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Carstairs
View south of the station following demolition of the station building
Location
Place	Carstairs
Local authority	South Lanarkshire
Operations
Station code	CRS
Managed by	First ScotRail
Platforms in use	2
Live departures and station information from National Rail
Annual Passenger Usage
2002/03 *	9,407
2004/05 *	12,329
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	SPT
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Carstairs from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
UK Railways Portal

Carstairs railway station in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, is a major junction station on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), situated close to the point at which the lines from London Euston to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh diverge. Constructed originally by the Caledonian Railway, the station is operated today by First ScotRail on behalf of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

The section of the WCML between Carstairs and Lockerbie has the distinction of being the longest section of railway in the entire British railway network uninterrupted by a station.

Contents 1 Locale 2 Electrification 3 Services 3.1 2006/07 3.2 2007/08 4 References 5 Routes

Just south of the station, there is an important triangular junction (Carstairs Junction) where the WCML divides. The north-westerly route goes via Motherwell to Glasgow and the north-easterly route goes towards Edinburgh, where the East Coast Main Line begins. The south-bound route goes towards Carlisle and London. The line between Edinburgh and Glasgow is the only part of the West Coast Main Line used by National Express East Coast services. Carstairs is also a marshalling point and the final boarding point (both sleeping car and overnight coach) in Scotland for the Lowland Caledonian Sleeper trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh and London Euston. In this it helps to preserve two great traditions of the WCML, against formidable odds. Firstly, the operation of overnight sleeper services between Scotland and London and secondly, the joining and division of trains en route (the first being dependent on the second).

Northbound WCML services usually pass the station on an avoiding line, away from the platform, but northbound services coming off the chord from Edinburgh (ECML and Cross Country) will always pass platform 1. However, all southbound services must pass platform 2, as there is no avoiding line on that side of the station.

The route through the station was electrified as part of the early 1970s electrification scheme that covered the West Coast Main Line between Weaver Junction and Glasgow. As part of this the station was re-signalled. The critical point was the connection from the Edinburgh on a minimum radius curve whilst providing a connection into the down platform whilst avoiding the installation of a diamond crossing. The requirement for superelevation through the up platform for 90mph running required deep ballasting the side effect of which required the platform to be raised. The original station buildings were being retained (now demolished) therefore continuous railings were provided to prevent passengers inadvertently falling down from one level to the other.^[1]

The route to Edinburgh was not part of the 1970s scheme, however was included as part of the late 1980s ECML scheme, with electric services starting to use the line in 1989 (prior to the commencement of the main ECML electric services).^[2]

Historically, Carstairs was an important junction station where northbound West Coast Main Line trains were split into separate portions for Glasgow, Edinburgh and (to a lesser extent) Perth, and for the corresponding combining of southbound trains. However, the introduction of push-pull operation on the WCML and the availability of surplus HST sets for Cross Country traffic (as a result of the ECML electrification) largely eliminated this practice in the early 1990s. Apart from the sleeping car trains, express traffic through Carstairs is now comprised of fixed-formation trains which do not require to be remarshalled en route. As a result, few express trains now call at Carstairs. There are some local stopping services to Edinburgh and Glasgow, but these are relatively infrequent.

Virgin West Coast Pendolino services to/from Glasgow do not normally stop at Carstairs, except during times of train failure or engineering works. Virgin CrossCountry, on the other hand, provided a once daily service from the station to Manchester Piccadilly, using its Class 220/221 Voyager diesel units. There was a return service to Manchester Piccadilly using the Virgin Voyager units. Virgin operated a morning service to Edinburgh Waverley from Glasgow Central that called at Carstairs and an evening return service to Glasgow Central.

The InterCity 225 service from Glasgow Central to London Kings Cross, every two hours, was provided by GNER and did not stop at Carstairs. They do however slow dramatically from the 95/100 mph line speed either side of the station, to approximately 30mph to negotiate the tight single line curve connecting the main North/South main line to the eastern spur to Edinburgh Waverley.

First ScotRail services from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley and North Berwick call at the station three times a day in each direction. First ScotRail also provide two terminating services a day from Motherwell and Garscadden in Western Glasgow via Glasgow Central Low Level. These services cater for the small commuter market in the Carstairs area, though their main reason for stopping at the remote Carstairs station instead of the nearby, busier Lanark station is due to platform congestion at the latter during the start of the morning peak and the end of the evening peak.

Virgin West Coast Pendolino and Voyager services to/from Glasgow en route to London and Birmingham pass through without stopping, except during times of train failure or engineering works.

Similarly, National Express East Coast (NXEC) InterCity 225 services do not stop at Carstairs, continuing the precedent set since the electrification of the ECML.

Stopping services are provided by First ScotRail services to/from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley and North Berwick call at the station three times a day in each direction, though some consider them to be poorly timed and ineffective as a commuter service. Therefore they are usually under-utilised and much faster routes exist between Scotland's two major cities. Several terminating services are provided as part of the Argyle Line route - from Motherwell and Garscadden in Western Glasgow via Glasgow Central Low Level. These services cater for the small commuter market in the Carstairs area, though their main reason for stopping at the remote Carstairs station instead of the nearby, busier Lanark station is due to platform congestion at the latter during the start of the morning peak and the end of the evening peak.

1. ^ Electric Euston to Glasgow; O.S. Nock (1974) ISBN 0-7110-0530-3
2. ^ Electrifying the East Coast Route; Peter Semmens (1991) ISBN 0-8505-9929-6

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Kirknewton		First ScotRail Glasgow to Edinburgh via Carstairs Line		Carluke
Terminus		First ScotRail Argyle Line		Carluke
Carlisle		First ScotRail Lowland Caledonian Sleeper		Motherwell
		First ScotRail Lowland Caledonian Sleeper		Edinburgh Waverley
Lockerbie		Virgin Trains West Coast Main Line		Motherwell
Haymarket		CrossCountry Cross Country Route		Motherwell
Historical Railways
Thankerton Line open; Station closed		Caledonian Railway Main Line		Cleghorn Line open; Station closed