Cleland and Midcalder Line

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.

Cleland and Midcalder Line

Overview
Headquarters	Glasgow
Locale	Scotland
Dates of operation	9 July 1869–31 December 1922
Successor	London Midland and Scottish Railway
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

Cleland and Midcalder Line (Caledonian Railway)
Caledonian Railway Main Line to Edinburgh Kirknewton (CR) Midcalder Junction Caledonian Railway Main Line to Carstairs Newpark Limefield Junction West Calder Addiewell Woodmuir Junction Breich Crofthead Goods Depot Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway Fauldhouse Benhar West Branch Siding Shotts Goods Depot Shotts Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Railway Hartwood Wishaw and Coltness Railway Omoa (now Cleland) Cleland Junction Cleland (Old) Newarthill Junction Newarthill Goods Carfin Wishaw Deviation Line Holytown South Junction Holytown Mossend East Junction Caledonian Railway Main Line to Glasgow│to Carstairs Mossend West Junction Bellshill Clydesdale Junction Railway Uddingston Junction Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Railway Uddingston (CJR) Clydesdale Junction Railway

History

The line was built by the Caledonian Railway to serve a variety of industrial locations, including collieries, iron mines and an oil works near Addiewell. It followed the route of an earlier private industrial line built to serve a number of mines in the area. The line became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at the 1923 Grouping, then the Scottish Region of British Railways upon nationalisation in January 1948. None of the industries once served by the line still survive - the last of the collieries served by it (at Polkemmet) having closed down in 1986.

Connections to other lines

• Clydesdale Junction Railway at Uddingston Junction
• Caledonian Railway Main Line (Carstairs to Greenhill Junction) at Mossend Junctions and Midcalder Junction
• Wishaw Deviation Line at Holytown South Junction
• Wishaw and Coltness Railway at Newarthill and Cleland Junctions
• Caledonian Railway Main Line (Carstairs to Edinburgh) at Midcalder Junction

Current operations

The line is open, being electrified between Uddingston Junction and Holytown South Junction.

• Shotts Line trains operate along the whole length of the line.
• Argyle Line trains operate on the electrified section between Uddingston and Holytown South Junctions.
• Occasional West Coast Main Line trains operate between Uddingston and Holytown South Junctions, to avoid Motherwell

References

Sources

• 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.
• Robertson, C. J. A. (1983). The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722-1844 (1st ed.). Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-8597-6088-X.