Grangemouth Railway

The Grangemouth branch railways served Grangemouth docks on the Firth of Forth, Scotland, connecting the docks to the main line railway network. The first line was opened in 1860. The docks and the branch line developed considerably, and a second branch line was opened in 1911. Grangemouth docks was exceptionally busy during World War I supplying the Grand Fleet.

The 1911 branch line closed in 1991, but the original section remains in use today for freight traffic.

The Forth and Clyde Canal opened in 1790, connecting the River Clyde at Bowling with the Firth of Forth at Grangemouth. As well as having a basin at Grangemouth, the canal company constructed facilities for transshipping from canal boats to sea-going vessels at Grangemouth. Much of the traffic was minerals and manufactured goods for export, including coastwise trade.

The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened its main line in 1842, passing through Falkirk. To obtain access from the Edinburgh direction on to the Scottish Central Railway towards Stirling and Perth, the E&GR encouraged a nominally independent Stirlingshire Midland Junction Railway to build a line from Polmont to a junction near Larbert, via Grahamston (then a town in its own right, a little to the north of Falkirk). In fact the E&GR took over the SMJR company before the line was built. The line opened on 1 October 1850.

It was the Forth and Clyde Canal which took the initiative to build a railway branch line into its harbour facility at Grangemouth. It built a single line from just east of Grahamston station to the harbour; the line opened in 1860 for goods, and for passengers on 1 November 1861. It was worked by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway.

On 20 June 1867 the Forth and Clyde Navigation Act was passed, authorising the Caledonian Railway to acquire the Forth and Clyde Canal, as well as the Monkland Canal and the Forth and Cart Canal, and the railway branch line from Grahamston (Falkirk) to Grangemouth, as well as the Drumpeller Railway.

The capital value of the Forth and Clyde Canal was £1,141,333. The purchase price was calculated to guarantee the F&CC shareholders 6.5% on their shareholding, a little higher than their recent dividend level. As part of the authorising arrangements, the North British Railway was given running powers over the branch line, and reciprocal powers were given to the Caledonian over the line from Grangemouth Junction to Larbert Junction. (The North British Railway had promoted a branch line from Bo'ness to Grangemouth, and dropped the scheme on being given the running powers.) The line was operated by a manager responsible to the two railways companies jointly, and both companies ran passenger trains to Grangemouth. The Caledonian was now a canal and harbour owner, and did much to improve the facilities offered by those assets. Indeed, the improved waterway services abstracted some traffic from the parallel Kelvin Valley line.

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