Lanark
Location type
StationName and dates
Lanark (1854-)Station code: LNK National Rail ScotRail
Where: South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Opened on the Lanark Branch (Caledonian Railway).
Open on the Glasgow to Lanark.
Description
This is the terminus of a a short branch. The station has two platforms and two station buildings. The larger of the buildings is sandstone and of two storeys, presenting one storey to the platform with a small canopy, it dates from 1867 and is 'B' listed. The second building is timber and has a glazed canopy. This building is similar to other Caledonian Railway buildings built around 1900.
The original station had a single platform, today the platform by the stone building. To the east was a loop and small goods yard on the south side. A market was to the south of the goods station. The station was, and is, approached from the east. Originally the line to Lanark was single track. Trains came from the Motherwell and Glasgow direction.
The station was rebuilt in 1867, just after the Douglas Branch (Caledonian Railway) opened from a triangular junction east of the station in 1864. Passenger trains to Douglas via Lanark had to reverse in the station. A curve was put in at Silvermuir to allow trains to approach from the Carstairs and Edinburgh direction. The branch was doubled.
The enlarged station had two platforms, with three lines between (the central line being a release road for locomotives). This is the present station. The goods yard was expanded and a nearby road was diverted south to provide the space. The signal box, in timber, was opposite the goods yard on the north side of the line at the station throat.
In 1873 the Douglas branch reached Muirkirk [1st] and this Ayr via the Glasgow and South Western Railway.
A second station opened at Lanark Racecourse in 1920.
The Muirkirk [2nd] branch was closed to passengers in 1964 and the line was cut back to Ponfeigh for coal traffic. The west to south curve just east of Lanark was taken out. The Muirkirk [2nd] branch was closed completely in 1968, the Edinburgh curve onto the main line was taken out and the Lanark branch reverted to single track in 1971.
Despite the run down the branch was electrified allowing electric commuter trains to run from Glasgow. The signal box closed in 1973, replaced by the Motherwell Signalling Centre. The goods yard was cut back and finally closed in November 1983. A disused loading bank remains.
The station remains in a good state of preservation.
Tags
Terminus stationExternal 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
Facilities
Listing: B
| Nearby stations Lanark Racecourse Cleghorn Sandilands [Lanarkshire] Braidwood Carstairs Ponfeigh Brocketsbrae Lesmahagow [2nd] Auchenheath Carluke Tillietudlem Alton Heights Carnwath Blackwood [2nd] Blackwood [1st] | Smyllum West Junction Smyllum East Junction Smyllum South Junction New Lanark Mills Caledonian Mineral Oil Works Hyndford Quarry Cleghorn Clay Pit Cleghorn Terra-Cotta Works Silvermuir South Junction Lanark Junction Silvermuir Siding Craigenhill Summit Silvermuir Junction Tourist/other Lanark Race Course Falls of Clyde |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
