Could the East Kilbride branch be extended to Hamilton?

[adrock1976]

#moderator note: posts #1-#3 originally in this thread

Being as the line used to extend beyond the old village of East Kilbride to Hamilton which predated the New Town, has there ever been any reports/campaigns/vote bribery to investigate converting to trams, extending beyond the old village to the Town Centre, and onwards to Hamilton?

 

[Clansman]

Being as the line used to extend beyond the old village of East Kilbride to Hamilton which predated the New Town, has there ever been any reports/campaigns/vote bribery to investigate converting to trams, extending beyond the old village to the Town Centre, and onwards to Hamilton?

Not too sure.

East Kilbride to Hamilton is certainly one of those cases where if a line still existed between the two, it'd be heavily used.

 

[route101]

Not too sure.

East Kilbride to Hamilton is certainly one of those cases where if a line still existed between the two, it'd be heavily used.

Love to see a link from East Kilbride heading East. East Kilbride - Hamilton - Motherwell - Edinburgh. East Kilbride second biggest town in Scotland bu quite poorly connected.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Tried following the course of the old route on the NLS side by side maps and most of it has been totally obliterated by house building and road Realignment, particularly in Blantyre. Would need a full new route surveyed and built so I would bet this is a non starter.

 

[och aye]

It is of course possible, however as @d9009alycidon has posted, so much of the route past East Kilbride station has been built over, it would virtually be impossible to rebuild the link using the old alignment. You can see for yourself here:

Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland

It's unfortunate, as it is a great example of why former rail alignments should be safeguarded like they've done in Ireland. I'm sure a lot of people would have made great use of the line had it existed today.

 

[busmanaams]

#moderator note: posts #1-#3 originally in this thread

Being as the line used to extend beyond the old village of East Kilbride to Hamilton which predated the New Town, has there ever been any reports/campaigns/vote bribery to investigate converting to trams, extending beyond the old village to the Town Centre, and onwards to Hamilton?

It was considered by the SPTE, partly as part of possible electrification and part with the re-opening of the Larkhall branch. It has to be remembered that the original trackbed extended east of the current East Kilbride station. HOWEVER, East Kilbride Development Corporation very kindly built housing on this trackbed, so a new alignment is needed. Given the development locally, there no economic case for extension

 

[Falcon1200]

It's a great pity that when East Kilbride was designated a new town what was left of the route was not safeguarded; Imagine how useful today a service linking East Kilbride/Hamilton/Motherwell/Coatbridge/Cumbernauld and Stirling would be ! But that was in the Age of the Car and it's way too late now.

 

[route101]

It's a great pity that when East Kilbride was designated a new town what was left of the route was not safeguarded; Imagine how useful today a service linking East Kilbride/Hamilton/Motherwell/Coatbridge/Cumbernauld and Stirling would be ! But that was in the Age of the Car and it's way too late now.

Yes, I would like to see a railway service linking East Kilbride to the rest of Lanarkshire. East Kilbride has only a few bus links to the east. For Scotlands second biggest town its poor.