In 1863 the Caledonian Railway opened a loop line branching off their main Glasgow to Hamilton line, sweeping up into Blantyre and heading northwards, under Glasgow Road, over fields at Springwell and onwards through developing Blantyre, up to a new High Blantyre Station.

On 1^st May 1882, a spur was added leading from this loop to the main line at Craighead, forming what was to become known as the Auchinraith Junction. The junction sat above the field formerly the golf course and poultry run.

A sweeping semi circular branch was added nearby to the North British Railway giving access to Birdsfield Siding and to allow Auchinraith Pits connection to the main NBR Hamilton branch at Blantyre Junction to the north of Springwell. The colliery was already served by the Hamilton and Strathaven Railway line from Auchinraith.

A small path crossed the railway at Auchinraith junction , adjacent to a signal box. The signal box fell out of use in 1925 although was used again during war years and existed right up until the 1960’s.

The line ceased operating on 1^st June 1960 and the line quickly became weed ridden and unused, serving only on occasion as the odd freight service.

In the following photos from the early 1960’s, the Auchinraith Junction is shown, unused and with the houses of Springwell Housing Scheme on the right at numbers 45 and 47 Springwells Crescent.

1960s Auchenraith Junction from A Rochead

1960’s Auchinraith Junction courtesy of Alex Rochead

The gardens and houses to the left of the railway line are no longer there, demolished along the bottom of Auchinraith Road to make way for the East Kilbride Expressway in the early 1980’s.

1960s Auchinraith junction with chimneys in background wm

1960s Auchinraith Junction, courtesy of G Cook

The exact location of Auchinraith Junction today is now at the top of the slip road coming from Lidl supermarket back on to the A725 heading to EK.

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,

Elizabeth Grieve I had a relative who was killed on the Caledonian railway in the 1880s so it’s interesting to know that it came our way.

Jay Peajohn Stone I remember the railway bridge across from my grannie’s house when we were sent a message down underneath it, it was very exciting as there was no pavement under the bridge and you had to watch for a car then run fast! If you got back safely with the ‘message’, usually 10 Woodbine for my uncle he would reward us with a penny or two for a sweetie…..child cruelty…eh?

James Faulds i remember crossing the railway where the old bridge used to be to play fitba at rosendale park and the adult used to have a tossing school onthe rosedale side ,so they could see if the police were coming onevery side ,sometimes someone would say theres the police aND EVERYONE JUST GRABBED AS MUCH MONEY AS THEY COULD AND THE REGROUP LATER

John McCourt I used to clime the signal ladders between Rosendale and Springwell, then walk down to the bridge over Glasgow Road when l lived in Rosendale