Station code RUT 2011/12 0.894 million Opened 1849 | Grid reference NS615619 2012/13 0.977 million Number of platforms 2 | |
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Pte Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Similar Exhibition Centre railway st, Newton (Lanark) railway st, Hyndland railway station, Hamilton Central railway st, Whifflet railway station | ||
Rutherglen is a railway station in the town centre of Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, and lying on the Argyle railway line. The station is served by a single island platform, connected to the street by a footbridge. The closed island platform which lies on the West Coast Main Line, that was previously in use before the Argyle line was re-opened is still visible, although it is no longer accessible to the public.
Contents
History
The original Rutherglen station was opened on the Caledonian Railway's line to Glasgow on 1 June 1849. This station was replaced on 31 March 1879 by a new station located some 765m east of the original station.
Services on the Glasgow Central Railway commenced on 1 November 1895. Glasgow Central Railway services were withdrawn as part of the Beeching Axe on 5 October 1964.
On 6 May 1974 the WCML was opened to electrified services which included Hamilton Circle services through the slow line island platform. This island platform was closed to passengers when the new island platform opened for Argyle Line services using the reopened Glasgow Central Railway formation on 5 November 1979.
1979 station
Access to the present platform is by a large (covered) footbridge from the Main Street, over the high level railway (where the old platform was located) to stairs down to the island platform and ticket office. Until the installation of a lift in 2008-08, these stairs posed a problem to parents with prams and infirm persons who struggle with the steep gradient the steps are placed at. Although there is a level crossing at the opposite end, its use is only permitted for staff accessing the nearby First Engineering Training Centre.
Refurbishment
A lift was installed at the station as part of the Scottish Executive's £4 million annual commitment to improving disabled access across Scotland's railway stations. By April 2009 work to create the lift tower was completed.
2010 M74 works
During 2010, the M74 extension works resulted in the motorway crossing the north end of the platform on a viaduct.
Argyle Line
The line runs from Dalmarnock direction (the north) through Rutherglen to connect with the West Coast Main Line and either diverges to the Whifflet Line, or continues on the WCML towards Cambuslang before continuing to the southern ends of the Argyle Line (Hamilton Circle, Cumbernauld or Larkhall). Passengers for stations to Motherwell & Lanark via Bellshill now have to change at Cambuslang, following a major timetable recast associated with the inauguration of electric working on the Whifflet line.
West Coast Main Line
The platforms on the WCML slow lines were taken out of service when the Argyle Line opened on 5 November 1979. As a result, DMU services on the Whifflet Line could not call here as they terminated at Glasgow Central High Level. This changed when the Whifflet Line was electrified, and as of the December 2014 timetable change, these services use the Argyle Line and call at the current Rutherglen Station.
Services
Six trains per hour call here in each direction Mondays to Saturdays and four per hour on Sundays. Destinations served include Whifflet, Motherwell (both via Whifflet and via Hamilton Central) Larkhall, Dalmuir, Milngavie and Cumbernauld.