Paisley Canal Line

The Paisley Canal Railway line was originally a Glasgow and South Western Railway branch line running from Glasgow, Scotland, through three stations in Paisley, to North Johnstone. After leaving Paisley West station, near Ferguslie, the line continued to Elderslie junction where it met and crossed under the main Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone, and beyond. After Elderslie the line terminated at North Johnstone; however another junction allowed services from the Paisley Canal line (also part of the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company) to continue onto the Bridge of Weir Railway and Greenock and Ayrshire Railway to the latter's terminus at Greenock Princes Pier.

The line is electrified as far as Corkerhill (from Glasgow Central), the rest is not.

Formation

The majority of the route from Glasgow to Paisley (actually, Port Eglinton to Ferguslie) ran along the bed of the former Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal. The canal had been purchased, in 1869, by the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company (G&SWR) and an Act of Parliament was used to close the canal in 1881. The railway line, which opened in 1885, still uses the River Cart Aqueduct (which it crosses at a skewed angle). This makes the former aqueduct the world's oldest railway bridge that is still in active use.

The original route

As part of the G&SWR, the Paisley Canal line's original Glasgow terminus was at St Enoch Station. The line ran from St Enoch Station to three stations in Paisley: Paisley Hawkhead Road, Paisley Canal Station, and Paisley West; with intermediate passenger stations at: Shields, Bellahouston and Crookston and a terminus at North Johnstone.Thomas, pull out
]

Between Paisley West and Elderslie, the line of the railway deviated slightly from the original line of the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone canal; a former loop in the canal was used to hold cooling water for the cotton thread mills at Ferguslie.

At Elderslie junction it ran alongside the Glasgow and South Western Railway line running from Paisley Gilmour Street station to Johnstone, and beyond, before crossing it via a dive-under crossing. The line terminated at a station at North Johnstone; however another junction near Elderslie provided access onto the Bridge of Weir Railway. This is not the G&SWR Johnstone North railway station on the Dalry and North Johnstone Line, but an earlier station of the same name at a slightly different location. 1st Edition Ordnance Survey, Sheet 30]

The main difference between the original and current routes into Glasgow after 1966 was the alteration of Shields Junction to head to Glasgow Central instead of St Enoch, which was closed in 1966 and is now the St Enoch Centre.

Connections to other lines

*Shields Junction with Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway (now known as the Ayrshire Coast Line and the Inverclyde Line); the City Union Line which it utilised to reach St Enoch railway station; the Polloc and Govan Railway; and the General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway.
*Corsebar and Potterhill Junctions with the Barrhead Branch of the Glasgow and South Western Railway
*Canal Junction (Elderslie) with the Ayrshire Coast Line; however, originally the Paisley Canal line continued to Johnstone, providing access to the Dalry and North Johnstone Line and the Bridge of Weir Railway without needing to cross the Ayrshire Coast Line.

Phased closure

Run down of passenger services

St Enoch station was closed by the Beeching Axe, together with the section of track to Shields Junction. Elderslie station closed in 1966 and was demolished. Hawkhead and Paisley West stations also closed at the same time.

Passenger services continued on the Paisley Canal Line until its closure, running from Glasgow Central Station to Kilmacolm, and occaisional trains to the Ayrshire Coast Line (using Class 101, Class 107 and Class 126 diesel multiple units amongst others). In latter years, as a cost reduction exercise, the signalboxes were only single shift manned resulting in the last train of the day being around 7pm.

The line between Elderslie and Kilmacolm closed completely and between Elderslie and Shields Junction to scheduled passenger services on 10 January 1983.Wham, Journey A]

Use as a diversionary route

The tracks between Shields Junction and Elderslie Junction were used for another two or three years to enable heavy Merry go round coal and iron ore traffic from Hunterston Ore Terminal, on the Ayrshire Coast Line, to bypass the main line between Elderslie Junction, Paisley Gilmour Street Station and Glasgow Shields Junction. There were also occasional passenger train diversions away from Paisley Gilmour Street due to works associated with the "AyrLine" electrification project.

However, even this traffic was diverted onto the line through Paisley Gilmour Street and the Paisley Canal Railway line was closed completely to all traffic, partly as a result of the resignalling scheme associated with the "AyrLine" electrification project resulting in the severing of the line at Elderslie.

Disposal of land at Paisley Canal, and beyond

The rails between Elderslie and Paisley Canal Station were uplifted in 1986. The land around Paisley Canal Railway Station, including the line and the goods yard, was developed for housing; the station became a steak house; and the former passenger over-bridge between the two platforms was demolished and the gap between the two platforms in filled.

Much of the abandoned rail line beyond the original Paisley Canal Station has now been developed into a cycle and walkway operated by Sustrans.

Reopening to Paisley Canal Station

On 27 July 1990 part of the line was reopened by Strathclyde Passenger Transport; and passenger services resumed on the section from Glasgow Central Station to a new Paisley Canal railway station built just to the east of railway overbridge carrying Causeyside Street. Houses had been built on the bed of the railway line west of the Causeyside Street overbridge and the Paisley Canal Railway station building had been converted to a Steakhouse. A new, single platform, station had to be built at Paisley Canal, on the old trackbed.

The intermediate stations at the time of closure seven years earlier Corkerhill, Mosspark and Crookston were re-opened at the same time, with only one platform being brought back into use. Subsequently, new stations at Hawkhead (one platform) and Dumbreck (two platforms) were opened.

Notes

References

* (N A), (N D). "Sheet 30: Reprint of the first edition of the one-inch Ordnance Survey of Scotland: Glasgow & Greenock. (Revised to 1896)". Ellon: Caledonian Books. ISBN 1-85349-030-X.
* Thomas, John (1971). "A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume 6 Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders". Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5408-6.
* Wham, Alasdair (2000). "Lost Railway Lines South of Glasgow". Wigtown: C.G. Book Publishers. ISBN 1-872350-08-9.

External links

* [http://www.gswra.org.uk/ The Glasgow & South Western Railway Association]
* http://www.spt.co.uk/
* http://www.networkrail.co.uk/Stations/stations/glasgowcentral/Default.aspx
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sealed/paisley/railpage/canal.htm Dedicated website with many old photographs and maps]