Located in the heart of North Lanarkshire, Motherwell Station is a hub for national train services with 96 services calling per week. This includes services on the Argyle Line, Hamilton Circle line, and trains to Cumbernauld.
From Monday 1 May, customers will notice some changes to how they access the station forecourt and Muir Street as part of a major transport integration project.
Location
Motherwell is an important commuter station and a busy interchange for trains on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), as well as local services on the Argyle Line suburban network. It is the penultimate stop on the northbound WCML before Glasgow Central Station, and is also served by trains to Hamilton, Carstairs, Mossend, Lesmahagow and Cumbernauld. It is also a booked stop for Virgin and East Coast express trains down to England.
The current station was built by British Rail during the 1970s on the site of a station opened by the Wishaw and Coltness Railway in 1843 at Orbiston, and is served by four through platforms. It is a fairly standard modern station, and the buildings can best be described as utilitarian.
Beyond Platform 4 are some electrified sidings used for the stabling of trains overnight. This includes the majority of northbound Argyle Line services to Hamilton, as well as those terminating at Lanark and Milngavie, and trains from Cumbernauld. It is not uncommon for these trains to be diverted here if the WCML is closed between Uddingston and Law Junction due to engineering works, which can also affect other routes such as the Hamilton Circle and Wishaw Deviation.
Motherwell is also the terminus for most northbound ScotRail services to Glasgow, and is served by some trains from Cumbernauld to Edinburgh via Shotts. This means that, during periods of disruption to the WCML, it can become very busy here.
Services
Motherwell Station is a very busy interchange station that serves ScotRail/SPT trains south to Lanark and Hamilton, and north to Cumbernauld, Coatbridge, Milngavie and Glasgow Central. The station is also a booked stop for Virgin and East Coast express trains down to England.
The station has a variety of shops and eateries, including the WH Smith shop. There are two cash machines on site and a small free car park with over 140 spaces.
For those travelling by bus, the station has an improved public area outside, with work completing this week on an expanded bus facility and new facilities for pedestrians, taxis and cyclists. The work at both the railway station and Muir Street will improve links between bus and train services and reduce traffic congestion in the town centre.
The station also provides a range of ticket office and self-service ticket machines. CrossCountry services run roughly every two hours to Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Waverley and Birmingham New Street, with some eastbound services extending as far as Plymouth via Newcastle and Sheffield.
Facilities
The station has been redeveloped and overhauled to create an integrated transport hub. Funding from the Glasgow City Region City Deal has supported this project which has seen work undertaken inside the building as well as a complete redesign of the public space outside. The expansion of bus facilities, a new station access road, car drop off area, and blue badge parking along with improved taxi facilities have made this a much more attractive and accessible place to arrive and depart.
The domed glass roof is a striking feature that not only gives the station an eye-catching appearance but also fits in with the town’s forward-looking perspective. The interior of the station has been refurbished to provide a brighter, larger concourse with a new ticket office and improved food and drink offerings.
Platform 4 is used by services on the Hamilton Circle to Glasgow which either terminate here or return via Hamilton. The station is also served hourly by trains to Cumbernauld.
The regional transport integration hub at Motherwell Station has been officially opened by Fiona Hyslop MSP, Minister for Transport and the Islands, alongside Joanne Macguire, ScotRail Chief Operating Officer, Paul Kelly, Deputy Leader of North Lanarkshire Council and Valerie Davidson, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport chief executive. This project is a great example of the way in which ScotRail, North Lanarkshire Council and SPT have worked together to deliver vastly improved and integrated end-to-end journeys.
Parking
The town’s history of steel production means that the area is well served by local transport links. The town is situated close to the M74 motorway, which offers fast journey times to Glasgow. There are also a number of bus routes serving the region.
Motherwell Station offers parking options for both short and longer stays. For those travelling by car, JustPark provides an effortless way to find and pre-book a space close to the station, from either on-street or private driveways. Prices are clearly displayed and you can extend your stay directly from your phone.
4.5 The relationship between parking availability and rail demand has been explored with First ScotRail (FSR). Data from FSR’s ticketing system, combining both passenger numbers at station car parks and actual tickets sold for each of the last 20 years, was used to model what might happen if the parking availability at certain stations was reduced or eliminated entirely. Detailed primary research at Kirkcaldy, Bridge of Allan, East Kilbride and Perth along with two “control” stations (Stirling and Falkirk High) was then compared to understand how this might affect the behaviour of passengers using those services.
From Monday (1 May) there will be changes to the way that customers access Motherwell Station. The area that customers currently use to gain access from the station forecourt will be closed for final landscaping work to be completed.
