Inverclyde Line
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| Inverclyde Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A Class 314 train leaves Gourock pierhead to run along the south bank of the Firth of Clyde towards Glasgow | |||
| Owerview | |||
| Seestem | National Rail | ||
| Locale | Inverclyde Scotland | ||
| Stations | 22 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Awner | Network Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | Abellio ScotRail | ||
| Rowin stock | Class 380 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC | ||
| |||
The Inverclyde Line is a railwey line runnin frae Glesga Central station throu Paisley (Gilmour Street) and a series o stations tae the sooth o the River Clyde an the Firth o Clyde, terminatin at Gourock and Wemyss Bay, whaur it connects tae Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services. The line haes been in operation syne the 1840s atween Glesga and Greenock and wis the first passenger service tae follae the River Clyde tae the coast. The line wis electrified in 1967.
History
[eedit | eedit soorce]The line wis opened bi the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway on 31 Mairch 1841, an initially ran frae Brig Street railwey station in Glesga tae a terminus at Cathcart Street, Greenock (later renamed Greenock Central railwey station), wi the section atween Glesga, an Paisley Gilmour Street bein run bi the Glasgow and Paisley Jynt Railway. For the first time a railwey teuk passengers right doun the River Clyde, takin aboot ane oor whaur Clyde steamers teuk aroond twice as lang. The terminus wis a short walk frae Custom House Quay, Greenock, an the railwey wis very popular wi passengers who boarded steamers thare tae veesit holiday resorts doun the Firth o Clyde or tae commute in simmer tae thair villas aroond the shores o the firth.
On 9 Julie 1847 the railway merged wi the Caledonian Railway and became thair main outlet tae the coast. The Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway opened its branch line on 13 May 1865 wi its trains bein operated bi the Caledonian Railway, but its steamer operations war slow tae live up tae thair promise and when in 1869 the Glasgow and South Western Railway opened its station at Princes Pier, Greenock, the Cathcart Street station wis effectively bypassed an the Caley lost tred. Thay haed been tryin for some time tae organise an extension tae Gourock, an haein gained Parliamentary approval in 1884 thay spent three years in construction which involved extensive tunnelling, an opened Gourock railway station on 1 Juin 1889. In August 1893 the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway amalgamated wi the Caledonian Railway.
In the 1923 grouping, the line became pairt o the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The line wis electrified in 1967, seiven years efter the North Clyde Lines. The electric Class 311 trains war specially biggit for the line in 1967, awtho Class 303 trains war an aa uised.
The Inverclyde line uses the same Glasgow and Paisley Jynt Railway tracks as the Ayrshire Coast Line until Paisley Gilmour Street; awtho the twa lines occupy different sets o platforms at Paisley Gilmour Street. Frae Paisley, the line heads tae Port Glesga station, efter which it branches. The main route heads throu Greenock tae Gourock, whaur it connects wi ferry services tae Dunuin and Kilcreggan. The branch heads throu the soothern suburbs o Greenock tae Wemyss Bay, whaur it connects wi ferry services tae Rothesay on the island o Bute.
For maist o the day five trains an oor operate each wey on the Glesga tae Port Glesga stretch, fower o which run tae Gourock, the ither serving the Wemyss Bay line. The latter and ane o the Gourock trains are express services stopping anly at Paisley Gilmour Street and Bishopton atween Glesga and Port Glesga, while the ither twa Gourock trains stap at aw stations. This changes in the evenings, an efter 8pm anly twa trains an oor run tae Gourock, wi the Wemyss Bay train stopping at aw stations.
Proposed link to Glasgow Airport
[eedit | eedit soorce]The Glasgow Airport Rail Link tae Glesga Airport wad hae branched off frae the Inverclyde Line near Paisley St. James station. In December 2006, the Scottish Executive gae the final go-ahead for the new link tae be biggit, houiver the project wis subsequently cancelled in September 2009.