urbanglasgow.co.uk

jonno22

Hi all. Airdrie - Bathgate was a 12 mile railway route that has been closed for over 50 years and has been used for as a cycle path for many years since closure from being a railway route. The 12 mile route is being reopened as a railway line once again and is expected for completion in 2010. I have explored the whole 12 mile route in stages over the past couple of years and I am taking photographs of the works taking place as the project progresses. Below are photographs taken from the route before works started and of works taking place on what was a good and soon to be reopened railway route. More information and the full gallery of photographs can be found in the link below. Below the link will be photographs I have attached showing the route as a cycle path and also showing the cycle path being turned into what will be a reopened railway line.

http://jonathanmcgurk.fotopic.net/c1725139.html

Below are thirty photographs that are inside the gallery. There is lots more to look at inside including an exclusive behind the scenes look at the new Bathgate L.M.D. being constructed, second platforms being added at Livingston North being built, Drumgelloch and Bathgate stations as they are now before demolition next year plus lots more!

The Route:
Airdrie:
Looking east towards Drumgelloch - Second track will be added to the left leading upto the new Drumgelloch station

Former Airdrie Signalbox which has lay abandoned and disused for over 40 years and will demolished when a third platform is built as part of the A - B project

A general view of Airdrie station looking west showing the abandoned and disused signalbox and where the new third track and station platform will be located to the left

Drumgelloch station:
The view from the current and to be demolished Drumgelloch station looking east towards Plains and Caldercruix showing the former and what will be reopened trackbed which will lead to the new Drumgelloch station which will be located approximately 550 yards east of the station existing location

A sundial and a view of where the new Drumgelloch station will be located

Sleepers lay at the side of the cycle path from when the railway line was first open and closed over 50 years

Photographs taken between Drumgelloch and the former Plains station which will once again be reunited with track as part of the project. The following photographs show evidence that this was once a railway line

Tree cutting and other devegetation work took place on the 12 mile route to clear the route and make way for works to take place before laying track (which has still to be done). A few photographs seen here between the former Plains and Caldercruix stations

The former Plains station which may be a station getting added to the new line once opened in December 2010. If the route is successful and busy enough Plains could be one area that could have its own station after 2010

A few photographs of the former Caldercruix station, a station which is being rebuilt and ropened at its former site as part of the project proposals

Bathgate:
Former Bathgate M.P.D. steam shed which will be a new 395 space carpark for the new Bathgate station which will be built

Photographs taken between Blackridge area and the former Westcraigs station and further west towards the former Forrestfield station.

Back to Bathgate - Progress has been massive

Whitburn Road road overbridge renewal:

Best Regards

Jonathan McGurk

Fjord · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:32 pm Post subject:

Nice collection they must be ripe for a Past-Present any day now
_________________
______________________________________________________
Sex, Drugs & Morton's Rolls

jonno22 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:55 pm Post subject:

Cheers Fjord. I will have about 600+ photographs by the end of the project. Past / presents aint too far way indeed;)

Best Regards

Jonathan McGurk

cybers · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:03 am Post subject:

From a local point of view....
White Elephant.
The consultation process on this was bypassed the local community by en large.
No one i know wanted the return of this line except the cooncillors so they could flap their arms and get photo's done on launch day.
In fact if they had listened to the community as they are supposed to they would have found out the communities they are elected to represent are more annoyed at the loss of the cycle track than the return of the train.
Yes you will be able on completion to go all the way to Waverley but who the hell wants to terminate in Airdrie going the other way ?
This had the opportunity to be something special if they had took the time to join 2 cities together in a nutshell they could have saved a shed load of cash for the proposed hi speed link.
Even the work force has been out sourced...
Go figure

_________________
MY FLICKR
"At least on the internet the pages are not all stuck together"

Saltmarketeer · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:50 pm Post subject:

james73 · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:21 pm Post subject:

scallopboy · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject:

Cracking set

_________________
Did you call my pint a lass?

Saltmarketeer · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject:

jonno22 · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:42 pm Post subject:

That is the plan. I've heard the proposals are to run a fast and slow (all stopper) service from Helensburgh Central to the captial each hour. Like most timetables for new railway projects that have jus tbeen complete we will not know where services will start from and the frequency until around a few weeks prior to the line opening for the first time thus for the Airdrie - Bathgate line opening in December 2010

Best Regards

Jonathan McGurk

cybers · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:27 pm Post subject:

I stand corrected and am grateful the error of my ways was pointed out.
So who will be the new Dr Richard Beeching To axe this again ?
Then there will no doubt be compensation claims from all the households who for 50 years have never heard a train let alone have one knock the wally dugs aff the mantlepiece.

From Tonight

_________________
MY FLICKR
"At least on the internet the pages are not all stuck together"