Uphall railway station
Uphall | |
---|---|
Location | |
Place | Livingston |
Local authority | West Lothian |
Coordinates | 55°55′08″N 3°30′08″W / 55.9190°N 3.5022°WCoordinates: 55°55′08″N 3°30′08″W / 55.9190°N 3.5022°W |
Grid reference | NT061705 |
Operations | |
Station code | UHA |
Managed by | ScotRail |
Number of platforms | 2 |
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries | |
Annual rail passenger usage* | |
2004/05 | 0.228 million |
2005/06 | 0.249 million |
2006/07 | 0.251 million |
2007/08 | 0.255 million |
2008/09 | 0.254 million |
2009/10 | 0.227 million |
2010/11 | 0.225 million |
2011/12 | 0.325 million |
2012/13 | 0.431 million |
History | |
Original company | Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway |
Pre-grouping | North British Railway |
Post-grouping | LNER |
12 November 1849 | Opened as Houston[1] |
1 August 1865 | Renamed as Uphall[1][2] |
9 January 1956 | Closed[2] |
24 March 1986 | Reopened[2] |
National Rail – UK railway stations | |
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Uphall from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
UK Railways portal |
Uphall railway station serves the village of Uphall Station, near Livingston in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on the North Clyde Line, 12½ miles (20 km) west of Edinburgh.
History
The station was opened as Houston by the Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway on 12 November 1849.[1] On 1 August 1856 it was renamed as Uphall.[1][2] The station closed on 9 January 1956.[2]
Uphall Station was a large hub, centred on West Lothian oil production and shale mining. The area has changed beyond recognition in recent years. Before the M8 was constructed, Uphall oil works lay just north of the station, with extensive exchange sidings located next to the station. A branch continued north to Uphall, then swung eastward just south of Ecclesmachan (where a branch from Threemiletown joined). The line continued to the Greendykes area of Broxburn, (Albyn or Albion Oil works) where it connected with the lines from Broxburn junction (Winchburgh) (the Broxburn Railway) and Drumshoreland.
Just to the east of the station lay Uphall Jct., connecting the Camps Branch. This line, 3 miles and 52 chains in length, began with a large set of exchange sidings adjacent to the E&B, and served various sidings, the Pumpherston Oil Co., East Calder and terminated at Raw Camps (Torrance's) quarry. The NBR Camps branch formed a junction with the Caledonian Camps branch at Camps Goods station. The course of these lines can be seen on Ordnance Survey Maps One-inch "Popular" edition.[3]
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Edinburgh Park | ScotRail North Clyde Line |
Livingston North | ||
Historical railways | ||||
Drumshoreland Line open; station closed |
North British Railway Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway |
Bangour Line and station closed | ||
Livingston Line open; station closed |
Reopening
The station's reopening, with a single platform, came as part of the reopening of the Edinburgh to Bathgate Line on 24 March 1986.[2] Ever since, train services at Uphall were normally operated by diesel multiple units (initially Class 101s, then from 1987 Class 150s and by 2008 Class 158 or Class 170s).
The railway was electrified in October 2010 as part of the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link, which resulted in a second platform being brought into service in October 2008. From December 2010, through trains from Uphall station to Glasgow will be operated by electric multiple units.
Service
2008
Monday to Saturday daytimes there was a half-hourly service eastbound to Edinburgh westbound to Bathgate. Evenings and Sundays there is an hourly service in each direction.
October to December 2010
Monday to Saturday daytimes there was a half-hourly service eastbound to Edinburgh westbound to the 2010 Bathgate station. Evenings and Sundays there is an hourly service in each direction.
Winter 2010/11 (From 12 December 2010)
During the week there is an eastbound service of two trains per hour to Milngavie and two trains per hour to Helensburgh Central, both via Glasgow. The early morning commuter trains to Edinburgh are exceptionally popular to such an extent there is commonly no available parking at the station after 8.30am, this has pushed house prices within walking of the distance of the rail station up in recent years as passenger numbers have grown by around 35-40% a year to an estimated 600,000 in 2013/14.
The station has shelter and a ticket machine, no ticket barriers and through the week it is possible to by high quality coffee from a popular local stall located in the car park.
Access
A car parking area is located to the north of the station.
The only access between platforms is by public footway beyond either end of the station. At the eastern end this is via an underpass. The walking time between platforms, or between eastbound platform and car park is around 2 minutes.
References
Notes
Sources
- Butt, R. V. J. (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 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
- 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.
- Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 0-9068-9999-0. OCLC 228266687.
- RAILSCOT on Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway
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