Balloch Central railway station

Balloch Central
Balloch Central in 1961
General information
Location	Balloch, West Dunbartonshire Scotland
Coordinates	56.00383°N 4.58355°W / 56.00383; -4.58355
Line(s)	North Clyde
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway
Pre-grouping	Caledonian Railway & North British Railway
Post-grouping	LMS & LNER
Key dates
15 July 1850	Opened as Balloch D&B
30 June 1952	Renamed Balloch Central
23 April 1988	Closed

Balloch Central railway station was the main railway station serving the town of Balloch in Scotland. It was opened on 15 July 1850^[1] by the Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway.^[2] It was renamed Balloch Central on 30 June 1952.^[3]

Operations

For most of its passenger services, it was the terminal station. A few services, connecting with the steamer services to Tarbet and Inversnaid, continued to Balloch Pier.^[2] This pattern of service continued after electrification of the line in the 1960s. Between 1856 and 1934, it was served also by trains to/from Stirling over the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway. The main line from just north of Dalreoch Junction was singled in 1986 and thereafter all trains used the former southbound platform up until closure.

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Alexandria		CR & NBR Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Railway		Balloch Pier

Closure

The station was closed on 23 April 1988 and was replaced by Balloch station, situated immediately south of the level crossing.^[1][4][5] This relocation allowed the level crossing to be removed.^[6] The station building was formerly a tourist information centre until it closed in 2024. A section of platform survived until demolition in 2016.

The former station building

References

Notes

1. Butt (1995), page 24
2. Casserley (1968)
3. Renaming of Stations in Scotland The Railway Magazine issue 618 October 1952 page 708
4. Strathclyde: the Review after the strike Modern Railways issue 445 December 1985 pages 650-651
5. Balloch opens for business Rail issue 82 July 1988 page 15
6. News & Notes: Balloch rebuilt The Railway Magazine issue 1049 September 1988 page 556

Sources

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Casserley, H. C. (1968). Britain's Joint Lines. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0024-7.
• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.

External links

Media related to Balloch Central railway station at Wikimedia Commons