Blantyre railway station

Blantyre railway station serves the burgh of Blantyre, near Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the Argyle Line, 14 km (8¾ miles) south east of Glasgow Central railway station (Low Level). Passenger services are provided by Abellio ScotRail on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

Blantyre Scottish Gaelic: Blantaidhr[1]
Location	Blantyre, South Lanarkshire Scotland
Coordinates	55.7972°N 4.0867°W
Grid reference	NS692579
Managed by	Abellio ScotRail
Transit authority	SPT
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	BLT
History
Original company	Caledonian Railway
Pre-grouping	Caledonian Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
17 September 1849	Station opened
Passengers
2015/16	0.611 million
2016/17	0.568 million
2017/18	0.552 million
2018/19	0.512 million
2019/20	0.516 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

Blantyre station in 1961

The Clydesdale Junction Railway (CJR) was authorised in 1845, but before being opened, was absorbed by the Caledonian Railway (CR) in 1846. The section of the CJR between Newton and Hamilton was opened by the CR on 5 September 1849,[2] with Blantyre station opening on 17 September 1849.[3]

Originally a Victorian style station featuring two wooden station buildings, one on each of the two platforms, these were demolished in the late 1970s. It was replaced by a modern building on the western side of the line.

Originally served by steam trains and later diesel multiple units, the line originally connected Blantyre to Glasgow Central High Level. Following the West Coast Main Line electrification in 1974 by British Rail, the line was worked by electric multiple units with services via Cambuslang and occasional services via Kirkhill. Upon development of the Argyle Line it was connected through to the north western fringes of Glasgow.

The station is 2 miles 29 chains (3.8 km) from the junction at Newton. There are two tracks; both are electrified on the 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead system. Each track has a platform on the outside of the rail line, long enough for an eight-coach train.[4]

Services

2006/07

Monday to Saturdays, 4 trains per hour go to Glasgow Central Low Level, before continuing to (Dalmuir/Milngavie) northbound. Southbound a half-hourly service operates to Motherwell via Airbles; one of these per hour continues to Lanark via Holytown. Additionally a half-hourly Larkhall express service calls at Blantyre before continuing up to Hamilton Central then onto the Larkhall line and terminating. Blantyre has a half-hourly service on Sundays between Motherwell and Balloch via Airbles and Yoker.

2014/15

Mondays to Saturdays still sees four services per hour each way calling here, but following a recast of the Argyle Line timetable the destination pattern has changed significantly. Northbound there are now four trains per hour to Dalmuir - one each via Clydebank and via Singer every 30 minutes calling at all stations en route. Southbound there are two trains per hour to Larkhall and two to Motherwell, with one of the latter each hour extended to Cumbernauld via Whifflet rather than Lanark via Holytown. On Sundays there are two trains each hour between Motherwell and Milngavie calling in each direction along with an hourly service each way between Balloch and Larkhall.[5]

2016

4 tph still call at the station in each direction Mondays to Saturdays, but now head northbound alternately to Dalmuir via Yoker and to Milngavie. The southbound pattern remains unchanged, as does the Sunday service.[6]

References

Notes

1. Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
2. Awdry (1990) page 68
3. Butt (1995), page 37
4. Yonge (2007), Map 8R
5. GB National Rail Timetable 2014-15, Table 225
6. Table 225 & 226 National Rail timetable, May 2016

Sources

• Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
• 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. (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.
• Yonge, John (May 1987). Gerald Jacobs (ed.). British Rail Track Diagams - Book 1: ScotRail (1st ed.). Exeter: Quail Map Company. ISBN 0-9006-0948-6.
• Yonge, John (February 1993). Gerald Jacobs (ed.). Railway Track Diagams - Book 1: Scotland and the Isle of Man (2nd ed.). Exeter: Quail Map Company. ISBN 0-9006-0995-8.
• Yonge, John (April 1996). Gerald Jacobs (ed.). Railway Track Diagams - Book 1: Scotland and the Isle of Man (3rd ed.). Exeter: Quail Map Company. ISBN 1-8983-1919-7.
• Yonge, John (2007). Gerald Jacobs (ed.). Railway Track Diagams - Book 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (Quail Track Plans) (fifth ed.). Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps (formerly Quail Map Co). ISBN 978-0-9549866-3-6. OCLC 79435248.
• "Blantyre Station on navigable 1945 O.S. map".