Bathgate and Coatbridge Railway

Bathgate & Coatbridge Railway
Coatbridge Branch (NBR) Caledonian Railway Main Line Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Caledonian Railway Main Line Coatbridge Sunnyside (M&KR) Greenside Junction western end of B&CR Kipps Branch of Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Coatdyke Airdrie Drumgelloch (1st station) Rutherglen and Coatbridge Railway Airdrie East (R&CR) Airdrie and Newhouse Line (CR) Ballochney Railway Drumgelloch site of Clarkston station Ballochney Railway Brownieside Junction Plains Caldercruix Forrestfield Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway Westcraigs (1st station) Armadale (1st station) Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway Polkemmet Junction eastern end of B&CR Bathgate Branch of Monkland Railways Bathgate (Upper) (E&BR) Bathgate (original) Bathgate Middle Junction Bathgate (present) Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway

The Bathgate and Coatbridge Railway, also known as the "New Monkland Line", was built by Monkland Railways. It opened on 28 July 1863. The line was absorbed into the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway on 31 July 1865. The following day (1 August 1865), the line became part of the North British Railway.

Closure

The last regular passenger train along this route between Glasgow and Edinburgh ran on 8 January 1956 (the line henceforth being closed to passengers east of Airdrie). Freight services continued until February 1982, then the line was lifted.

Connections to other lines

• At Greenside Junction (between Coatbridge Sunnyside and Coatdyke) to the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
• At Brownieside Junction to the Ballochney Railway
• At Westcraigs to the Shotts branch of Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway
• At Polkemmet Junction to the Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway

Reopening

Main article: Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link

The section between Drumgelloch and Bathgate was reopened and electrified in October 2010, thus linking the current North Clyde Line with the Edinburgh to Bathgate Line. Work to reopen the line started with a sod cutting ceremony in June 2007.

References

• Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
• Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link