Coatbridge Branch (NBR)

Coatbridge Branch

Legend

Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway

Coatbridge Sunnyside(M&KR)

Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway

Sunnyside

Junction

Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway

Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton

and Coatbridge Railway

Shettleston Junction

Shettleston

Carntyne

Dyewood Mills

Carntyne Iron and Steel

Parkhead North Junction

Parkhead North

The Switchback (CR)

Camlachie Goods

City of Glasgow Union Railway

Alexandra Parade(CoGUR)

Duke Street(CoGUR)

Bellgrove Junction

Bellgrove

High Street East Junction

High Street Goods

City of Glasgow Union Railway

College

Glasgow City and District Railway

The Coatbridge Branch was a railway that ran between Bellgrove in the east end of Glasgow and Coatbridge and built by the North British Railway, which in turn became part of the LNER on 1 January 1923.

History

The line was built to link the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway at Coatbridge with the eastern suburbs of Glasgow, joining the City of Glasgow Union Railway at Bellgrove en route to a terminus station known as College, near to the site of the modern day High Street station. At the Coatbridge end, the line connected to the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and thus to their "Monkland New Line" to Airdrie, Bathgate and ultimately Edinburgh Waverley and also to the Ballochney Railway.

It opened between College and Coatbridge on 1 February 1871, with passenger trains initially running to and from the North British station at Whifflet.^[1] College closed to passengers 15 March 1886, although the goods station remained open until the early 1980s; trains thereafter used the Glasgow City and District Railway to reach Queen Street Low Level and the western suburbs.

The route is still in use and carries a frequent & well used electric suburban passenger service, having been electrified in 1960 as part of the North Clyde Line modernisation scheme. The connection down to Whifflet was closed to passenger traffic in November 1962 but it is still open for freight traffic and diversions as required. The only other stations to close on the line were Bargeddie on 24 February 1927 and Parkhead on 19 September 1955.^[1] Since 2010, the line has become part of a through route to Edinburgh Waverley following the reopening of the Airdrie to Bathgate line.

Connections to other lines

Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway at Sunnyside Junction
Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Railway at Shettleston
City of Glasgow Union Railway at Parkhead North Junction, Bellgrove Junction and High Street East Junction
Glasgow City and District Railway at High Street East Junction

Current operations

Apart for College, the line is open to passenger traffic, served by First ScotRail services on the North Clyde Line between Queen Street Low Level and Airdrie/Edinburgh.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 Railscot Chronology - Coatbridge Branch Railscot; Retrieved 2014-01-28

Sources

Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063.
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 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137.
RAILSCOT on Coatbridge Branch

Historical Scottish railway companies

Primary companies	Caledonian Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Great North of Scotland Railway Highland Railway North British Railway

Caledonian Railway	Aberdeen Railway Alloa Railway Alyth Arbroath and Forfar Busby Railway Cathcart District Clydesdale Junction Crieff Junction Crieff and Comrie Crieff and Methven Junction Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Dunblane, Doune and Callander Dundee and Perth Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen Forfar and Brechin General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Garnkirk and Glasgow Glasgow Central Railway Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Greenock and Wemyss Bay Hamilton and Strathaven Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Leadhills and Wanlockhead Lesmahgow Railway Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie Paisley and Barrhead District Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Polloc and Govan Rutherglen and Coatbridge Scottish Central Scottish Midland Junction Scottish North Eastern Solway Junction Symington, Biggar and Broughton Talla Railway Wishaw and Coltness Lines built by the Caledonian Railway Balerno line CR Cleland and Midcalder CR Main Line CR Douglas Branch CR Hamilton Branch CR Hamiltonhill Branch CR The Switchback Independent lines worked by the Caledonian Railway Callander and Oban Killin Railway

Glasgow and South Western Railway	Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan and Johnstone Ayr and Dalmellington Ayr and Maybole Junction Ayr to Mauchline Ayrshire and Wigtownshire Barrhead Branch Bridge of Weir Railway Cairn Valley Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Castle Douglas and Dumfries Dalry and North Johnstone Darvel Branch Girvan and Portpatrick Junction Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Greenock and Ayrshire Kilmarnock and Troon Largs Branch Maidens and Dunure Maybole and Girvan Paisley and Renfrew Paisley Canal Line

Great North of Scotland Railway	Aberdeen and Turriff Aboyne and Braemar Alford Valley Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Boddam Branch Deeside Denburn Valley Formartine and Buchan Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Keith and Dufftown Moray Coast Morayshire St Combs Light Railway Strathspey Railway

Highland Railway	Buckie and Portessie Branch Dingwall and Skye Duke of Sutherland Findhorn Railway Fortrose Branch Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Inverness and Aviemore Direct Inverness and Nairn Inverness and Perth Junction Inverness and Ross-shire Kyle of Lochalsh Extension Perth and Dunkeld Sutherland and Caithness Sutherland Railway Independent lines worked by the Highland Railway Dornoch Light Railway Wick and Lybster Light Railway

North British Railway	Aberlady, Gullane and North Berwick Ballochney Bathgate and Coatbridge Blane Valley Border Counties Railway Border Union Railway Campsie Branch Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company Coatbridge Branch Devon Valley Railway Dunfermline and Queensferry Edinburgh and Bathgate Edinburgh and Dalkeith Edinburgh and Glasgow Edinburgh and Hawick Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway Edinburgh and Northern Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Esk Valley Eyemouth Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Gifford and Garvald Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Glasgow City and District Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Glasgow and Milngavie Junction Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Kelvin Valley Railway Kirkcaldy and District Railway Kincardine Line Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton NBR Macmerry Branch Monkland and Kirkintilloch Monkland Railways Montrose and Bervie Mallaig Extension NBR North Berwick Branch North British, Arbroath and Montrose Peebles Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Slamannan Slamannan and Borrowstounness West Highland Railway Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness

Joint lines	Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction City Union Dundee and Arbroath Darvel and Strathaven Glasgow and Paisley Joint Glasgow and Renfrew District Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint

Other lines	Brechin and Edzell District Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway Denburn Valley Line Dundee and Arbroath Hagdale Chromate Railway Invergarry and Fort Augustus Lealt Valley Diatomite Railway Lochaber Narrow Gauge Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Rothesay and Ettrick Bay Light Railway Skye Marble Railway Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway