Glasgow Central Railway

Glasgow Central Railway

Overview
Headquarters	Glasgow
Locale	Scotland
Dates of operation	10 August 1888–31 May 1889
Successor	Caledonian Railway
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map v t e Legend Clydesdale Junction Railway Newton Kirkhill Junction Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway River Clyde Rutherglen and Coatbridge Railway Carmyle (joint with R&CR) Cambuslang (CJR) River Clyde Tollcross Parkhead Stadium Rutherglen Central Junction Rutherglen joint with CJR Rutherglen North & West Junctions Polloc and Govan Railway River Clyde The Switchback Dalmarnock Bridgeton Glasgow Green Glasgow Cross Argyle Street Glasgow Central (Low Level) Anderston Stobcross Railway Stobcross Lanarkshire & Dunbartonshire Rly River Kelvin Kelvinbridge Botanic Gardens Kirklee Lanarkshire & Dunbartonshire Rly Kirklee Junction Bellshaugh Jn│Dawsholme Jn Dawsholm River Kelvin Maryhill Central North Junction Maryhill Central Lanarkshire & Dunbartonshire Rly

The Glasgow Central Railway was a railway line built in Glasgow, Scotland by the Caledonian Railway, running in tunnel east to west through the city centre. It was opened in stages from 1894 and opened up new journey opportunities for passengers and enabled the Caledonian Railway to access docks and industrial locations on the north bank of the River Clyde. An intensive and popular train service was operated, but the long tunnel sections with frequent steam trains were smoky and heartily disliked.

The network paralleled the North British Railway routes in the area, and after nationalisation of the railways the line declined and was closed in stages from 1959 to 1964.

In 1979 the central part of the route was reopened as an electrically operated passenger railway, the Argyle Line; this was greatly popular and enhanced connecting routes to west and east made this a valuable link through the city once more. The Argyle Line section is in heavy use today, but the other parts remain closed.