Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway

The Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway was an early railway, which merged with the Caledonian Railway. It was created to provide train services between Greenock and Glasgow.

History

The railway company was formed by Act of Parliament on 15 July 1837; and the line opened on 31 March 1841, having been delayed from the previous year after difficulties constructing a tunnel at BishoptonThomas, Chapter VII: The River Clyde and Loch Lomond] . The contract for the first seven miles of the railway was agreed in 1839, the engineer being Joseph Locke and the contractor Thomas Brassey. [Helps, Arthur (1872)."The Life and Works of Mr Brassey". Republished Nonsuch, 2006, page 106. ISBN 1845880110] Webster] This was to be the first work of Locke in Scotland; and Brassey's fourth contract.

The company was set up to provide through train services between Greenock and Glasgow. Its line originally ran from Greenock to Paisley, where it joined the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway: a line it jointly owned with the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway. Both companies received their Act of Parliament on the same day, and had been advised that the necessary Acts of Parliament to build their lines between Glasgow and Paisley could only gained by forming a joint company to build and run that portion. The anticipated problem was obtaining the necessary agreement from the land owners. Due to the failure of the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal to be completed beyond Johnstone, both railway companies were required to start work from both ends of their respective lines.

The Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway merged with the Caledonian Railway in 1847.

Extension to Gourock

The Caledonian Railway bought Gourock Pier and the surrounding land in 1869; and obtained an Act of Parliament on 21 March 1878 to build a railway line and a quay. It built an extension to the existing line, which was opened on 1 January 1889. The line provided several new stations from Greenock to Gourock, and allowed the Caledonian Railway to have their own rail-connected steamer pier in the area, directly competing with the Glasgow and South Western Railway's Princes Pier.

Connections to other lines

* Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway at Paisley Gilmour Street
* Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway at Paisley Gilmour Street
* Paisley and Barrhead District Railway at Paisley St James
* Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway at Port Glasgow

Current operations

Today, this line together with the former Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway is fully operational as the Inverclyde Line; with Georgetown/Houston station on the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway, and various stations on the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway, having closed.

References

Further reading

*
*
* Robertson, C.J.A. (1983). "The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722-1844. Edinburgh: John Donald (Publishers). ISBN 0-85976-088.
*
* 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.
* Webster, N.W. (1970). "Joseph Locke: Railway Revolutionary". London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. ISBN 0-04-385055-3.

ee also

* [http://www.railscot.co.uk/Glasgow_Paisley_and_Greenock_Railway/frame.htm RAILSCOT on Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway]
* [http://www.railscot.co.uk/Gourock_Extension/frame.htm RAILSCOT on Gourock Extension]