Falkirk Grahamston railway station

History

The line between Polmont and Larbert was built by the "Stirlingshire Midland Junction Railway", which was absorbed by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway prior to opening. The line opened on 1 October 1850, as did the station known as Grahamston (Falkirk). The subsequent addition of a chord line at Carmuirs to create a triangular junction there also gave access to the Scottish Central Railway and hence the E&G main line at Greenhill, creating a parallel relief route to the busy E&G line that was often used by local stopping trains between the two cities.

It also became the junction for the Grangemouth Railway, when the branch to the port of the same name on the Firth of Forth was opened in 1860/61 – this line was notable in that it was promoted and built by the Forth and Clyde Canal Company rather than any of the local railways, in order to maintain the F&CC's monopoly of the harbour there. The branch was initially worked by the E&G, but when the canal company was subsequently bought out by the Caledonian Railway, it passed into their hands; thereafter the E&G's successor the North British Railway had running powers over it. Passenger services there were withdrawn on 29 January 1968 as a result of the Beeching Axe, but the branch is still open for freight to the port and associated oil refinery & petrochemical plant.

The station was renamed Falkirk Grahamston on 1 February 1903. The original station buildings were replaced by the present ones in 1985/6.

Services

Monday to Saturday there is a half-hourly service to Edinburgh Waverley eastbound and to Dunblane via Stirling westbound; also there is one per hour to & from Glasgow Queen Street via Cumbernauld. There is also a single weekday morning peak direct service to Glasgow via Lenzie which originates at Kirkcaldy; this returns there in the evening. Glasgow services were diverted via Cumbernauld (rather than their former routing via Croy) in September 1999 in order to free up paths on the busy E&G main line.

On Sundays there is an hourly service to Edinburgh and Dunblane but no service to Glasgow. Passengers wishing to travel there have to either change at Polmont or use Falkirk High.

Future Improvements

The line through the station and onwards to Larbert/Cumbernauld and to Polmont is due to be electrified by 2018 as part of the second phase of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme funded by Transport Scotland. This will also result in a timetable recast, with a new Glasgow to Edinburgh via Cumbernauld & Falkirk Grahamston stopping service introduced and services to Stirling & Dunblane accelerated.