| Whifflet Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | Glasgow Scotland | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 7 | ||
| Service | |||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | ScotRail | ||
| Rolling stock | Class 318, British Rail Class 320 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | ||
| |||
The Whifflet Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland.
The line was built between 1863 and 1865 as the Rutherglen and Coatbridge Railway, part of the Caledonian Railway. It opened to goods traffic (mainly coal and iron) in September 1865 and to passengers in August 1866. It has been in continuous operation ever since. Stations in the first service on the line were at Carmyle, Broomhouse (now Mount Vernon), Baillieston, Langloan and Whifflet High Level (until 1964). Passenger services ceased in November 1966 following the Beeching Axe (latterly running to Coatbridge Central). Between 1972 and 1974 scheduled passenger trains between Glasgow Central and Perth used the route. For the following twenty years, the route was only used for freight and diverted passenger services. However the line was reopened by British Rail to scheduled passenger services with intermediate stations on 4 October 1993, running to the newly built station at Whifflet rather than Coatbridge Central as previously.
The modern line currently serves seven stations. It connects parts of south east Glasgow, Bargeddie and Coatbridge to Glasgow city centre. Between Glasgow Central and Rutherglen, the line shares the same track as the West Coast Main Line (and is hence electrified) before branching off in a north easterly direction towards Coatbridge (this section is now electrified).
The route is operated by ScotRail.
Following re-opening as a passenger line, service was provided by a mix of 1980s Class 156 and 1950s Class 101 DMUs. During their final years, the last of BR ScotRail's power-twin Class 101 2-car DMUs, reduced from 3-car by having the centre trailer removed, operated the Whifflet and Paisley Canal lines almost exclusively, based at Corkerhill Depot. In 2002 the remaining 101s were sent South to Manchester and more modern units took over the services.
Trains operated at a half-hour frequency. All services were scheduled to run as two-car trains only, although four carriage services were technically possible. Services were operated using Class 158 DMUs and the occasional Class 156 DMU. Three trains operated on this route during the day, usually remaining dedicated on this service throughout the day.
In late 2014, the Whifflet Line electrification was commissioned and from 14 December 2014 the service was incorporated into the Argyle Line, operated by EMUs. At the same time an all year round Sunday service commenced. Current Sunday Service is hourly from Balloch to Motherwell via Whifflet
In 2006, Network Rail announced tentative proposals to electrify the Rutherglen - Whifflet section, as part of a £1.4bn upgrade to Scotland's railways. The main benefits of this scheme were to provide an enhanced frequency for the Whifflet to central Glasgow routes and to provide an electric diversionary path for long distance WCML services. The new timetable came into operation on 14 December 2014, the Whifflet Line has been added to the Argyle Line system with services through Glasgow Central Low Level to the western suburbs.
Glasgow Queen Street is a passenger railway terminus serving the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the smaller of the city's two mainline railway terminals and is the third busiest station in Scotland behind Central and Edinburgh Waverley.
Whifflet railway station is located in the Whifflet area of Coatbridge. Train services are provided by ScotRail. Until December 2014, it was the terminal station on the Whifflet Line, since when it is served by Argyle Line services.
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Singer railway station is a two-platformed staffed station serving Clydebank town centre, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is located on the Argyle Line and North Clyde Line between Drumry and Dalmuir, 9 miles 5 chains (14.6 km) from Glasgow Queen Street, measured via Maryhill. All passenger services are provided by ScotRail.
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Branchton railway station is a railway station in Scotland opened in 1967 under British Rail located in the south-west of the town of Greenock, beside the area called Branchton. The station is on the Inverclyde Line, 24+3⁄4 mi (40 km) west of Glasgow Central. The station is managed by ScotRail.
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The Edinburgh–Dunblane line is a railway line in East Central Scotland. It links the city of Edinburgh via Falkirk to the city of Stirling and the town of Dunblane.
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Carmyle railway station is located in the Carmyle area of Glasgow. It is on the Whifflet Line, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Glasgow Central railway station. Services are provided by ScotRail.
Kirkwood railway station is located in the Kirkwood area of Coatbridge, Scotland. It is on the Whifflet Line, 10 miles (16 km) east of Glasgow Central railway station. Train services are provided by ScotRail. The station was opened by British Rail in 1993, and is virtually on the site of the old Woodside Steel and Iron Works. It is located some 250m west of the previous Langloan station, which was opened by the Rutherglen and Coatbridge Railway in August 1866 and closed when passenger trains over the line were withdrawn on 7 November 1966.
Coatbridge Central railway station is a station in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the Argyle Line. Train services are provided by ScotRail.
The Stobcross Railway was a railway line in Glasgow, Scotland, built by the North British Railway to connect from Maryhill to the new dock being built at Stobcross; the dock became the Queen's Dock, opened in 1877. The line was opened first, in 1874, and gave the North British company access to the north bank of the River Clyde; there was a goods depot at Partick.
Craigendoran railway station is a railway station serving Craigendoran, east of Helensburgh, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail, which operates all services at the station. It is located on the North Clyde Line between Helensburgh Central and Cardross, 23 miles 18 chains (37.4 km) west of Glasgow Queen Street, measured via Singer and Maryhill. West Highland Line trains used to call here but no longer do following the closure of the upper platforms.
Drumgelloch railway station was a railway station serving Drumgelloch, an eastern suburb of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station was managed by First ScotRail and was the eastern terminus of the North Clyde Line, 20 km east of Glasgow Queen Street from May 1989 to May 2010.
Beattock railway station was a station which served the village of Beattock, in the parish of Kirkpatrick-Juxta in the Scottish county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was served by trains on what was originally the Caledonian Main Line, and is now known as the West Coast Main Line. Between 1881 and 1964, Beattock was also the junction for the short branch line to Moffat. Following closure in 1972, the nearest station is at Lockerbie.
Manuel Junction is a railway junction near the village of Whitecross, Falkirk, Scotland. It is the terminus of the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway and forms a connection between it and the Glasgow–Edinburgh via Falkirk line.
