Cambuslang railway station


Cambuslang railway station is a railway station which serves the town of Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is south east of, and is physically located on the West Coast Main Line although main line services do not stop here - it is served by local stopping services as part of the Argyle Line to and from Glasgow Central. Passenger services are provided by ScotRail on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

History

The station was planned as part of the Clydesdale Junction Railway, opening on 1 June 1849 between Motherwell and Rutherglen along what had become part of the Caledonian Main Line which eventually became absorbed into the WCML route to London. In 1974, the WCML electrification was completed by British Rail allowing local stopping services through the station on the Hamilton Circle and Lanark routes to be operated by electric trains using BR Class 303 and 311 "Blue Trains".
The station originally had two large station buildings on each platform, leading directly up to the Main Street; these were later demolished, and one building has been built on the street containing the ticket office and timetable posters.

Geography

The platforms of Cambuslang station are located in a cutting between North Avenue and Cambuslang Main Street. The station falls within the G72 postcode area; the main entrance is on Main Street. There is also a secondary entrance from North Avenue. The station is approximately 5 minutes' walk from the nearby Morrisons supermarket. There are SPT bus stances directly outside on Main Street, served by First Bus and Henderson Travel services towards Rutherglen, Glasgow's Buchanan Bus Station and to Parkhead Forge, and towards Halfway, Blantyre and Hamilton in the opposite direction. In 2021, a 256-space Park and Ride facility was opened on Bridge Street, about 2 to 3 minutes' walking distance to the north.

Operations

Platform 1 – Westbound

Westbound services travel towards. Shotts Line services terminate at the High Level platforms, as did the Hamilton Circle services prior to the opening of the Argyle Line in November 1979. From November 1979, British Rail electric services proceeded through the Low Level platforms, to the North Clyde Line, terminating at Milngavie, Dalmuir. When the Argyle Line first opened in 1979, trains also terminated at.
A further recast of the timetable in December 2014 means that services from Lanark now run to High Level and passengers from this direction wishing to reach Argyle Line destinations must change trains here. Services on the Argyle Line now run to Dalmuir via Yoker and to Milngavie.

Platform 2 – Eastbound

Eastbound services travel from Glasgow Central. Trains on the Shotts Line proceed through to Edinburgh Waverley, but only call during the peaks and late evenings. Electric trains travel round the Hamilton Circle in an anti-clockwise direction to Motherwell/Cumbernauld or Larkhall and to Lanark.

Services

1979 service patterns

;Eastbound
  • 2 tph from Dalmuir to Motherwell via Hamilton
  • 1 tph from Dumbarton Central to Motherwell via Hamilton
  • 2 tph from Dalmuir to Motherwell via Bellshill
  • 1 tph from Dumbarton Central to Motherwell via Bellshill
  • 1 tph from Milngavie to Lanark
;Westbound
  • 2 tph from Motherwell via Hamilton to Dalmuir
  • 1 tph from Motherwell via Hamilton to Dumbarton Central
  • 2 tph from Motherwell via Bellshill to Dalmuir
  • 1 tph from Motherwell via Bellshill to Dumbarton Central
  • 1 tph from Lanark to Milngavie

Current service patterns

;Eastbound
  • 2tph to Larkhall via Hamilton
  • 2tph to Motherwell via Hamilton, with an hourly extension to Cumbernauld
  • 2tph to Lanark via Bellshill & Motherwell
There are peak services to Shotts and onwards to Edinburgh that call here
;Westbound
  • 2tph to Dalmuir via Yoker
  • 2tph to Glasgow Central High Level
  • 2tph to Milngavie
There are peak services from Shotts and Edinburgh that call here.

Station facilities

Cambuslang is covered by CCTV and is completely accessible by wheelchair from the Main Street entrance. Timetables are posted on the footbridge and staff are on hand to assist passengers; real-time service information is provided by passenger information screens on the platforms. The footbridge is at street-level, and its metal sides rise to above average head-height, rendering the railway tracks invisible to anyone crossing. Access from the footbridge to platforms is via broad ramps. A ticket vending machine and new waiting shelters were recently installed on the westbound platform.