Motherwell to Cumbernauld Line
| Motherwell–Cumbernauld line | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Overview | |
| System | National Rail |
| Locale |
North Lanarkshire Scotland |
| Termini |
Motherwell Cumbernauld |
| Stations | 5 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 27 May 1996 |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) | Abellio ScotRail |
| Rolling stock | Class 318; Class 320 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The Motherwell–Cumbernauld line is a suburban railway line linking Motherwell and Cumbernauld in Scotland. It is part of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network.
The line was built as part of the:
The line had previously been used by a limited number of through Inter-City passenger trains between Motherwell and Perth up until the end of the 1980s, having earlier served as part of the Caledonian Railway's main trunk route avoiding Glasgow. The surviving trains (the London Euston to Inverness Clansman daytime through service and the Royal Highlander overnight sleeper) had subsequently been diverted away (via Edinburgh Waverley) by 1990, leaving only the Motherwell–Coatbridge Central section in use by Argyle Line local trains.
In May 1996 the SPT introduced a new timetable on the line, replacing the hourly Argyle Line EMUs with a DMU shuttle extended through to Cumbernauld. Between 1996 & 2000 this was worked by a British Rail class 101. This allowed the Argyle Line services to be re-routed elsewhere (eventually to Lanark via Holytown) whilst offering a new range of journey opportunities for the intermediate stations en route. A limited number of peak-hour electric services via the Hamilton Circle were retained for commuters and these still operate today.
The line is now electrified at 25 kV AC overhead throughout - the wires having been extended to Cumbernauld from their former limit at Gartsherrie South Junction (north of Coatbridge Central) in the spring of 2014 as part of the Cumbernauld Line electrification scheme. Passenger services are operated by Abellio ScotRail on behalf of SPT.
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