Whiteinch Railway

The Whiteinch Railway was a rail line operational in the west end of Glasgow, Scotland between 1874 until it was amalgamated into the North British Railway network in 1891.

The line was designed to connect the Stobcross Railway with a developing pocket of industry on the north bank of the River Clyde at Whiteinch. At the time, the surrounding area was still predominately rural estates but landowners, industrialist and The United Presbyterian Church all contributed finances towards two separate companies: the Whiteinch Railway Co. and the Whiteinch Tramway Co. The proposal was to run a branch line south from Jordanhill (Whiteinch Junction) to Dumbarton Road; where the tramway would cross and continue to the river (down what is now Scotstoun Street). Parliamentary Acts of Incorporation were granted to both companies in July 1972, with construction lasting until October 1874.

From the commencement of Freight traffic on 29 October 1874, the North British Railway co-worked the branch line till Dumbarton Road, where it passed over to James and William Wood for transit along the Tramway. The tramway was originally a horse-drawn operation but from 1875 a locomotive was purchased to meet the increasingly high demand.

After many years of failed negotiations, in 1891 the North British Railway finally agreed terms to purchase the branch line and amalgamate it into their network. A primary driver in this decision was the changing nature of Whiteinch; which now was developing into a bustling residential / industrial suburb of Glasgow, providing a great passenger marketplace. This aspiration was achieved in 1897 when Whiteinch Victoria Park railway station opened on the north side of Dumbarton Road as well as track reconfiguration around Jordanhill railway station, including the construction of a north-west curve.

Connections to Other Railways

The Line Today

Most of the branch has closed (including the tramway) - passenger trains were withdrawn by the British Transport Commission in April 1951, whilst goods continued until March 1965.[1] The yard at the terminus was then used as a depot for North Clyde Line electrification work until February 1967, when it finally closed. The section through Jordanhill station is still used by passenger services on the line towards Dalmuir via Clydebank, but the remainder of the route has been lifted and the terminus demolished & landscaped.

References

  1. ↑ Railways in Jordanhill www.wsmclean.com; Retrieved 2014-01-16

External Links