Location type

Name and dates

Note: text in square brackets is added for clarity and was not part of the location's name.

Description

This was the short lived connection between the Glasgow Buchanan Street to Milton Junction [Glasgow] alignment and the Sighthill Branch (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway).

But was it? Yes, but it is a bit complicated.

Earthworks for this link were prepared with the Sighthill branch. These were authorised in 1853 but with the companies disagreeing about access the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was ordered by Court to remove works from the Caledonian Railway land in 1854.

However, between the 28th of May and 30th of June 1858 a link was apparently laid in briefly to break a stalemate between Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway (who had running powers to Sighthill Goods) and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. The disagreement related to access charges for Glasgow Queen Street High Level. Certainly the Glasgow Herald confirms the first train ran to Glasgow Buchanan Street.

Various contemporary maps; Ordnance Survey, Airey, Swan, Kyle and Rapkin show a connection, but most are at a scale where there is little detail.

A link was finally laid in, on the 5th of May 1871, however it was never used. (This contrasts with the connection made at Sighthill East Junction [1st] which finally did open in 1869 and was an important connection between the North British Railway, who owned the E&G from 1865, and Caledonian Railway). A box opened at Sighthill West in 1871, to the east of St Rollox [2nd] station. It was on the south side of the unopened junction.

In 1883 the points were taken out at Sighthill West Junction.

Later OS maps show the Sighthill West connection - a severed double track connection, shown on some maps the lines were interrupted by a building. Most show an unsuitable arrangement at Sighthill Yard Junction and Sighthill Goods Junction for a passenger railway, the northern part of the connection becoming a goods sidings approached from the north.

The signal box closed in 1934.

The main line to Buchanan Street closed in 1966 and Cumbernauld trains were diverted to Springburn via Sighthill East Junction [1st].

The location of Sighthill West Junction is now under the green space on the north side of Cobden Road.

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