Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway

Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway
Company type	Public railway
Industry	Railway transport, Mineral transport
Founded	1826
Headquarters	Monklands / Kirkintilloch, Scotland, United Kingdom
Area served	Lanarkshire, Scotland
Key people	Thomas Grainger (Engineer), John Miller (Engineer)
Products	Coal and ironstone transport, Passenger services

The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway (M&KR) was among the earliest mineral railways, linking a coal mine in Monklands to the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch, Scotland. Recognized as Scotland's inaugural public railway, it was also the pioneer in employing a rail ferry and the first in the country to successfully operate steam locomotives. This railway played a crucial role in advancing the iron industry in Lanarkshire. Established in 1826, its primary objective was to lower coal transportation expenses and challenge the Monkland Canal monopoly by providing a connection to the Forth and Clyde Canal, thereby improving access to both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The railway prospered due to abundant ironstone reserves near Coatbridge. Initially reliant on horse-drawn traction, it transitioned to steam locomotives, marking Scotland's earliest effective use of this technology. Subsequently, it also facilitated passenger services and briefly served as part of the main passenger route between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

In 1848, the M&KR combined with two neighboring railways to create the Monkland Railways, which were later integrated into the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway. A portion of the original track remains active today around Coatbridge.

Formation of the railway

By the early 1800s, Glasgow’s increasing coal requirements were predominantly supplied by Lanarkshire coalfields near Airdrie in Monkland, an area also engaged in some iron ore mining. The Monkland Canal, inaugurated in 1794, had boosted these industries but maintained a transport monopoly with steep tolls that generated high profits for its owners.

In response, entrepreneurs proposed the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway to link coal mines and ironworks directly with the Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch. This alternative route bypassed the canal’s monopoly, offering new access to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The project received legal sanction on 17 May 1824 through the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1824 (5 Geo. 4. c. xlix), authorizing share capital of £32,000 with an option to raise an extra £10,000 via shares or loans. Construction commenced soon thereafter.

Engineer Thomas Grainger oversaw the undertaking—his first significant railway endeavor—assisted by John Miller. Together they later established the notable engineering firm Grainger & Miller.

The track was constructed with a gauge of , which became typical for local ‘coal railways.’ The exact rationale behind this gauge selection remains uncertain; it may have been influenced by an attempt to replicate the Stockton and Darlington Railway’s gauge, though this choice introduced operational challenges for M&KR and other Central Scotland coal lines.

Opening

The railway reportedly began operations in October 1826; however, service north of Gartsherrie likely started earlier in May 1826, possibly for trial purposes. On 1 June 1826, coal merchant James Shillinglaw advertised Gartsherrie coal for sale in Edinburgh, indicating early commercial use associated with the railway.

At first, neither wagons nor horses were owned by the company; independent carriers operated over the line while paying toll fees. The company only started acquiring its own wagons from 1835 onward.

From its inception, the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway (M&KR) proved commercially successful, with income increasing from £704 in 1826 to £2,837 by 1828. This growth contributed to a significant reduction in coal prices within Glasgow by disrupting existing cartel practices. Nonetheless, as late as 1830, approximately 89% of coal deliveries to Glasgow still utilized canal transport.

Route

George Buchanan provided the following description of the railway in 1832:

The line originates at Palacecraig and Cairnhill Collieries near Airdrie, approximately nine miles east of Glasgow. It heads westward, passing close to William Dixon's Calder Iron Works, then veers northwest, crossing the Edinburgh and Glasgow road by Airdrie at Coat Bridge. Continuing north, a branch extends east to Kipps Colliery near Kippsbyre. The route proceeds east of Gartsherrie Coal and Iron Works toward Gargill Colliery before turning northwest to reach the canal opposite Kirkintilloch.

The entire distance from Cairnhill Bridge to the Forth and Clyde Canal measures about ten miles, descending roughly 127 feet. Initially constructed as a single track with passing loops, land was acquired for eventual double tracking, which was implemented progressively. The building expenses averaged around £3,700 per mile.

Priestley recorded the elevation drop from Palacecraig to the canal as 133 feet 11 inches, while from Kipps Colliery to the canal it was 161 feet 3 inches. The gradients were generally moderate, with the steepest incline being 1 in 120 east of Bedlay on the main line and 1 in 80 along the Kipps branch.

At the location near today's Sunnyside Street roundabout, the railway crossed Main Street and Bank Street at ground level; this level crossing was replaced in 1872 by a high-level lattice girder bridge. The canal passes underneath the road at this intersection.

Grainger was tasked with preparing the road infrastructure for locomotive use, despite a low tunnel beneath Cumbernauld Road near Bedlay that allowed only 9 feet of clearance.

Birkinshaw rails

The railway utilized stone block sleepers combined with Birkinshaw's patented malleable iron rails. During this period, rail technology was still developing. John Birkinshaw obtained a patent in 1820 for a T-shaped fish-bellied edge rail made from malleable iron. His patent described producing rails through rolling processes—likely shaping primarily the rail head due to its fish-bellied form. Prior cast iron rails were brittle and unsuitable for heavy railway demands; malleable iron, which is heat-treated after casting, provided improved resistance to impact.^{[note 1]} The Stockton and Darlington Railway was the first public railway to implement Birkinshaw’s rails; the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway was also among the earliest adopters.^[1]

Ballochney Railway

As one of the earliest railways in a rapidly industrializing region, the railway soon witnessed industrial growth beyond its original reach. While some branches were constructed, other lines emerged to connect new industrial sites.

The Ballochney Railway opened in 1828, extending eastward from the Kipps branch into northern areas of the Monkland Coal Field.^[2] Relying on this railway for onward mineral transport fostered amicable relations between them.

Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway

The prosperity of mineral railways encouraged Glasgow entrepreneurs to propose a more direct railway connection. Transport via this railway required transferring goods onto canals at Kirkintilloch, lacking directness. The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway (G&GR) received authorization under the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway Act 1826 (7 Geo. 4 c. ciii) in May 1826. Originally intended to branch near Bedlay toward Townhead, its junction point was later relocated to Gartsherrie Bridge.

When it opened in 1831, this railway maintained cooperative relations with its neighbor, depending on its mineral traffic. The railway benefited from access to deep-water wharves on the Forth and Clyde Canal suitable for ocean-going vessels, whereas its counterpart terminated at the shallow "cut of junction" linking canals at Townhead.

Over time, as technological advances and commercial interests evolved, their relationship changed. The railway reliant on canals as feeder routes with less advanced locomotives faced increasing competition from the expanding Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, which pursued extensions and partnerships threatening to circumvent it.^[1]

Slamannan Railway

The Slamannan Railway commenced operations in 1840, linking the Ballochney Railway at Arbuckle with a wharf on the Union Canal at Causewayend. Although the promoters expected to generate coal traffic from mines along the route, the primary objective was to deliver Monklands coal directly to Edinburgh, circumventing both the Forth and Clyde Canal and much of the . Nevertheless, its extended path across sparsely inhabited land, terminating with a rope-operated incline and canal transshipment, constrained its commercial success.

Despite these limitations, the Slamannan line facilitated a quicker passenger journey between Edinburgh and Glasgow by combining canal travel with successive railways—the Slamannan, Ballochney, Monkland and Kirkintilloch, and Garnkirk & Glasgow lines—reducing travel time to approximately four hours.

Traversing largely unpopulated moorland with few active mineral sites, the Slamannan Railway struggled financially. The inauguration of the more efficient Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in 1842 dealt a severe blow to its viability.

Industrial development

Advancements in iron manufacturing had a significant influence on Coatbridge’s growth. Although iron ore extraction had been underway since early in the century, breakthroughs such as David Mushet’s identification of blackband ironstone, which is abundant in iron and carbonaceous material, combined with James Beaumont Neilson’s invention of the hot blast smelting technique in 1828, accelerated industrial expansion. The number of blast furnaces in Coatbridge rose dramatically from 17 in 1826 to 53 by 1843. Unlike previous coke-based methods unsuitable for local coals, the hot blast process required substantial quantities of local coal, thereby stimulating both coal mining and ironstone extraction.

In addition to coal and ironstone, smelting operations needed limestone—initially transported by horse-drawn carts from Cumbernauld—and fireclay sourced from Gartsherrie and Garnkirk for refractory bricks lining furnaces.

The , situated centrally within the iron industry region, was primarily constructed for transporting coal to Kirkintilloch and lacked direct links to emerging ironstone and coal mines. This posed significant strategic challenges amid industrial growth.

To serve new pits and industrial works, additional local mineral railways were developed; these collaborated with the M&KR and adopted its gauge of . Meanwhile, broader inter-city railways adopted the standard gauge of , which became dominant for transportation. The opening of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in 1842 further marginalized these local lines that could not interchange wagons with standard gauge systems and still relied on horse traction and early locomotives running on outdated stone block sleepers.

Growth and development

Heavy traffic soon necessitated substantial improvements following initial opening. By February 1830, of track had been doubled, with plans for further doubling scheduled for spring. To finance these enhancements, an additional £10,000 in share capital was raised under the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1824. These upgrades enabled locomotive operation, which commenced in 1831.

In 1833, the company sought parliamentary approval for two new branches alongside an increase in capital after depleting funds raised in 1830. Operational disagreements emerged when Charles Tennant proposed replacing segregated single lines—one dedicated to locomotives and another for horse-drawn wagons—with a standard double track system. The company opted to maintain separation to avoid collisions between steam-powered carriages and horse wagons, obtaining authorization through the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. 4. c. cxiv) on 24 July 1833. This act permitted raising £20,000 additional capital via bank loans.

A junction at Whifflet was constructed in 1834 connecting pits served by the Wishaw and Coltness Railway into the network. Between 1834 and 1835, a basin was developed at Kirkintilloch on company-owned land adjacent to the Forth and Clyde Canal, upgrading from a mere wharf to improve transshipment efficiency.

By 1835, the canal company introduced a 14-ton iron boat equipped with rails and turntables designed to carry railway wagons directly along the canal route. This innovation reduced handling expenses and facilitated transfers to seagoing vessels at Grangemouth and Bowling. The company invested £81 in new wagons and rail infrastructure at Kirkintilloch; this "coal waggon boat" generated £540 revenue by 1836.

In 1837, a branch line from Whifflat Junction to Rosehall opened to serve local collieries via connecting tramways. From 1838 onward, this line was leased for thirty years to Addie and Millar who operated it.

The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1839 (2 & 3 Vict. c. lxx), enacted on 4 July 1839, authorized raising capital up to £124,000 aimed at upgrading rails to accommodate growing traffic volumes. Further authorization under the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway Act 1843 (6 & 7 Vict. c. lxxix) increased capital limits to £210,000 for expansion of additional lines.

To meet rising demand in 1842, five new locomotives with tenders were purchased along with an addition of 232 wagons.

In 1846, track alignment near Sunnyside Junction in Coatbridge was shifted eastward to allow expansion of Gartsherrie Iron Works adjacent to the railway corridor.

Locomotives

At the outset, motive power was supplied by horses owned by independent carriers. Drawing inspiration from innovations on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the company decided to adopt locomotive technology. Their inaugural locomotive, designed by company superintendent George Dodds and constructed by Murdoch, Aitken and Company of Glasgow, arrived on 10 May 1831:

On Tuesday morning, it was moved from the Hill Street workshop and, after being started on the railway below Chryston, it traveled several miles along the line, occasionally reaching speeds of fifteen miles per hour (24 km/h), although company regulations limited loaded engines to a maximum speed of 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h).

This engine marked Scotland’s first commercially effective locomotive. To accommodate locomotive operation, the company invested £5,925 in reinforcing the track infrastructure.

Locomotive No. 2 was delivered on 10 September 1831. Both engines were of the "Killingworth" type—a design considered conservative compared to Robert Stephenson’s more advanced "English" models—featuring two vertical cylinders with piston rings; their boilers measured long by in diameter and contained 62 copper tubes. They operated at a pressure of , with wheels measuring in diameter. These locomotives earned a reputation for dependability.

Because of restricted clearance within Bedlay tunnel, locomotives ran on either side of it, while horse haulage was employed inside until January 1832. Following line doubling and tunnel enlargement, continuous locomotive operation became feasible.

A key factor enabling early locomotive use was John Birkinshaw’s patented malleable wrought iron rails, rolled in lengths of , which were stronger than the brittle cast iron or plate rails commonly used elsewhere.

In 1837, the company inaugurated a locomotive workshop at Kipps. Locomotives Nos. 3 and 4 were constructed internally in 1834 and 1838 respectively. By the 1840s, engines named Zephyr, Atlas, and Orion were active on the line.

Early days

A trial passenger coach journey took place on 8 July 1828 near Airdrie, Scotland, intended to transport passengers from the Kirkintilloch Railway to canal boats. Although designed to carry 24 passengers, it accommodated 40 during this trial run.

Tomlinson posits that a regular passenger service may have commenced that same day, possibly operating between Leaend (Ballochney Railway) and Kirkintilloch; however, this service was likely short-lived.

When the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway began operations, it provided a service running between Leaend and its Townhead terminus in Glasgow. This route partially utilized the Ballochney Railway and the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway (M&KR) Kipps branch, with a stop at The Howes in Coatbridge. Four trains ran daily in each direction. Since M&KR functioned similarly to a toll road, it was common for other companies to run passenger services over its tracks.

Starting from 1 June 1831, this service was horse-drawn; shortly thereafter, the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway introduced a locomotive named St Rollox operating as far as Gartsherrie. The M&KR did not allow locomotives on its section, so horses continued to haul trains between Gartsherrie and Leaend until 1843. Bradshaw's Guide from 1843 records passenger trains running between Glasgow and Airdrie with fares priced at one shilling.

In June 1831, a horse-drawn connection operated between Calder Iron Works (M&KR) and Gartsherrie to link with the Leaend-Glasgow service. By summer 1832, the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway advertised services departing from Cairnhill Bridge (near Calder Iron Works) and Clarkston (Ballochney Railway) bound for Glasgow:

A Railway Carriage departs from Clarkston and Cairnhill Bridge every Wednesday at quarter to eight in the morning and returns with the evening train from the Railway Depot.

An announcement in October 1832 declared that these services from Clarkston and Cairnhill had been discontinued.

M&KR Passenger Services and Station Facilities

Summarizing passenger stations during this period proves challenging due to conflicting accounts. At the outset, horse-drawn trains probably halted upon request, without designated station structures.

Passenger operations commenced on 1 June 1831, running from Airdrie Leaend to the Howes (Coatbridge) and Gargill. This service was subsequently extended to Glasgow Townhead through cooperation with the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway. A brief connection also operated between Calder Iron Works and Gartsherrie. By the summer of 1832, weekly links from Cairnhill Bridge and Clarkston synchronized with the Airdrie-Glasgow route.

Starting in late 1839, trains ran from Leaend to the Howes, Chryston, and Kirkintilloch Basin; this service ended around 1840. On 26 December 1844, passenger trains began running from Airdrie Hallcraig Street to Kirkintilloch, connecting with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway exchange; a supplementary service from Kirkintilloch Basin continued until 23 March 1846. The main passenger operation was halted on 26 July 1847 to accommodate track gauge conversion but resumed two days later, now extending through to Glasgow Queen Street. On 1 December 1847, services were rerouted over the Garnkirk line from Gartsherrie to Glasgow but reverted back to Queen Street on 10 December 1849. A southbound connecting service initially reaching Cairnhill Bridge was truncated to Whifflat (Whifflet) as of 1 December 1850. Complete suspension of passenger services occurred on 10 December 1851; however, services between Glasgow Buchanan Street and Airdrie Hallcraig Street recommenced in August 1852.

The stations operating from north to south included:

Kirkintilloch Basin: served as the northern terminus adjacent to the canal; ceased passenger operations by March 1846; a nearby North British Railway station remained active until 1964;
Woodley: inaugurated by M&KR in 1844 near the E&GR’s Kirkintilloch station; connected via a spur at Garngaber exchange sidings despite differing rail gauges; closed on 26 July 1847;
Bridgend: opened around 1839 and closed on 10 December 1851;
Bedlay: opened and shut within 1849 following the conclusion of M&KR’s independent operation;
Garnqueen: operational between December 1849 and December 1851 before closure;
Gartsherrie (Gargill): functioned as a junction with the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway; opened in June 1831 and closed in December 1851; an adjacent Caledonian station continued until 1940;
The Howes (South End): probably located near Sunnyside Junction; opened in 1831 and closed in 1851;
Coatbridge: launched in December 1849 alongside what is now Coatbridge Central on the GG&CR line; closed by December 1851; subsequently rebuilt at a higher elevation during the North British Railway period with a new station opening in 1871;
Whifflat (Whifflet): opened in December 1849 and closed December 1851; North British Railway established a station here in 1871;
Calder Iron Works: began operation in June 1831 but soon ceased;
Cairnhill Bridge: introduced in summer of 1832, closed mid-October that year; reopened by Monklands Railway in December 1849 but shuttered again by January 1850.

The precise site of the early Coatbridge "Howes" station remains uncertain and is absent from surviving maps. Originally named "The Howes," it likely occupied the junction where M&KR’s mainline intersected with the Kipps branch near Sunnyside Junction. Records indicate a stationary engine operated around this location circa 1836, assisting rope-hauling for trains ascending from the south near Bank Street crossing. The "Howes Basin" is depicted southwest of Sunnyside Junction on an Ordnance Survey map dated 1864.

Subsequent Developments

The inauguration of the Slamannan Railway in 1840 briefly facilitated inter-city passenger travel between Edinburgh and Glasgow. This journey involved traveling via the Union Canal to Causewayend, then continuing on the Slamannan line to Arbuckle, followed by the Ballochney Railway to Kipps, proceeding to Gartsherrie, and finally using the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway to reach Townhead. The entire trip required over four hours. Notably, the Union Canal basin was situated outside Edinburgh’s central area, and the route incorporated three rope-operated inclines. Although initially attracting passengers, this service quickly declined after the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway commenced operations in 1842, which effectively terminated this connection. None of the stations along this route were listed in the Bradshaw guides of 1843 or 1850.

Passenger services thereafter were quite limited. Beginning on 26 December 1844, four daily trains operated each way from Hallcraig Street station in Airdrie (located on the Ballochney line) to an exchange station near the crossing with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, east of what is now Lenzie station. This utilized a newly constructed spur; at that time, the two railways employed different track gauges. To support this service, the Ballochney company procured seven second-hand coaches from the Midland Railway. Additionally, in December 1844, a brief horse-drawn passenger operation ran between Kirkintilloch and the Bothlin Viaduct at the northern terminus of the line for connecting travel.

The railway converted its track gauge to standard gauge on 26–27 July 1847, allowing trains from Airdrie to continue directly to Glasgow (Queen Street) via Bishopbriggs starting 28 July; this reduced journey times to approximately 45 minutes. Initially, fares charged over this segment were lower—likely as a competitive strategy—but by November 1847, full fare rates were reinstated. This adjustment brought fares in line with longer routes on other lines and led to a return to using the previous route from 1 December 1847. The Bishopbriggs route resumed service on 10 December 1849 but was discontinued again on 10 December 1851.

Declining Competitiveness

During construction of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch line, rapid technological progress caused early coal railways to fall behind newer developments. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway (E&GR), designed specifically for fast locomotive trains, opened in 1842 and surpassed older lines in speed and efficiency.

The Monkland and Kirkintilloch line’s use of a non-standard track gauge placed it at a disadvantage by restricting through traffic with emerging railway systems. Transporting minerals to Glasgow required transferring goods onto canals or using alternative rail routes; reaching Edinburgh was even more complicated due to rope-operated inclined planes on both the Ballochney and Slamannan lines and transshipment at Causewayend onto the Union Canal.

This limitation also impacted allied coal railways—the Ballochney and Slamannan companies—leading them to establish joint working arrangements from 29 March 1845. In 1844, a spur was constructed connecting transshipment sidings with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway at Garngaber near modern Lenzie station. These operational difficulties highlighted the necessity of adopting a standardized track gauge.

Together, these companies secured parliamentary approval and completed their conversion to standard gauge on 26–27 July 1847.

The Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, originally an ally but increasingly a competitor, also transitioned to standard gauge shortly afterward. It inaugurated a bypass line in 1845 under the name Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway (GG&CR), which connected with the Wishaw and Coltness Railway (W&CR). This created an important corridor from Carlisle into Glasgow, linking southern England with Scotland through these upgraded coal railways that evolved into principal intercity routes.

In 1848, the Caledonian Railway opened its Carlisle-Glasgow mainline via the Garnkirk route, underscoring the isolation faced by earlier lines. Concurrently, Caledonian established a branch to Greenhill for access to the Scottish Central Railway. It utilized a short segment of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch line between Gartsherrie and Garnqueen South Junction for onward connections. Subsequently, traffic from Motherwell to Perth adopted this routing; during the twentieth century, Caledonian express passenger trains operated over what became North British Railway tracks—later managed by their successors—the London Midland and Scottish Railway running on London and North Eastern Railway infrastructure after 1923.

Amalgamation

The collaborative operation between the , the Ballochney Railway, and the Slamannan Railway demonstrated considerable success amid intensifying competition. On 14 August 1848, these entities united to establish the Monkland Railways.

This newly formed company extended its network by constructing branches serving collieries, a longer line reaching Bathgate accompanied by a chemical plant, a branch to Bo'ness, and the "New Line," which connected Coatbridge and Airdrie directly to Bathgate through Armadale.

Subsequently, the Monkland Railways was incorporated into the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway (E&GR) pursuant to the Edinburgh and Glasgow and Monkland Railways Amalgamation Act 1865, which took effect on 31 July 1865. The following day, E&GR itself was merged into the North British Railway.

After 1865

Initially constructed as a north-south corridor linking to a canal, the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway together with related coal railways required significant upgrading. While mineral transport continued to dominate, the opening of the Coatbridge to Glasgow route in 1871 offered more direct passenger service from Monklands to Glasgow and established an east-west Edinburgh-Glasgow connection incorporating a segment of the M&KR line. Trains running north-south from Motherwell to Stirling utilized a brief stretch of M&KR track between Gartsherrie and Garnqueen.

In Coatbridge, an inconvenient level crossing at Main Street and Bank Street was eliminated in 1871 through the construction of an elevated line featuring a lattice iron bridge over Bank Street. This redevelopment also included a new link to a mineral siding serving local pits and ironworks, as well as Sheepford goods station and extensions reaching Rochsholloch Iron Works and a tube manufacturing facility.

In 1878, with support from the North British Railway, the Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Railway was developed to improve colliery connections via Rosehall colliery near Whifflet, enabling direct routes to Coatbridge ironworks.

A spur completed in 1895 from Bridgend Junction to Waterside Junction allowed continuous running from the M&KR northbound onto the E&GR eastbound line, eliminating the need for reversals at Lenzie.

By the early twentieth century, the decline of Monklands' iron industry led to reduced traffic demands and rendered duplicated rail access unnecessary. As a result, both connections to the E&GR main line at Lenzie and Waterside Junction were closed in 1959; Sheepford ceased operations in 1951; the Bothwell line ended service in 1955; while sections at Cairnill and Palacecraig were shut down during the 1950s. The main line north of Bedlay Colliery closed on 2 April 1966, with final closures north of Gartsherrie completed by 1982.

Present day (2008)

Two short segments of the remain in use:

The north-south section from Sunnyside Junction to Whifflet, reconstructed at an elevated level in 1871/2 to eliminate the Bank Street level crossing.
The eastward stretch from Sunnyside Junction to Greenside Junction, incorporated into the electrified Glasgow–Airdrie line since 1960.

Links to other lines and modes of transportation

Ballochney Railway at Kipps
Caledonian Railway Main Line at Garnqueen South and Gartsherrie North Junctions
Forth and Clyde Canal at Kirkintilloch
Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway at Gartsherrie Junction
Slamannan Railway
Wishaw and Coltness Railway