Shieldmuir railway station
Encyclopedia
Shieldmuir railway station is a railway station in the Craigneuk
suburb of Wishaw
, North Lanarkshire
, Scotland
, and lies on the West Coast Main Line
, although it is not served by mainline services - local commuter services from the station are provided via the Argyle Line
by First ScotRail
on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
. The station is close to Wishaw railway station
. The bulk of commuters are from the nearby suburbs of Craigneuk
and Muirhouse
, which it spans the border between. The bridge used to cross the railway also connects the two towns. Although Shieldmuir can be used to reach Wishaw General Hospital
by train, it and Wishaw station are both a considerable distance away for any visitors there.
The station is served by an hourly service from Lanark
to Dalmuir
via Motherwell
, Bellshill
, Glasgow Central and Yoker
. At peak times, the fast express trains to Lanark from Glasgow also stop there.
Shieldmuir is also the northern terminus for the Royal Mail
's railway-based distribution system - a large mail depot lies next to the station, from which the Royal Mail operates its fleet of Class 325
mail trains to and from London and Warrington
via the WCML.
The station is unstaffed and has ramp access to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act
. It has full CCTV coverage on both platforms and entrances. It can be reached by car from Craigneuk due to its proximity to John Street and Kimberly Street; however there is a relatively lengthy footpath between the station and Shieldmuir Street, Muirhouse. It does not have any official provision for parking and it cannot be directly reached by any of the new private housing estates being built near the site.
The local authority currently has plans to move the entire station almost 1 mile to the north, to cater for the new Ravenscraig
development. Although the station was originally developed to help regenerate this area of Wishaw, which has suffered from the closure of two major businesses (British Steel
's Ravenscraig works
, and the Clyde Alloy) its use has recently doubled. However, its remote location led to vandalism and intimidation for users prior to the installation of CCTV there. Proposals to move the station may be met with some opposition though, as the area around the station has recently seen large amounts of house building activity, and closure of the station could affect local house prices.
There is no modern town of Shieldmuir but Shieldmuir Plantation is noted on an 1859 map of the area as having existed between Shieldmuir and Muirhouse coalpits, roughly where the station lies today.
Craigneuk
Craigneuk is a suburb of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The original village of Craigneuk was located in the area where Meadowhead Road meets Glasgow Road. It was originally part of Dalziel parish along with the other rural weaving villages of Flemington, Windmillhill and Motherwell....
suburb of Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
, North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and lies on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
, although it is not served by mainline services - local commuter services from the station are provided via the Argyle Line
Argyle Line
The Argyle Line is a suburban railway located in West Central Scotland. It connects the Lanarkshire towns of Lanark, Larkhall and Motherwell to West Dunbartonshire via central Glasgow using sub-surface running...
by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is a public body which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating regional transport, and especially the public transport system, in the Strathclyde area of western Scotland...
. The station is close to Wishaw railway station
Wishaw railway station
Wishaw railway station is a railway station in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and lies on the Wishaw Deviation Line just south of the single track link line which connects to the West Coast Main Line at Shieldmuir....
. The bulk of commuters are from the nearby suburbs of Craigneuk
Craigneuk
Craigneuk is a suburb of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The original village of Craigneuk was located in the area where Meadowhead Road meets Glasgow Road. It was originally part of Dalziel parish along with the other rural weaving villages of Flemington, Windmillhill and Motherwell....
and Muirhouse
Muirhouse, Motherwell
Muirhouse is a housing scheme in Motherwell, Scotland. It consists of seven tower blocks each with 17 floors, 5 low rise flats and numerous houses. It has two schools, a shopping area and a pub. The area is surrounded by countryside and has many walking routes into Motherwell town centre...
, which it spans the border between. The bridge used to cross the railway also connects the two towns. Although Shieldmuir can be used to reach Wishaw General Hospital
Wishaw General Hospital
Wishaw General Hospital is a district general hospital in the Craigneuk area of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire.-The Hospital:Wishaw General Hospital opened on 29 May 2001. It is a 633-bedded hospital, with the second-largest maternity unit in Scotland, delivering 5500 babies each year...
by train, it and Wishaw station are both a considerable distance away for any visitors there.
The station is served by an hourly service from Lanark
Lanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
to Dalmuir
Dalmuir
Dalmuir is an area on the western side of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-Location:It is neighboured by the village of Old Kilpatrick, the Mountblow and Parkhall areas of Clydebank, as well as the town centre...
via Motherwell
Motherwell
Motherwell is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more...
, Bellshill
Bellshill
Bellshill is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, 10 miles south east of Glasgow city centre and 37 miles west of Edinburgh. Other nearby towns are Motherwell , Hamilton and Coatbridge . Since 1996, it has been situated in the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area...
, Glasgow Central and Yoker
Yoker
Yoker is a western district of Glasgow, in Scotland, UK, lying on the northern bank of the Clyde to the east of Clydebank. It is located approximately 5 miles west of the City Centre. From the fourteenth century a ferry has linked Yoker with the burgh of Renfrew on the south bank...
. At peak times, the fast express trains to Lanark from Glasgow also stop there.
Shieldmuir is also the northern terminus for the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
's railway-based distribution system - a large mail depot lies next to the station, from which the Royal Mail operates its fleet of Class 325
British Rail Class 325
The British Rail Class 325 is a 4 car dual-voltage 25 kV alternating current or 750 V direct current electric multiple unit train used for postal train services. They are based on the Class 319. The Class 325 was British Rail's newest unit to take over parcels working on electrified...
mail trains to and from London and Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
via the WCML.
The station is unstaffed and has ramp access to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which has now been repealed and replaced by the Equality Act 2010 , except in Northern Ireland where the Act still applies...
. It has full CCTV coverage on both platforms and entrances. It can be reached by car from Craigneuk due to its proximity to John Street and Kimberly Street; however there is a relatively lengthy footpath between the station and Shieldmuir Street, Muirhouse. It does not have any official provision for parking and it cannot be directly reached by any of the new private housing estates being built near the site.
The local authority currently has plans to move the entire station almost 1 mile to the north, to cater for the new Ravenscraig
Ravenscraig
Ravenscraig is an area of land located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Ravenscraig was previously inhabited by steel industry workers, as it was formerly the site of Ravenscraig steelworks...
development. Although the station was originally developed to help regenerate this area of Wishaw, which has suffered from the closure of two major businesses (British Steel
British Steel
British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
's Ravenscraig works
Ravenscraig steelworks
The Ravenscraig steelworks, operated by Colvilles and latterly by British Steel, consisted of an integrated iron and steel works and a hot strip steel mill. They were located in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland....
, and the Clyde Alloy) its use has recently doubled. However, its remote location led to vandalism and intimidation for users prior to the installation of CCTV there. Proposals to move the station may be met with some opposition though, as the area around the station has recently seen large amounts of house building activity, and closure of the station could affect local house prices.
There is no modern town of Shieldmuir but Shieldmuir Plantation is noted on an 1859 map of the area as having existed between Shieldmuir and Muirhouse coalpits, roughly where the station lies today.