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This junction was formed in 1848 when a short connecting line of the Caledonian Railway was put in between the 1843 Coatbridge Central branch of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway at Gartsherrie South Junction and Gartsherrie NB Junction (to the north) on the 1826 Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway.

This short section of line was a small but important part of the West Coast Main Line which remains open today.

Trains coming from Coatbridge, to the south, could now go west to Glasgow or north to Stirling and the north.

Gartsherrie station was located on the west curve, close to the junction. Sidings and a turntable were on the east side. The signal box was located on the west side of the junction.

The box was replaced with a larger version in 1903 when the line south as far as Coatbridge Central was quadrupled.

In 1959 a new ore receiving yard for the Gartsherrie Iron Works was laid out on the west side of the railway to the south of the junction, approached from the north.

Gartsherrie South box developed a list and was braced at its rear to stop collapse, timber supports remaining in place until its closure. The windows at the front noticeably sloped as a result of the subsidence, due to mining here.

Gartsherrie Iron Works closed in 1967 and around 1981 the ore yard was relaid to become the Coatbridge Freightliner Terminal. This was reached by reversal from the westbound line of the curve west to Gartcosh Junction.

Gartsherrie South and Gartcosh Junction boxes closed in 1999 and the westbound line became a headshunt for the freightliner terminal (the far end at Gartcosh was disconnected). Re-alignment of the westbound curve now has the single track line taking a slightly different, more northerly, course than the original alignment at the junction.

The railways here are now electrified. The main line north and south remains double track, the portion south to Coatbridge Central remains quadruple track for much of the way.

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