Coalburn
Location type
StationName and dates
Coalburn (1891-1965)Opened on the Lesmahagow Railway.
Description
Coalburn station was opened on a line already open since 1856. Passenger trains had terminated further north at Lesmahagow [1st] until 1891 when the service extended south.
The line ran in the depression of the Coal Burn, the burn itself passing under the north east end of the station.
On opening of the line Coalburn was a very small village, a few cottages to support local mining, and farms. In the vicinity of the level crossing the station opened next to there was almost nothing except the Inn.
The village expanded with houses at both Coalburn, Braehead and Bellfield.
The station opened on the north side of the level crossing. It had a single platform, on the east side of the line, with a station building at the level crossing end and signal box by the crossing, north side of the road, on the west side. The box opened with the station due to the crossing. The Station Hotel opened on the east side of the station.
There was no loop, trains continued south and west to Bankend to run round. There was a goods siding on the south side of the level crossing.
The platform was extended to cross the Coal Burn at the north end, next to Poniel Coal Pit No 1.
Bankend box closed in 1942 and the line west to Galawhistle Colliery closed. The loop at Bankend remained open. Coalburn's box was upgraded to a block post.
The line beyond Coalburn to Bankend closed in 1963. Despite this the box remained open. By this time the branch train was a DMU, not needing to run on to Bankend to run round.
With closure in 1965 the line was cut back to Auchlochan Halt (by then closed).
After closure the station building was demolished, the platform survived for some time. The Station Hotel was demolished in 1996.
Across the road the trackbed has been built over with houses. Further landscaping of the station site has reduced the site to a narrow footpath.
A railway cottage remains which was to the west of the signal box. It has been altered.
Local
The Jim Hamilton Heritage Society of Coalburn
Tags
Station terminusExternal links
Canmore site recordNLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
| Nearby stations Bellfield Platform Bankend Auchlochan Halt Douglas West Alton Heights Happendon Brocketsbrae Lesmahagow [2nd] Ponfeigh Inches Glenbuck Blackwood [2nd] Sandilands [Lanarkshire] Auchenheath Blackwood [1st] | Auchlochan No 1 Colliery Poniel Coal Pit No 1 Westown Mine Bellfield Colliery Pit No 4 Auchlochan Nos 6 and 7 Collieries Bellfield Colliery Pit No 3 Westown Colliery Nos 1 and 2 Pits Dalquhandy Colliery Pits Nos 1 and 2 and 3 Auchlochan No 2 Colliery Dalquhandy Opencast Bankend Colliery Pit No 9 Coal Pit Opencast Dalquhandy Colliery Pit No 4 Bankend Colliery Pit No 1 |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
Chronology Dates
| / /1847 | Lesmahagow Railway Act passed for a line from Motherwell to Bankend (beyond Coalburn). The Caledonian Railway fail to build the line. |
| 24/07/1851 | Lesmahagow Railway Line authorised (this the semi independent 'Lesmahagow Branches' which is backed by the Caledonian Railway); route Motherwell to Ferniegair to Coalburn to Bankend, branch to Northfield (probably the Southfield Old Pit). |
| / /1854 | Lesmahagow Railway Line reconsidered, stock alterations and route alterations. Route Motherwell to Ferniegair to Coalburn to Bankend, branch to Northfield (probably the Southfield Old Pit). Southfield branch authorised. Branch to Littlegill Colliery authorised. |
| 01/06/1874 | Muirkirk Branch (Caledonian Railway) Opened to passenger traffic to Muirkirk [1st]. (Later a second Caledonian Railway line was built from Coalburn to a new Muirkirk [2nd] but the line was not used as the Glasgow and South Western Railway threatened to apply for running powers through to Lanark - however Muirkirk [2nd] did open). |
| 02/11/1891 | Lesmahagow Railway Passenger service extended from Lesmahagow [1st] to Coalburn. |
| 04/10/1965 | Lesmahagow Railway
Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway) Coalburn to Hamilton (Haughhead Junction) closed to passengers. Stations closed: Coalburn, Lesmahagow [2nd], Blackwood [2nd], Stonehouse [Lanarkshire], Larkhall Central. Additionally Strathaven Central to Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] closed to passengers. |
| 04/10/1965 | Lesmahagow Railway Coalburn to Auchlochan Nos 9 and 10 Collieries (excluded) closed to freight. |
News items
| 02/03/2023 | MSPs team up in bid to extend rail link across rural Lanarkshire [Daily Record] |
