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This was the eastern apex of a triangle of junctions which gave access from the 1854 Lanark Branch (Caledonian Railway) to the 1864 Douglas Branch (Caledonian Railway). The junction allowed a train from the north to join the new Douglas branch.

For the opening of the new line the existing Lanark branch was doubled. The Douglas line was single track. To the north east was a siding for the Caledonian Mineral Oil Works (approached from the Lanark direction. A signal box was provided on the north/west side of the line midway between the junction and works siding.

The triangle was resignalled in 1910. A replacement box opened at roughly the same location. The junction was renamed from Douglas Junction East to Smyllum East Junction. Further sidings were laid into the works. The embankment south was prepared for a second track, although only the northernmost part was laid double.

A further resignalling took place in 1955 when the box was replaced. The new box was on the south side of the junction.

The Douglas branch was cut back to Ponfeigh (Douglas Colliery) in 1964 and closed to passengers.

The colliery was mothballed in 1967 after a fire, closed the following year. The Douglas branch closed completely in 1968.

The site has since been landscaped although the embankments remain. The Lanark branch remains open. It was singled in 1971. It is now an electrified line.

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