Scotrail Lanarkshire services using WCML around Motherwell

[paddington]

Scotrail maps show there is a limited service directly on the WCML between:

1) Motherwell and Uddingston skipping Bellshill
2) Motherwell (Shieldmuir) and Carluke skipping Wishaw

Trawling through the timetables, I can only find:

1) 0647 from North Berwick calling Motherwell 0834 then straight to Uddingston
2) 1549 from Waverley calling Carluke 1626 then passing Shieldmuir 1631.5 straight to Motherwell

Are these the only two services and are there any in the opposite direction?

Are there any other Scotrail non-stoppers which use this route?

 

[mbreckers]

Are you specifically looking for services that use part of the WCML and dont stop?

If not there are plenty of ScotRail services using the WCML around Motherwell:

Edinburgh/North Berwick - Ayr (and vice versa)
Glasgow Central - Lanark (and vice versa)

(off the top of my head, im sure there are more)

 

[Clansman]

Are you specifically looking for services that use part of the WCML and dont stop?

If not there are plenty of ScotRail services using the WCML around Motherwell:

Edinburgh/North Berwick - Ayr (and vice versa)
Glasgow Central - Lanark (and vice versa)

(off the top of my head, im sure there are more)

Low level services also - Helensburgh/Dalmuir/Dumbarton to Motherwell/Carstairs
(and vice versa) for the list too

 

[JonathanH]

Are you specifically looking for services that use part of the WCML and dont stop?

If not there are plenty of ScotRail services using the WCML around Motherwell:

Edinburgh/North Berwick - Ayr (and vice versa)
Glasgow Central - Lanark (and vice versa)

(off the top of my head, im sure there are more)

Low level services also - Helensburgh/Dalmuir/Dumbarton to Motherwell/Carstairs
(and vice versa) for the list too

I think the point that the original poster is making is that almost all ScotRail services via Motherwell also go Bellshill and Wishaw or come from the Hamilton Circle and don't use the direct routes Virgin Trains use between Uddingston Junction and Motherwell and between Shieldmuir and Law Junction.

Indeed, the 1549 Edinburgh to Glasgow Central is the only passenger carrying ScotRail train at Shieldmuir Mail Terminal

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...3/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=SR

As there is no timing point between Uddingston Junction and Motherwell, it is a bit more difficult to pick out trains which don't go via Bellshill.

 

[paddington]

Thanks so far. To make things easier to see, I'm referring to any Scotrail trains which use the dotted lines

 

[paddington]

As there is no timing point between Uddingston Junction and Motherwell, it is a bit more difficult to pick out trains which don't go via Bellshill.

I'm not familiar with the junctions so it makes things a bit harder for me.

But I think Motherwell to Uddingston Junction not via Bellshil takes 4 mins, whereas going via Bellshill takes 8 mins or so

So most of the Edinburgh-Glasgow via Carstairs appear to go directly - but they are all express from Motherwell to GLC, except for the 0647 from NBW which call at at Uddingston etc

However the 1549 from Waverley may possibly go via Bellshill as it's timetabled for 7 mins - but no timing points for Mossend Jcts so maybe not


In the other direction, seems like most of the Ayr-Edinburghs take 7 mins but no timing points for Mossend Jcts except for 0828 from Ayr


As for Shieldmuir to Law Jct, none in the other direction?

 

[Clansman]

-Deleted-

 

[AndrewR232]

Class 380s on Glasgow Central to Motherwell diagrams go via the dotted line, calling at Cambuslang, Uddingston and Motherwell.

(... and Bellshill)

 

[me123]

1) Motherwell and Uddingston skipping Bellshill

Plenty of trains do this, although most do not call at Uddingston. The 2-hourly service from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Carstairs runs on this route (which is the WCML "proper", and is the route you'll take if you take Virgin Trains to London for example).

In the old days before the timetable recast, there were rush hour trains running non-stop Argyle Street to Motherwell (perhaps calling at Rutherglen?) and onto Lanark, but these aren't quite as common now that the timetable is much more regular and the Lanark trains already benefit from faster journey times by virtue of running into the High Level.

2) Motherwell (Shieldmuir) and Carluke skipping Wishaw

Why would they want to avoid Wishaw? It's a significant detour, but it's also a major centre of population, with a well used railway station serving 400,000 passengers per year and having the highest usage figures of any Argyle Line station South of Motherwell. It may save time to avoid Wishaw, but it's a big enough settlement that the train warrants calling there.

The only reason why they would not call is if it makes more operational sense not to - and in the case of the 15:49 EDB-GLC, it's followed through Carluke by a local service that subsequently does call at Motherwell and Shieldmuir so there's no point in the faster Edinburgh to Glasgow train crawling around the deviation.

Interestingly, the Argyle Line now features trains that avoid Motherwell. They run Uddingston-Bellshill-Holytown-Wishaw. Holytown lost 1tph in the recast, and a few rush hour trains now go this way. Previously, all trains would go through Motherwell even if they took a convoluted route in doing so (like the hourly Lanark-Wishaw-Holytown-Motherwell-Hamilton-Glasgow...). It would therefore be appropriate to say that Holytown-Motherwell and Holytown-Wishaw have "limited service", but this hasn't appeared on the map to date. The image posted above almost suggests that there are regular trains between Motherwell and Holytown, and between Holytown and Wishaw, but this is no longer the case.

The lines on the map are actually historical (and can be seen even on the old SPT maps). They are still accurate, but perhaps the map could do with a minor revamp to reflect the current Argyle line service pattern.

 

[Mag_seven]

If no time is shown at Bellshill or the Mossend Junctions then it goes direct. (no doubt someone will be along in a minute and prove me wrong )