Coatbridge Branch (NBR)

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Coatbridge Branch
Overview
Status	operational
Locale	Scotland
Service
Operator(s)	ScotRail
History
Opened	1871; 153 years ago (1871)
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map Legend Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Coatbridge Sunnyside (M&KR) Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Sunnyside Junction Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Caledonian Main Line Blairhill Bargeddie Easterhouse Garrowhill Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Railway Shettleston Junction Shettleston Carntyne Dyewood Mills Carntyne Iron and Steel Parkhead North Junction Parkhead North The Switchback (CR) Camlachie Goods City of Glasgow Union Railway Alexandra Parade (CoGUR) Duke Street (CoGUR) Bellgrove Junction Bellgrove High Street East Junction High Street Goods City of Glasgow Union Railway College Glasgow City and District Railway

The Coatbridge Branch of the North British Railway was a railway built to connect the important coal and iron industrial districts of Coatbridge and Airdrie directly to Glasgow for the North British Railway.

It opened in 1871 connecting an existing network in the Monklands to a College station (later High Street) in Glasgow. This enabled mineral traffic to reach quays on the River Clyde, and passenger traffic was given a considerable boost when the Glasgow City and District Railway opened in 1886, connecting the Coatbridge line with the North Clyde network west of Glasgow.

The line is open today, handling a considerable suburban passenger traffic and through trains to Edinburgh on the Bathgate route.