Place Motherwell Station code MTH Owned by Network Rail Owner Network Rail | Grid reference NS750571 Managed by Abellio ScotRail 2011/12 1.301 million Number of platforms 4 | |
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Address Motherwell ML1 1BN, United Kingdom Pte Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Similar Hamilton Central railway st, Dalmuir railway station, Glasgow Central station, Airbles railway station, Hyndland railway station | ||
Motherwell railway station 04 08 2011
Motherwell railway station serves Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), and is served also by Argyle Line trains of the Glasgow suburban railway network. It is the penultimate stop on the northbound WCML before Glasgow. There are four platforms of various length in use at Motherwell. The station is located next to the town's main shopping arcade, Motherwell Shopping Centre.
Contents
History
The current Motherwell station was built to replace an earlier station which was opened by the Caledonian Railway at nearby Orbiston. As Orbiston station was quite some distance from the rapidly expanding Motherwell town centre, the decision was taken to build a station at 'Lesmahagow Junction', the point where the Motherwell Deviation branch of the Caledonian Railway Main Line met the lines to Mossend, Hamilton and Lesmahagow. This new site was conveniently in the heart of the town.
The current station was built by British Rail during the 1970s on the site of the original to coincide with the electrification of the West Coast Main Line. It has four through platforms, crossed by two overbridges with the main buildings being above the level of the line between Platforms 2 and 3. At platform level between Platforms 2 and 3 there is also a Abellio ScotRail traincrew depot, staff car park and an office of the British Transport Police. These are accessible via a gated rampway leading to street level.
Beyond Platform 4 are some electrified sidings used for the stabling of trains overnight. Diagrams are nominally worked so that these units will only stay at Motherwell for one night before returning to their allocated depot.
Services
Local services departing to and from the station are provided by Abellio ScotRail and the majority of northbound services serve Glasgow Central (either terminating at the High Level station or passing through the Low Level station en route to Dalmuir or Milngavie), whilst southbound Argyle Line services terminate at Lanark or Carstairs.
Services provided by other operators or limited services
Some services are provided by other operators. As of 2016 these are follows,
TransPennine Express
Provide a very limited service with only 2 trains to Glasgow Central, (1 of which is set down only) a day calling Monday to Friday. 1 train stops to set down only on Saturday. On Sunday's 2 train per day call with one to Manchester Airport and one setting down only towards Glasgow.
Virgin Trains West Coast
Provide 7 trains per day with 4 trains per day to Glasgow Central and 3 trains per day to London Euston one of which operates via Birmingham.
Virgin Trains East Coast
Provide 1 train per day to both Glasgow Central and London Kings Cross
CrossCountry
Provide a regular service (roughly every two hours) to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley with most eastbound services extending to Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads & Plymouth via Newcastle and Leeds. A limited number run beyond Plymouth through to Penzance.
ScotRail
Provide limited services in addition to their normal services:
There is 1 train per day to Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts, this returns in the evening.
There are 2 trains per day to North Berwick,
There is a 2 hourly service to Edinburgh Waverley via Carstairs - several of these run to/from Ayr
A few peak time services operate to/from Carstairs
Motherwell is unusual in that Glasgow Central can be reached via trains from three different platforms going in two different directions. Glasgow is generally north-west of Motherwell, but trains can depart via the West Coast Main Line and Motherwell Deviation going North, or by the Hamilton Circle going South. The same can also be said for services to Lanark, which is south-east of Motherwell. Trains can depart towards Lanark going south via Shieldmuir, or initially north via Holytown (though this route is not normally used for timetabled trains since the December 2014 timetable alterations were implemented).
During times of disruption such as the closure of the West Coast Main Line between Uddingston and Law Junction for engineering works, Virgin Trains services and those of CrossCountry can be diverted along the Hamilton Circle and Wishaw Deviation (and sometimes the line to Edinburgh via Shotts) and will use Platforms 3 and 4. Trains provided by Virgin Trains East Coast will generally be suspended in this event as their drivers do not have the required route knowledge. In general, a replacement bus service will operate from Motherwell, and passengers from Glasgow are advised to travel to Edinburgh via Glasgow Queen Street.