At Milnwood Junction, just south of the former Holytown [1st] and south of the former Mossend station and Mossend Marshalling Yard, lines from Bellshill, Mossend and Holytown meet. To the south was Jerviston Junction and the lines to Clydesdale Steel Works.
This was one of few locations where a railway splits to run in four directions. A northbound train could take the 1903 line to Bellshill via Mossend West Junction (Mossend No 4 box), the 1903 line to the west part of Mossend Marshalling Yard (Mossend No 3 box) which passed through the two west platforms at Mossend, the original 1838 route north to the main platforms at Mossend (Mossend No 2 box) or to the 1879 line to Holytown via Fullwood Junction.
The lines to the west Mossend platforms were added when the route south from Mossend Marshalling Yard to south of Jerviston Junction were quadrupled in 1903.
To the south was the division between the 1835 Wishaw and Coltness Railway and the 1857 Motherwell Deviation Line (Caledonian Railway). The 1835 line was to Cleekhimin Coal Pit extended south over Jerviston Viaduct in 1841 to Motherwell [1st] and Overtown [1st].
The W&C route fell out of use by the 1890s although the northern part was used to access the Clydesdale Steel Works.
For the opening of the line south to Coursington Road Junction in 1900 much of the former W&C route was re-used, with some deviations such as the connection to the main line being further south than Milnwood at Jerviston Junction.
Also in 1903 the curve west to Mossend West Junction was opened, completing the four curves between the west to east and north to south lines.
The secondary line from Milnwood Junction to Mossend No 1 Junction was singled in 1964.
All lines are now electrified. It is now a three way junction (the secondary line is lifted at its southern end).
Milnwood Colliery Pits Nos 1 and 2 were to the west accessed from the Bellshill line. When opened these could not be directly accessed from Milnwood Junction.
Nearby stations Holytown [1st] Mossend Holytown Bellshill Bellshill [NB] Carfin Motherwell Motherwell [1st] Motherwell Bridge Motherwell Junction Bothwell Park Halt Airbles Carnbroe Flemington Calderbank | Milnwood Steel and Works Clydesdale Steel Works Fullwood Junction Mossend Gas Siding Jerviston Junction Clyde Crane Works Mossend North Junction Mossend No 3 Junction Mossend West Junction Mossend Coal Yard Fullwood Foundry |
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. |