SHOTTS LINE

The 'Shotts Line' is a suburban railway line linking Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts in Scotland. The route from Glasgow to Shotts is part of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network. Between Glasgow Central and Uddingston, the line is shared with the West Coast Main Line (WCML), before branching off towards Bellshill, rejoining the Edinburgh branch of the WCML at Midcalder Junction.

Contents

Glasgow to Edinburgh services

Transport studies

Stations

Electrification

Train services

2006/07

References

Glasgow to Edinburgh services

Although the line links the two cities, it is not intended to be a service between the cities: the journey takes around twice as long as the frequent main Glasgow Queen Street-Edinburgh service via Falkirk and Linlithgow. There is also at certain times a Glasgow Central-Edinburgh service via Motherwell and Carstairs provided by GNER.

Transport studies

In 2002, the Scottish Association Public Transport (SAPT) published a report suggesting that electrification of the Shotts Line would open up the Glasgow suburban electric network to Edinburgh and beyond, principally linking the capital to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (timetabled for completion in 2009). This has been proposed as an alternative to the Glasgow Crossrail scheme, since it would not depend on the heavily used North Clyde Line, and would also provide a more direct electric link between Edinburgh and Glasgow without using the longer route via the WCML through Carstairs Junction.

Stations

The Shotts line serves the following stations:

★ 'Glasgow Central'

★ 'Cambuslang railway station'

★
★ connections for Larkhall railway station and services via Newton and Blantyre

★
★ connections for GNER services (connections to Motherwell and change).

★ Uddingston railway station

★ 'Bellshill railway station'

★
★ connections to Motherwell railway station, Hamilton West and Central, Lanark railway station.

★ Holytown railway station

★ Carfin railway station

★ Cleland

★ Hartwood railway station

★ 'Shotts railway station' Up to here is also part of the Strathclyde network.

★ Fauldhouse railway station

★ Breich railway station (This station is only served by one eastbound & two westbound trains per day)

★ Addiewell railway station

★ West Calder railway station

★ Livingston South

★ 'Kirknewton'

★
★ from here is within the City of Edinburgh

★ Curriehill railway station

★ Wester Hailes railway station

★ Kingsknowe railway station

★ Slateford railway station

★ 'Edinburgh Haymarket'

★ 'Edinburgh Waverley'
(''Stations in'' 'bold' ''are express stations'')

Electrification

Parts of the route are electrified using the 25kV overhead system. These are:-
:
★ Glasgow Central to Holytown
:
★ Midcalder Junction (between Livingston South and Kirknewton on the Edinburgh Branch of the Caledonian Railway) and Edinburgh Waverley
The line follows the electrified West Coast Main Line as far as Uddingston Junction where it branches off to the east. Until Holytown Junction the line is electrified and also used by Argyle Line services (as far as Mossend West Junction). From Holytown the un-electrified line continues through open countryside past Shotts and joins the electrified Edinburgh Branch of the Caledonian Railway (part of the WCML) at Midcalder Junction. The central section between Holytown and Midcalder Junction is not electrified.

Train services

2006/07

Most of the stations between WCML and Edinburgh Haymarket are served principally by trains on the Shotts Line, which are operated by First ScotRail, however they are also served by electric trains between Glasgow Central and North Berwick (via Motherwell and Carstairs).
Train services on the line are provided by First ScotRail Class 156 DMUs on an hourly basis from early morning to late night. The services via Motherwell and Carstairs are provided by First Scotrail Class 156 DMUs or Class 322 EMUs on a peak time only basis.

References