Lanark railway station
{{Short description|Railway station in South Lanarkshire, Scotland}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Lanark
| native_name = {{langx|gd|Lannraig}}{{cite book |editor-last=Brailsford |editor-first=Martyn |title=Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man |edition=6th |date=December 2017 |orig-year=1987 |publisher=Trackmaps |location=Frome |isbn=978-0-9549866-9-8 |chapter=Gaelic/English Station Index }}
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = rail
| image = Lanark-300708.jpg
| caption = Platform 2 at Lanark railway station, looking towards the ticket office
| borough = Lanark, South Lanarkshire
| country = Scotland
| coordinates = {{coord|55.6735|-3.7723|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|NS886436|25|NS886436}}
| manager = ScotRail
| platforms = 2
| code = LNK
| zone = L3
| transit_authority = Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
| original = Lanark Railway
| pregroup = Caledonian Railway
| postgroup = London, Midland and Scottish Railway
| opened = {{Start date and age|1855|06|05|df=y}}
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.280 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 30,996}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.144 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 0.203 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 0.247 million}}
| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
}}
Lanark railway station, managed by ScotRail, is the southern terminus of the Argyle Line on Bannatyne Street, Lanark, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is staffed part-time.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/lnk/details.html|title=National Rail Enquiries - Station Facilities for Lanark|publisher=National Rail|access-date=21 June 2010}}
History
Lanark station opened in 1855, as the terminus of a short branch line off the Caledonian Railway's West Coast Main Line. The branch had a triangular junction with the main line to allow trains from Lanark to head west towards {{Stnlnk|Carluke}} or east to {{Stnlnk|Carstairs}}. The eastern curve closed in the 1960s.
There was another triangular junction closer to Lanark station itself, and this is just north of the golf course and the embankments are still clearly visible. (summer 2017)
These were the two curves leading from the Lanark branch towards Muirkirk and Ayrshire and Lanark racecourse halt of course. viewed personally at that time J Brownlee
In 1864, a line south from Lanark to Douglas was opened, and in 1874 it was extended to {{Stnlnk|Muirkirk}} in Ayrshire, where it formed an end-on junction with the Glasgow and South Western Railway, though that line closed in 1964.
In 1974, the Lanark branch was included in the West Coast Main Line "Electric Scots" electrification project by British Rail.
Services
There is a peak approximately half-hourly, and an off-peak hourly, ScotRail to {{Stnlnk|Glasgow Central}} High Level via {{Stnlnk|Shieldmuir}}, {{Stnlnk|Motherwell}} and {{Stnlnk|Bellshill}},[https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/timetables ScotRail Timetables, with link to Lanarkshire Timetable Dec 2023] taking a little less than an hour.
Services on this route formerly ran via {{Stnlnk|Holytown}}, and all trains continued via the Argyle Line to the north west suburbs of the city,GB NRT May 2014, Table 226 but since the electrification of the Whifflet Line these now run to and from High Level instead, and run fast beyond Cambuslang.
There are no southbound or eastbound services, as the branch only has a northbound chord connecting it to the West Coast Main Line (WCML) at Lanark Junction.
There have been calls for the southbound chord to be reconnected to allow direct services from Lanark to Edinburgh,[http://www.carlukegazette.co.uk/news/local-headlines/call-for-direct-lanark-to-edinburgh-rail-link-return-1-3366178 Call for direct Lanark to Edinburgh rail link return] Harris, Ron; Carluke Gazette article 7 April 2014 but the route was subsequently re-used for housing.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}
{{rail start}}
{{rail line |next={{Stnlnk|Carluke}}|route=ScotRail
Argyle Line |col={{ScotRail colour}} |lightcol={{National Rail colour|ScotRail|branch=Argyle Line}} }}
{{Historical Rail Insert}}
{{rail line|previous={{Stnlnk|Carstairs}}|next={{Stnlnk|Cleghorn}}|route=Caledonian Railway
Main Line |col={{Caledonian colour}} |lightcol={{Caledonian light}} }}
{{rail line |next={{Stnlnk|Sandilands}}|route=Caledonian Railway
Branch to Douglas & G&SWR |col={{Caledonian colour}} |lightcol={{Caledonian light}} }}
{{s-end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{stn art lnk|LNK|ML117NR}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3MUwnPeRNA Video and annotation of Lanark Railway Station]
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Railway stations served by Abellio Scotrail}}
Category:Railway stations in South Lanarkshire
Category:Former Caledonian Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1855