Carstairs Railway Station, West Coast Main Line, South Lanarkshire

Carstairs Station was opened in 1848 by the Caledonian Railway. Lines run from here to Glasgow, Edinburgh and South to London Euston. The station has seen many changes and was most recently closed from March to May 30th, 2023 whilst the island platform was being rebuilt. Around 200 trains pass the station on a weekday at speeds up to 120mph. The 164 million pound project remodelled and renewed the trackwork and signalling as well as rationalising trackwork, but retaining a small engineers depot. The high security Carstairs State Hospital lies nearby. From 1888 to 1895 a private electric tramway ran from the station to Carstairs House.

[@eerysimps]

I was one of the many workers involved in this whole renewal. I'm a welder and the amount of welds that were on this job was roughly 1800. Glad it's over and done with haha.

[@rogergriffith286]

It was quite a task then!

[@govang5191]

Lovely summer day,
And nearly choked on my Tea, hearing the costs, and think the politicians should be
In Carstairs well ok most of them ,
Agin , Brain food Thank You .

[@rogergriffith286]

Things do cost alot these days :-)

[@ianmacdougall8229]

I was there with my Dad in November 2020, lovely station and a great place for train spotting.

[@rogergriffith286]

Yes - plenty to see with 200 plus trains on weekdays

[@rogergriffith286]

Plenty of train movements

[@MM0IMC]

I remember get the train from Poole to Glasgow and visa versa, when the Edinburgh portion was added or removed here, but a resident shunt. This was in 1990.
Sadly, all gone now. 😢

[@rogergriffith286]

Once a busy marshalling point.

[@neilburns8869]

Before the year 2000, when Carstairs station used to have a lot of old stonework it could be a very intimidating place for to change trains.
I remember that we often had family who would use the train to travel to and from Lockerbie from Kirkcaldy (which often meant changing at Edinburgh and Carstairs).
An evening train at a weekend coming up to Lockerbie would often mean changing at Carstairs and waiting sometimes over 20 or 30 minutes at unmanned station and I can recall my Granma saying that she didn't really feel particularly safe there.
One time on a Sunday night in the Spring or Autumn she was travelling back home from Lockerbie to Kirkcaldy and she was required to disembark at Carstairs to await her connection to Edinburgh that would be coming from Glasgow but it was cold and dark and she had over 30 minutes to wait. So, she climbed the stairs and walked into the street but there was nobody about. She walked to what looked like an old hotel or pub but the door was locked and curtains were closed. She knocked on the door but nobody answered, she knocked again but louder, she could see an upstairs curtain twitching but still nobody to see.
So, she simply decided to return to the station platform to wait for her train to Edinburgh.
But I have heard other people saying how Carstairs railway station gave them the creeps.

[@rogergriffith286]

It was once very busy with it's own refreshment room, etc.

[@edmondscott7444]

Great to have a video without awful unneccesary accompaniment.

[@rogergriffith286]

I know what you mean!

[@cambsy37]

The old line speed was 95mph non EPS so non tilt,and now it’s 110mph with EPS Enhanced Permissible Speed ie with tilt, so 15mph increase for Pendolino’s

[@rogergriffith286]

THhanks for the details

[@naradaian]

They stopped stopping the London trains here some 20 years ago and I think you can mount the sleeper only disembark...which was and is a bummer as it means a drive to Motherwell or Glasgow/Edinburgh

[@rogergriffith286]

It's the last stop before the border. The bespoke sign indicates the next train.

[@simonlowe3766]

Trains pass the station at a maximum speed of 110 mph, or 100 mph if non-tilting. Nothing should be going past at 120 mph.

[@rogergriffith286]

I imagine the design includes a margin of error.I was an official figure.

[@fatwalletboy2]

Ive not heard anything about journey time reductions betwen glasgow and euston......has the fastest times been improved or has any saving been absorbed into the existing timings as extra recovery time?

[@rogergriffith286]

I haven't read anything but havong experienced the old junction a few minutes must have been shaved off.