City Union Line

[v · d · e]  City of Glasgow Union Railway
Locale Scotland Dates of operation 12 December 1870 – 31 December 1922 Successor line LMS & LNER Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Legend
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Springburn Sighthill Junction Barnhill    Glasgow and Garnkirk Railway    Blochairn Iron Works Garngad Provan Gas Works Alexandra Park Haghill Goods Haghill Junction Duke Street    Coatbridge Branch (NBR) Bellgrove High Street East Junction    Glasgow City and District Railway Gallowgate St Enoch (Dunlop Street) Saltmarket Junction Clyde Junction River Clyde Gorbals Junction Gorbals South Side    Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway Main Street Cumberland Street    Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway    Paisley Canal Line (up to 1967)    General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway Shields Road Shields Junction    Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway

The City of Glasgow Union Railway - City Union Line (also known as the Tron Line), is a railway line in Glasgow, Scotland. The line is still open, with the section north of Bellgrove still open to passenger trains.

Description of the route

This short route joins the two halves of inner Glasgow's railway system. At its northern end, it connects to the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway at Sighthill Junction (now 'Sighthill East Junction'), and its southern end is connected to the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway at Shields Junction.

At Bellgrove the line joins the Coatbridge Branch of the North British Railway, now part of the North Clyde suburban route, from the north east. At High Street East Junction (now 'High Street Junction') the line heads off in a south westerly direction, through the Calton district, and over the River Clyde to the Gorbals and Tradeston, where it joins the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway at Shields Junction.

Opening

The railway received Royal Assent in 1864, with the first section of line between Shields Road and Dunlop Street on 12 December 1870, a section of line which included the first railway bridge built across the Clyde. By 1 June 1871 the line was extended to Bellgrove. The line through to Sighthill Junction was opened to goods traffic on 18 August 1875, although it was not until 1 January 1881 that passenger services reached Alexandra Parade; 1 October 1883 to Barnhill; and 1 January 1887 to Springburn, beyond Sighthill Junction.

By 1901 the section between Gorbals Junction and St Enoch railway station was quadrupled, including the widening of the Clyde Bridge.

St Enoch

The original four platform terminus at Dunlop Street was opened in December 1870. Located on a short spur to the east of the line just north of the Clyde. This station remained in use until 17 October 1876, when it was closed and St Enoch opened.

Withdrawal of passenger services

The southern section of the line was closed to passengers with the closure of St Enoch railway station on 27 June 1966.

Following the closure of the St Enoch railway station as part of the Beeching Axe the line became redundant and was disused for passenger services. The line is still maintained as a route for freight trains, charter trains as well as departmental movements of diesel multiple units to Corkerhill Depot in Glasgow's South Side for maintenance.

The Springburn-Bellgrove section is still in use, forming part of the North Clyde Line.

Future uses

It is possible that the line may be utilised for passenger services once more, as it forms the cornerstone of the proposed Crossrail Glasgow development which aims to link Glasgow Central High Level services to Queen Street low level.

Connections to other lines

• Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway at Sighthill Junction
• Glasgow and Garnkirk Railway at Sighthill Junction
• Coatbridge Branch of the North British Railway at Haghill Junction and Bellgrove
• Glasgow City and District Railway at High Street West Junction
• Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway at Gorbals Junction
• Paisley Canal Line, General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway and Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway at Shields Junction

Sources

• Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. 
• Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199. 
• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137. 
• RAILSCOT on City Union Line