RAILSCOT | Cartsburn Junction

Cartsburn Junction

Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Cartsburn Junction (1886-1961)

Opened on the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway.

Description

This junction was formed in 1886 when the James Watt Dock and a goods line to the dock at Inchgreen were opened. The junction was with the 1869 Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway, part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway from 1872.

The junction was just west of Balwhirley Tunnel South and just east of Cartsburn Viaduct. The branch was double track and approached from the west. It passed through Balwhirley Tunnel North to the immediate east of the junction and ran downhill to the dock parallel and on the north side of the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway. The signal box was on the north side of the line immediately east of the Cartsburn Viaduct and west of the bridge over Kilmacolm Road. To the west of the viaduct a siding on the north side, making a trailing connection, served the Ardgowan Distillery.

The branch closed in 1961 and the signal box closed.

The main line was singled and remained open for passengers until 1965 before closing in 1966. Cartsburn Junction to Greenock Princes Pier was retained and re-opened in 1971 from a connection made to the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway at Containerbase Junction, east of the Balwhirley Tunnel North (a short part of the branch re-opening).

The line officially closed in 1993 having seen no traffic since the 1980s.

External links

NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map

Nearby stations Whinhill Greenock (Lynedoch) Greenock Central Upper Greenock Cartsdyke Greenock Cathcart Street [1st] Drumfrochar Greenock West Bogston Greenock Princes Pier [1st] Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] Port Glasgow Branchton Fort Matilda Ravenscraig	Cartsburn Viaduct Cartsburn Tunnel Cartsburn Tunnel South Balwhirley Tunnel North Balwhirley Tunnel South Shawswater Foundry Ardgowan Distillery Greenock Works and Shed Greenock Foundry Arthur Street Engine Works Greenock Carbon Factory Boat Building Yard Nicoll Tourist/other Cartsburn House Greenock John Street Signal Box Baker Street Coal Depot
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

Chronology Dates

/ /1865	Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway Branch from Cartsburn Junction to Victoria Harbour authorised (where it would meet the Dellingburn Branch).
01/06/1869	Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway Branch from Cartsburn Junction to Victoria Harbour opened. Proposed branch to Greenock Albert Harbour [Dock] abandoned.
26/09/1966	Greenock and Ayrshire Railway Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] to Kilmacolm (excluded) closed to freight. A single track from Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] to Cartsburn Junction is retained for reinstatement.
/ /1971	Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway Containerbase Junction opened, a link to the former Greenock and Ayrshire Railway's Inchgreen branch which, beyond Cartsburn Junction, gave access along its former main line to Greenock Princes Pier now rebuilt as the Greenock Containerbase Sidings (Greenock Container Port).
07/06/1971	Greenock and Ayrshire Railway Greenock Containerbase Sidings (formerly the site of Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] station which is redeveloped as Greenock Container Port) to Cartsburn Junction to Garvel Dock Branch Junction re-opened to freight and a new portion from Garvel Dock Branch Junction to Containerbase Junction opened.