This railway was closed in the 1980s except for a short section from Coatbridge Sunnyside to Moffat Mills Junction, a short branch ran Moffat Mills. Passenger services terminated at Airdrie. After closure of the freight branch the line east of Airdrie was closed and then re-opened to passengers to Drumgelloch [1st] (Airdrie) as a single track line. Much of the closed route became a cycle-way. The line has reopened throughout with new passenger stations. The cycle-way has been re-aligned alongside. The line is also known as the New Monkland Line. It was built by the Monkland Railways.
This line is divided into a number of portions.
This was a junction between the Ballochney Railway's Clarkston (West Moffat) branch of 1828 and the later Calderbank Iron Works Branch (Monkland Railways) of 1855. The lines here were single track.
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This junction was east of Airdrie on the New Monkland Line (Monkland Railways). When opened in 1859 the western end of this line met the former Ballochney Railway close to Calderbank Junction. In 1861 the new line was completed by the opening westwards of Brownieside Junction to Greenside Junction, this new portion avoiding the inclines on the older route.
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This was a two platform station with a level crossing at the west end.
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This junction was east of Plains station. It served the siding to Stepends Colliery and Stepends Brick Works. (These were connected by a long aerial ropeway to Ardenrigg Colliery Pit No 6 to the south east.)
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This signal box was for Stepends Junction (to the west) and Plains Junction (to the east). The box was on the north side of the line at Barblues.
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This junction was at Barblues, between Plains station (to the west) and Caldercruix station (to the east). It was the junction for the short colliery line to Brownieside Colliery No 3 which was north of the line and to the west of the junction, reached by reversal. From the branch another line ran north to Barblues Colliery, which had tramways to further pits.
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This signal box was west of Caldercruix station, located on the north side of the line where the sidings for Caldercruix Mill were located. These were on the south side of the line, approached from the west.
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This was a paper mill in Caldercruix.
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This is a two platform station.
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The summit of the line, 656 ft, is at the east end of Hillend Reservoir, a little west of the former Forrestfield station. The line runs along the south bank of the reservoir. The closest station today is at Caldercruix, to the west, today.
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This was a two platform station. The station was located at the east end of Hillend Loch in an area of low population. Forrestfield consisted of a row of cottages and a stage coach inn.
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This was the junction between the New Monkland Line (Monkland Railways) and the Hillhouserigg Railway. The branch was approached from the east. It was directly west of Westcraigs station and its goods yard. The main line was originally single track and the branch was single. The nearby station had a loop and the original junction box was on the eastbound platform.
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This was a two platform station immediately east of Westcraigs Junction. There was a goods yard to the south, approached from the west, with a double height loading bank
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This is a modern two platform station to the east of the village of Blackridge. It has a car park on its north side.
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This junction was east of today's Blackridge station. Three mineral lines ran from here and there was a yard. There was a signal box (replaced in 1904 when the line east was doubled). The box was on the north side of the junction. Woodend Junction was the site of a loop when the railway was still single track. The loop line was on the north side. The junction was briefly the end of the line ...
More detailsThis station was located to the west of the overbridge. The line was original single track. To the east of the bridge was a passing loop on the line when it first opened. The present Armadale station has opened on the site of the loop.
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Originally the Craigmill Branch.
This junction was east of today's Blackridge station. Three mineral lines ran from here and there was a yard. There was a signal box (replaced in 1904 when the line east was doubled). The box was on the north side of the junction. Woodend Junction was the site of a loop when the railway was still single track. The loop line was on the north side. The junction was briefly the end of the line ...
More detailsThis colliery was opened around 1870 by the Coltness Iron Company. It was north west of Armadale, West Lothian. The site for which it is principally known was Pit No 5.
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This was a double track junction east of Coatbridge Sunnyside. It was formed between the Kipps branch of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway and the later New Monkland Line (Monkland Railways).
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This is a two platform station near Monklands Hospital. The station did not open with the line. When built it was a very rural location, it is now in the west of Airdrie. To the east of the station is the Coatdyke Viaduct. There was no goods or mineral yard, Coatdyke Mineral Depot was on a separate line to the south.
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This is a ten arch double track masonry viaduct east of Coatdyke station.
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This is the main station in Airdrie with three platforms, one a bay for services to Glasgow. The two main platforms are served by east-west trains from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Bathgate.
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This was a single platform terminus.
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This is a two platform station.
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This was a two platform station. The line is open but station closed in 1956. The main station building was on the eastbound platform. There was a signal box at the west end of the westbound platform. The box closed in 1965. There was a small goods yard to the north of the westbound platform, approached from the west.
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This junction was east of Airdrie on the New Monkland Line (Monkland Railways). When opened in 1859 the western end of this line met the former Ballochney Railway close to Calderbank Junction. In 1861 the new line was completed by the opening westwards of Brownieside Junction to Greenside Junction, this new portion avoiding the inclines on the older route.
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