Inverclyde Line facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Inverclyde Line |
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A Class 314 train leaves Gourock pierhead to run along the south bank of the Firth of Clyde towards Glasgow
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| Overview | |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Locale | Inverclyde Scotland |
| Stations | 22 |
| Service | |
| System | National Rail |
| Operator(s) | ScotRail |
| Rolling stock | |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
The Inverclyde Line is a train route in Scotland. It runs from Glasgow Central station through Paisley. The line follows the south side of the River Clyde and the Firth of Clyde. It ends at Gourock and Wemyss Bay. At these stations, you can connect to Caledonian MacBrayne ferries.
This line has been running since the 1840s. It was the first train service to go along the River Clyde to the coast. The line was made electric in 1967.
Contents
History of the Inverclyde Line
The Inverclyde Line was first opened on March 31, 1841. It was built by the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway company. The first trains ran from Bridge Street station in Glasgow. They went to Cathcart Street in Greenock. This station was later called Greenock Central.
The part of the line between Glasgow and Paisley Gilmour Street was shared. It was run by the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway. This new railway was special because it took passengers right along the River Clyde. A train trip took about one hour. This was much faster than the Clyde steamer boats, which took twice as long.
The Greenock station was close to Custom House Quay. Many people used the railway to catch steamers there. They would travel to holiday spots along the Firth of Clyde. Some also used it to commute to their summer homes.
Joining Other Railways
On July 9, 1847, the railway joined with the Caledonian Railway. This made it their main route to the coast. Later, the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway opened its own branch line. This happened on May 13, 1865. The Caledonian Railway operated the trains on this new branch.
In 1869, another company, the Glasgow and South Western Railway, opened a new station. This was at Princes Pier in Greenock. This new station meant that the old Cathcart Street station was not used as much. The Caledonian Railway lost some of its business.
Extending to Gourock
The Caledonian Railway wanted to extend the line to Gourock. They got permission from Parliament in 1884. Building the extension took three years. It involved digging many tunnels. The new Gourock railway station opened on June 1, 1889.
In August 1893, the Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway officially joined with the Caledonian Railway.
Becoming Electric
In 1923, many railway companies joined together. The Inverclyde Line became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The line was made electric in 1967. This happened seven years after the North Clyde Line became electric.
Special electric trains, called Class 311 trains, were built for the line in 1967. Other trains, like the Class 303, were also used.
Trains and Routes Today
As of 2019, several types of trains run on the Inverclyde Line. These include the Class 318s, Class 320s, Class 380s, and Class 385s.
The Inverclyde Line shares tracks with the Ayrshire Coast Line. They both use the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway tracks until Paisley Gilmour Street. However, at Paisley, the two lines use different platforms.
From Paisley, the line goes to Port Glasgow station. After Port Glasgow, the line splits into two branches.
- The main route goes through Greenock to Gourock. Here, you can catch ferries to Dunoon and Kilcreggan.
- The other branch goes through the southern parts of Greenock to Wemyss Bay. From here, you can take ferries to Rothesay on the Island of Bute. (Note: For a period in 2015, the Rothesay ferry left from Gourock due to work at Wemyss Bay).
Train Schedule
As of June 2024, most of the day, four trains run each hour in both directions. These trains travel on the Glasgow to Port Glasgow part of the line.
- Two trains per hour go to Gourock. These are express trains. They only stop at Paisley Gilmour Street and Bishopton between Glasgow and Port Glasgow.
- The other two trains per hour go to Wemyss Bay. These trains stop at all stations along the way.
After 7 pm and on Sundays, the schedule changes. The Wemyss Bay line has only one train per hour. This train runs express between Glasgow and Port Glasgow. The Gourock trains stop at all stations during these times.
Future Plans: Glasgow Airport Link
There was a plan to build a train link to Glasgow Airport. This project was called the Glasgow Airport Rail Link. It would have branched off the Inverclyde Line. The branch would have been near Paisley St. James station.
In December 2006, the Scottish Executive approved the plan. However, the project was later cancelled in September 2009.
