Paisley Canal Line
Encyclopedia
The Paisley Canal Railway line was originally a Glasgow and South Western Railway
branch line running from Glasgow
, Scotland
, through three stations in Paisley, to North Johnstone
. After leaving Paisley West station, near Ferguslie, the line continued to Elderslie
junction
where it met and crossed under the main Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone, and beyond. After , the line terminated at North Johnstone, however another junction allowed services from the Paisley Canal line (also part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company) to continue onto the Bridge of Weir Railway
and Greenock and Ayrshire Railway
to the latter's terminus at Greenock
Princes Pier
.
The line is electrified
as far as Corkerhill (from Glasgow Central); the rest is not.
. The canal had been purchased, in 1869, by the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company (G&SWR) and an Act of Parliament
was used to close the canal in 1881. The railway line, which opened in 1885, still uses the River Cart
Aqueduct
(which it crosses at a skewed angle). This makes the former aqueduct the world's oldest railway bridge that is still in active use.
. The line ran from St Enoch Station to three stations in Paisley: Paisley Hawkhead Road, Paisley Canal station, and Paisley West; with intermediate passenger stations at: Shields, Bellahouston
and Crookston
and a terminus at North Johnstone
.
Between Paisley West and Elderslie, the line of the railway deviated slightly from the original line of the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone canal; a former loop in the canal was used to hold cooling water for the cotton
thread mills at Ferguslie.
At Elderslie
Junction
it ran alongside the Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone and beyond, before crossing it via a dive-under crossing. The line terminated at a station at North Johnstone, however another junction near Elderslie provided access onto the Bridge of Weir Railway
. This is not the G&SWR Johnstone North railway station
on the Dalry and North Johnstone Line
, but an earlier station of the same name at a slightly different location.
The main difference between the original and current routes into Glasgow after 1966 was the alteration of Shields Junction
to head to instead of St Enoch, which was closed in 27 June 1966 to passenger services and 5 June 1967 to goods and parcel trains; the station was demolished in 1975 and the St Enoch Centre
(taking its name from the former occupier of the site) now stands on the site of the old station.
, together with the section of track to Shields Junction. Elderslie station
closed in 1966 and was demolished. Hawkhead
and Paisley West
stations also closed at the same time.
Passenger services continued on the Paisley Canal Line until its closure, running from Glasgow Central station to Kilmacolm, and occasional trains to the Ayrshire Coast Line (using Class 101
, Class 107
and Class 126
diesel multiple units among others). In latter years, as a cost reduction exercise, the signal boxes were only single shift manned, resulting in the last train of the day being around 7pm.
The line between Elderslie and Kilmacolm closed completely and between Elderslie and Shields Junction to scheduled passenger services on 10 January 1983.
and Elderslie Junction were used for another two or three years to enable heavy merry-go-round
coal
and iron ore traffic from Hunterston Ore Terminal
, on the Ayrshire Coast Line
, to bypass the main line between Elderslie Junction, Paisley Gilmour Street Station and Glasgow Shields Junction. There were also occasional passenger train diversions away from Paisley Gilmour Street due to works associated with the AyrLine
electrification project.
However, even this traffic was diverted onto the line through Paisley Gilmour Street and the Paisley Canal Railway line was closed completely to all traffic, partly as a result of the resignalling scheme associated with the AyrLine electrification project resulting in the severing of the line at Elderslie.
Much of the abandoned rail line beyond the original Paisley Canal station has now been developed into a cycle and walkway operated by Sustrans
.
built just to the east of railway overbridge carrying Causeyside Street. Houses had been built on the bed of the railway line west of the Causeyside Street overbridge and the Paisley Canal station building had been converted to a Steakhouse
. A new, single platform, station had to be built at Paisley Canal, on the old trackbed.
The intermediate stations at the time of closure seven years earlier, Corkerhill, Mosspark and Crookston, were re-opened at the same time, with only one platform being brought back into use. Subsequently, new stations at Hawkhead (one platform) and Dumbreck (two platforms) were opened.
Glasgow and South Western Railway
The Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
branch line running from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, through three stations in Paisley, to North Johnstone
Johnstone
Johnstone is a town in the council area of Renfrewshire and larger historic county of the same name in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.The town lies three miles west of neighbouring Paisley and twelve miles west of the centre of the city of Glasgow...
. After leaving Paisley West station, near Ferguslie, the line continued to Elderslie
Elderslie
Elderslie is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The village is situated midway between the nearby towns of Paisley and Johnstone....
junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
where it met and crossed under the main Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone, and beyond. After , the line terminated at North Johnstone, however another junction allowed services from the Paisley Canal line (also part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company) to continue onto the Bridge of Weir Railway
Bridge of Weir Railway
The Bridge of Weir Railway ran from Elderslie, Scotland, to Bridge of Weir. It was closed in January 1983.- Formation :The line from Elderslie to Bridge of Weir was built originally as the Bridge of Weir Railway, which had opened to passengers in 1864 between Johnstone and Bridge of Weir...
and Greenock and Ayrshire Railway
Greenock and Ayrshire Railway
The Greenock and Ayrshire Railway ran from Greenock, Scotland to Bridge of Weir. It closed progressively between 1959 and 1983. Despite its name it never reached Ayrshire; however by means of the line to Johnstone on the Bridge of Weir Railway trains could head directly to Ayrshire.- Formation :The...
to the latter's terminus at Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
Princes Pier
Greenock Princes Pier railway station
Greenock Albert Harbour was a railway station serving Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, originally as part of the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway.-History:...
.
The line is electrified
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
as far as Corkerhill (from Glasgow Central); the rest is not.
Formation
The majority of the route from Glasgow to Paisley (actually, Port Eglinton to Ferguslie) ran along the bed of the former Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone CanalGlasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal
The Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal was a canal in the west of Scotland, running between Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone which later became a railway. Despite the name, the canal was never completed down to Ardrossan, the termini being Port Eglinton in Glasgow and Thorn Brae in Johnstone...
. The canal had been purchased, in 1869, by the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company (G&SWR) and an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
was used to close the canal in 1881. The railway line, which opened in 1885, still uses the River Cart
River Cart
The River Cart is a tributary of the River Clyde, Scotland, which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of Erskine and Renfrew....
Aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
(which it crosses at a skewed angle). This makes the former aqueduct the world's oldest railway bridge that is still in active use.
The original route
As part of the G&SWR, the Paisley Canal line's original Glasgow terminus was at St Enoch stationSt Enoch railway station
-External links:* *...
. The line ran from St Enoch Station to three stations in Paisley: Paisley Hawkhead Road, Paisley Canal station, and Paisley West; with intermediate passenger stations at: Shields, Bellahouston
Bellahouston
Bellahouston is a district in the southwest of the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is bordered by Ibrox, Dumbreck and Pollokshields.-History:...
and Crookston
Crookston, Glasgow
Crookston is a residential suburb on the southwestern edge of the city of Glasgow, Scotland.Formerly a village in its own right, Crookston and its surrounding lands and castle , were named after the feudal Norman lord, Robert Croc, who was gifted the Levern valley in Renfrewshire by King David I...
and a terminus at North Johnstone
Johnstone
Johnstone is a town in the council area of Renfrewshire and larger historic county of the same name in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.The town lies three miles west of neighbouring Paisley and twelve miles west of the centre of the city of Glasgow...
.
Between Paisley West and Elderslie, the line of the railway deviated slightly from the original line of the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone canal; a former loop in the canal was used to hold cooling water for the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
thread mills at Ferguslie.
At Elderslie
Elderslie
Elderslie is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The village is situated midway between the nearby towns of Paisley and Johnstone....
Junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
it ran alongside the Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone and beyond, before crossing it via a dive-under crossing. The line terminated at a station at North Johnstone, however another junction near Elderslie provided access onto the Bridge of Weir Railway
Bridge of Weir Railway
The Bridge of Weir Railway ran from Elderslie, Scotland, to Bridge of Weir. It was closed in January 1983.- Formation :The line from Elderslie to Bridge of Weir was built originally as the Bridge of Weir Railway, which had opened to passengers in 1864 between Johnstone and Bridge of Weir...
. This is not the G&SWR Johnstone North railway station
Johnstone North railway station
Johnstone North railway station was a railway station serving the town of Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland as part of the Dalry and North Johnstone Line on the Glasgow and South Western Railway.-History:The station opened on 1 June 1905...
on the Dalry and North Johnstone Line
Dalry and North Johnstone Line
The Dalry and North Johnstone Line was a branch of the Glasgow and South Western Railway in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, Scotland, connecting the stations in Elderslie and Dalry via a route running parallel to the existing line built by the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway...
, but an earlier station of the same name at a slightly different location.
The main difference between the original and current routes into Glasgow after 1966 was the alteration of Shields Junction
Shields Junction
Shields Junction is the name given to the busy railway junction in the Shields Road area of Glasgow, Scotland.The junction is heavily used by both passenger and freight services running on three separate railway lines out of Glasgow Central station...
to head to instead of St Enoch, which was closed in 27 June 1966 to passenger services and 5 June 1967 to goods and parcel trains; the station was demolished in 1975 and the St Enoch Centre
St Enoch Centre
The St. Enoch Centre is a shopping mall located in the central area of Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The Architects were the GMW Architects. The construction, undertaken by Sir Robert McAlpine, began in 1986, and the building was opened to the public in May 1989...
(taking its name from the former occupier of the site) now stands on the site of the old station.
Connections to other lines
- Shields JunctionShields JunctionShields Junction is the name given to the busy railway junction in the Shields Road area of Glasgow, Scotland.The junction is heavily used by both passenger and freight services running on three separate railway lines out of Glasgow Central station...
with Glasgow and Paisley Joint RailwayGlasgow and Paisley Joint RailwayThe Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway company was formed in 1837 to provide a railway link between Glasgow and Paisley, Scotland. It was promoted jointly by the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway and the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway....
(now known as the Ayrshire Coast LineAyrshire Coast LineThe Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow...
and the Inverclyde LineInverclyde LineThe Inverclyde Line is a railway line running from Glasgow Central station through Paisley and a series of stations to the south of the River Clyde and the Firth of Clyde, terminating at Gourock and Wemyss Bay, where it connects to Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services...
); the City Union LineCity Union LineThe City of Glasgow Union Railway - City Union Line , is a railway line in Glasgow, Scotland. The line is still open, with the section north of Bellgrove still open to passenger trains.-Description of the route:...
which it utilised to reach St Enoch railway stationSt Enoch railway station-External links:* *...
; the Polloc and Govan RailwayPolloc and Govan RailwayThe Polloc and Govan Railway started off as a private railway owned and built by William Dixon, a Coal master; it ran along part of the route of his Govan tramway...
; and the General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour RailwayGeneral Terminus and Glasgow Harbour RailwayThe General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway was authorised on 3 July 1846 and it opened, in part, in December 1848.Its main function was intended to be the transportation of coal from collieries and Lanarkshire and Ayrshire, over other railways, to a coal depot on the south bank of the River...
. - Corsebar and Potterhill Junctions with the Barrhead Branch of the Glasgow and South Western RailwayGlasgow and South Western RailwayThe Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
- Canal Junction (Elderslie) with the Ayrshire Coast LineAyrshire Coast LineThe Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow...
; however, originally the Paisley Canal line continued to Johnstone, providing access to the Dalry and North Johnstone LineDalry and North Johnstone LineThe Dalry and North Johnstone Line was a branch of the Glasgow and South Western Railway in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, Scotland, connecting the stations in Elderslie and Dalry via a route running parallel to the existing line built by the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway...
and the Bridge of Weir RailwayBridge of Weir RailwayThe Bridge of Weir Railway ran from Elderslie, Scotland, to Bridge of Weir. It was closed in January 1983.- Formation :The line from Elderslie to Bridge of Weir was built originally as the Bridge of Weir Railway, which had opened to passengers in 1864 between Johnstone and Bridge of Weir...
without needing to cross the Ayrshire Coast Line.
Run down of passenger services
St Enoch station was closed by the Beeching AxeBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, together with the section of track to Shields Junction. Elderslie station
Elderslie railway station
Elderslie railway station was a railway station serving the west of Elderslie, Scotland, originally as part of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway .- History :The station opened on 21 July 1840...
closed in 1966 and was demolished. Hawkhead
Hawkhead railway station
Hawkhead railway station is a railway station in the Seedhill area of Paisley in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and lies on the Paisley Canal Line 10 km west of Glasgow Central.-History:...
and Paisley West
Paisley West railway station
Paisley West railway station was a railway station in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Paisley Canal Line.-History:The station opened on 1 June 1897, and closed 14 February 1966.- Sources :*...
stations also closed at the same time.
Passenger services continued on the Paisley Canal Line until its closure, running from Glasgow Central station to Kilmacolm, and occasional trains to the Ayrshire Coast Line (using Class 101
British Rail Class 101
The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
, Class 107
British Rail Class 107
The British Rail Class 107 diesel multiple units were built by the Derby Works of British Railways and were introduced in 1960. The class looked similar to the later Class 108 units, but were heavier - having been built out of steel.-Usage:...
and Class 126
British Rail Class 126
The British Rail Class 126 diesel multiple unit was built by BR Swindon Works in 1959/60 to work services from Glasgow to Ayrshire and comprised 22 Motor Second vehicles , 22 Motor Brake Second , 10 Kitchen Trailer First and 11 Trailer Composite vehicles formed into 22 3-car sets formed Motor...
diesel multiple units among others). In latter years, as a cost reduction exercise, the signal boxes were only single shift manned, resulting in the last train of the day being around 7pm.
The line between Elderslie and Kilmacolm closed completely and between Elderslie and Shields Junction to scheduled passenger services on 10 January 1983.
Use as a diversionary route
The tracks between Shields JunctionShields Junction
Shields Junction is the name given to the busy railway junction in the Shields Road area of Glasgow, Scotland.The junction is heavily used by both passenger and freight services running on three separate railway lines out of Glasgow Central station...
and Elderslie Junction were used for another two or three years to enable heavy merry-go-round
Merry-go-round train
A Merry-go-round train, often abbreviated to MGR, is a block train of hopper wagons which both loads and unloads its cargo while moving. In the United Kingdom, they are most commonly coal trains delivering to power stations...
coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and iron ore traffic from Hunterston Ore Terminal
Hunterston Terminal
Hunterston Terminal, in North Ayrshire, Scotland, is a coal-handling port located at Fairlie on the Firth of Clyde, and operated by Clydeport. It lies adjacent to Hunterston estate, site of Hunterston Castle....
, on the Ayrshire Coast Line
Ayrshire Coast Line
The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow...
, to bypass the main line between Elderslie Junction, Paisley Gilmour Street Station and Glasgow Shields Junction. There were also occasional passenger train diversions away from Paisley Gilmour Street due to works associated with the AyrLine
Ayrshire Coast Line
The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow...
electrification project.
However, even this traffic was diverted onto the line through Paisley Gilmour Street and the Paisley Canal Railway line was closed completely to all traffic, partly as a result of the resignalling scheme associated with the AyrLine electrification project resulting in the severing of the line at Elderslie.
Disposal of land at Paisley Canal and beyond
The rails between Elderslie and Paisley Canal station were uplifted in 1986. The land around Paisley Canal station, including the line and the goods yard, was developed for housing; the station became a steak house; and the former passenger over-bridge between the two platforms was demolished and the gap between the two platforms in filled.Much of the abandoned rail line beyond the original Paisley Canal station has now been developed into a cycle and walkway operated by Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
.
Reopening to Paisley Canal station
On 27 July 1990 part of the line was reopened by Strathclyde Passenger Transport; and passenger services resumed on the section from Glasgow Central station to a new Paisley Canal railway stationPaisley Canal railway station
Paisley Canal railway station is a railway station in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and lies on the Paisley Canal Line.-History:...
built just to the east of railway overbridge carrying Causeyside Street. Houses had been built on the bed of the railway line west of the Causeyside Street overbridge and the Paisley Canal station building had been converted to a Steakhouse
Steakhouse
A steakhouse is a restaurant that specializes in beef steaks. The same type of restaurant is also known as a chophouse.The steakhouse started in the USA in the late 19th century as a development of traditional inns and bars....
. A new, single platform, station had to be built at Paisley Canal, on the old trackbed.
The intermediate stations at the time of closure seven years earlier, Corkerhill, Mosspark and Crookston, were re-opened at the same time, with only one platform being brought back into use. Subsequently, new stations at Hawkhead (one platform) and Dumbreck (two platforms) were opened.
Future
The re-opening of the section between Paisley Canal station and Elderslie and the electrification of the line has been proposed, starting in 2010.Sources
- (N A), (N D). Sheet 30: Reprint of the first edition of the one-inch Ordnance Survey of Scotland: Glasgow & Greenock. (Revised to 1896). Ellon: Caledonian Books. ISBN 1-85349-030-X.
- The Glasgow & South Western Railway Association
- Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
- Dedicated website with many old photographs and maps