over by First ScotRail.
In 2002, the Scottish Association Public Transport (SAPT) published a report suggesting that electrification of the Shotts Line would open up the Glasgow suburban electric network to Edinburgh and beyond, principally linking the capital to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (now cancelled). This has been proposed as an alternative to the Crossrail Glasgow scheme, since it would not depend on the heavily used North Clyde Line, and would also provide a more direct electric link between Edinburgh and Glasgow without using the longer route via the WCML through Carstairs Junction.
The Shotts line serves the following stations:
Network Rail completed an electrification project to electrify the entire line. [2] Prior to the completion of the electrification project, parts of the route were already electrified using the 25 kV overhead system. These were:-
The line follows the British Rail electrified West Coast Main Line as far as Uddingston Junction where it branches off to the east. Until Holytown Junction the line used by Argyle Line services. From Holytown the line continues through open countryside past Shotts and joins the Edinburgh Branch of the Caledonian Railway (part of the WCML) at Kirknewton. The central section between Holytown and Midcalder Junction was electrified by April 2019. [3] [4] [2]
A Monday to Saturday hourly service was operated on the line, calling at all stops between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley. The exceptions to this rule were: Breich which was a request stop at peak hours only, the two trains a day in either direction that travelled via Carstairs and the single afternoon service from Edinburgh via Shotts that terminated at Motherwell.
On Sundays only, a two hourly service was provided between Edinburgh and West Calder. There were no services between Addiewell and Bellshill on a Sunday.
While the original timetabled services on the route continue, albeit slightly altered, they have been supplemented by a new limited stop express passenger service. This new service operates in the gaps in the original timetable, making the route frequency now twice hourly.
The new service calls at Glasgow Central, Bellshill, Shotts, West Calder, Livingston South, Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley only. It will see an end-to-end reduction in journey time of 33 minutes. The journey takes 65 minutes. [5]
As of December 2009, the Shotts Line no longer serves Cambuslang, except during peak times.
In the December 2012 timetable, the two hourly Sunday service that previously served Edinburgh – West Calder only has been extended the full length of the Shotts line, giving stations between West Calder and Bellshill a Sunday service. One late night service leaves Edinburgh and terminates at Motherwell
Some services operated by CrossCountry travel over the Shotts Line. Mostly these are empty coaching stock moves to/from Glasgow for driver route retention or passenger services diverted from their usual route via Carstairs due to engineering works or service disruption. There had been one service per week which was booked to travel over the line on Saturdays only (2105 Glasgow Central – Edinburgh), but this was withdrawn in the May 2023 timetable change.
From 23 April 2019, ScotRail began operating a limited number of new electric Class 385 trains on the line. [6] Class 156 and Class 158 used to operate on the line before electrification.
Freight services along the line are generally hauled using Class 66 traction, though on occasion other types may be used.
Bellside Bridge is situated between Cleland and Hartwood and crosses the A73. It is the most-struck bridge in the country, according to Network Rail in Scotland, being struck 56 times between 2011 and 2021. In August 2021, it was announced that its deck would be replaced with a slimmer version to increase clearance between the road and the bridge. The increased height of the bridge will also allow a signed diversion through Cleland village to be removed. [7] [8]
Carfin railway station is a railway station serving both Carfin and Newarthill in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is 14 miles (22 km) southeast of Glasgow Central railway station on the Shotts Line between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Kirknewton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Kirknewton in West Lothian, Scotland, Opened as Kirknewton in February 1848, the station was renamed Midcalder and Kirknewton after two months, before becoming Midcalder in 1855. The full circle was finally completed 127 years later in May 1982 when the name reverted to Kirknewton. This was to distinguish it from Kirknewton station near Mindrum on the NER Cornhill Branch.
Livingston South railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town of Livingston in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on the Shotts Line, 14 miles (23 km) west of Edinburgh Waverley on the way to Glasgow Central. It is managed by ScotRail, who provide all train services.
West Calder railway station is a railway station serving the village of West Calder in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on the Shotts Line, 17 miles (28 km) west of Edinburgh Waverley on the way to Glasgow Central. The station has two platforms, connected by a stairway footbridge, and CCTV. It is managed by ScotRail. In 2018, accessibility improvements at the station saw the installation of a new footbridge and lifts while the original cast iron footbridge was dismantled and removed to the heritage Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway. Pedestrian ingress onto and egress from either platform, without using stairs or lifts, is possible via tarmac ramp connecting to the pavement of a traffic bridge.
Shotts railway station is a railway station serving Shotts in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the Shotts Line, 20½ miles (33 km) east of Glasgow Central towards Edinburgh Waverley. It was opened by the Caledonian Railway in 1869 as one of the principal stations on their Cleland and Midcalder Line.
Motherwell railway station is a railway station serves the town of Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), and is served also by Argyle Line trains of the Glasgow suburban railway network. It is the penultimate stop on the northbound WCML before Glasgow. There are four platforms of various length in use at Motherwell. The station is located next to the town's main shopping arcade, Motherwell Shopping Centre.
Uddingston railway station serves the small town of Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. ScotRail provides passenger services to this station on the Argyle Line and Shotts Line.
Newton railway station is a railway station located between the neighbourhoods of Drumsagard, Halfway, Newton and Westburn in the town of Cambuslang, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail on the Argyle and Cathcart Circle Lines.
Bellshill railway station is a railway station in the town of Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail and served by Argyle Line and Shotts Line services. The station is adjacent to Bellshill Main Street, on Hamilton Road, and was opened by the Caledonian Railway as part of the Cleland and Midcalder Line on 1 May 1879. West of the station, the Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Railway crossed with a second station in the town to the north west - this ceased to carry passengers back in 1951.
Cleland railway station is a railway station serving the village of Cleland, near Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Built on the Cleland and Midcalder Line it was originally named 'Omoa', after the nearby ironworks, until Cleland (Old) on the Wishaw and Coltness Railway closed in 1930.
Holytown railway station is a railway station serving both Holytown and New Stevenston in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the Shotts Line, 13 miles (21 km) south east of Glasgow Central towards Edinburgh Waverley and is also on the Argyle Line. It was opened in 1880 at the same time as the Wishaw Deviation Line from Law Junction, though the line on which it actually stands is considerably older.
Wishaw railway station is a railway station in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail and lies on the Wishaw Deviation Line just south of the single track link line which connects to the West Coast Main Line at Shieldmuir.
Carluke railway station is a railway station on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) that serves the town of Carluke, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail and is predominantly served by Argyle Line commuter trains running between Lanark and Glasgow Central. The station lies at the western edge of the town, and enjoys panoramic views of the Clyde Valley and beyond to the hills of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.
Lanark railway station, managed by ScotRail, is the southern terminus of the Argyle Line on Bannatyne Street, Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is staffed part-time.
The Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line is a main railway route which connects the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, by means of their respective sections of the West Coast Main Line (WCML).
The Caledonian Railway main line in Scotland connected Glasgow and Edinburgh with Carlisle, via Carstairs and Beattock.
Cleland and Midcalder Line is a historic railway line in Scotland. Built by the Caledonian Railway and opened in 1869, it provides a link between Glasgow and Edinburgh through the mining communities of Lanarkshire and West Lothian.
The Scotland Route Utilisation Strategy is a Route Utilisation Strategy, published by Network Rail in March 2007, the third RUS to be published. The railways in Scotland are divided into three strategic routes, namely Route 24, Route 25 (Highlands) and Route 26 together with parts of Route 8 and Route 18. The three strategic routes form the scope of Network Rail's Scotland Route Utilisation Strategy. Separate RUSs for the ECML and WCML encompass the relevant parts of routes 8 and 18. The Edinburgh Crossrail service, which provides a direct route between Stirling, Dunblane and Bathgate in the west to Newcraighall in the east, operates over part of the ECML east of Edinburgh Waverley to Portobello Junction.
The Caledonian Railway lines to Edinburgh started with the main line that reached Edinburgh in 1848 as part of its route connecting the city with Glasgow and Carlisle. The potential of the docks at Granton and Leith led to branch line extensions, and residential development encouraged branch lines in what became the suburbs of Edinburgh. In 1869 a line was opened from Carfin through Shotts giving the Caledonian a shorter route between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The Caledonian Railway branches in North Lanarkshire built on the Caledonian Railway main line, which opened in 1848. In the following years the considerable increase of iron production and coal extraction in North Lanarkshire led to a progressive expansion of branch lines in the area between the eastern margin of Glasgow and Bellside in the east, and between Coatbridge, Airdrie and Motherwell. Mineral traffic was dominant and for some years passenger operation followed the construction of some of the mineral connections. In 1861 the Rutherglen and Coatbridge line was opened, extended later to Airdrie, rivalling the established Monkland Railways route. In 1869 the connection from Cleland to Midcalder was opened, connecting mineral sites but also forming a new passenger route to Edinburgh.