Shields Junction
Encyclopedia
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. Passenger services operated by First ScotRail
run to , Ayr
, Largs
, Ardrossan
, Gourock
and Wemyss Bay
as well as the less frequent Stranraer
service. Freight operations through the junction are usually from either Elderslie
, Ayr Falkland Yard or Hunterston Terminal
.
Shields Junction is situated beside Shields Depot, which along with Corkerhill Depot are the main railway depots used by SPT on the south-west side of Glasgow
.
Under plans for the proposed (but later cancelled) Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL), the section of track between Shields Junction and Arkleston Junction
on the Ayrshire
and Inverclyde
Lines was to be upgraded to 3-tracks along the five mile route to accommodate extra trains to Glasgow International Airport
, Gourock
and Ayr
. As part of these works, Shields Junction was remodelled over the Christmas 2007 / New Year 2008 period, resulting in a total closure of the lines through the junction.
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...
.
The junction is heavily used by both passenger and freight services running on three separate railway lines out of Glasgow Central station. Passenger services operated by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
run to , Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
, Largs
Largs
Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....
, Ardrossan
Ardrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
, Gourock
Gourock
Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
and Wemyss Bay
Wemyss Bay
Wemyss Bay is a village on the coast of the Firth of Clyde falling within the Inverclyde council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The name may derive from the Gaelic uaimh, meaning 'cave'...
as well as the less frequent Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
service. Freight operations through the junction are usually from either 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....
, Ayr Falkland Yard or Hunterston 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....
.
Shields Junction is situated beside Shields Depot, which along with Corkerhill Depot are the main railway depots used by SPT on the south-west side of 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...
.
Under plans for the proposed (but later cancelled) Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL), the section of track between Shields Junction and Arkleston Junction
Arkleston Junction
Arkleston Junction is a railway junction east of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The junction is one mile from Paisley Gilmour Street railway station and is heavily used by both passenger and freight traffic.-Post 1967-electrification:...
on the Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
and Inverclyde
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
Lines was to be upgraded to 3-tracks along the five mile route to accommodate extra trains to Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire...
, Gourock
Gourock
Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
and Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
. As part of these works, Shields Junction was remodelled over the Christmas 2007 / New Year 2008 period, resulting in a total closure of the lines through the junction.