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Balloch railway station

Balloch Scottish Gaelic: Am Bealach[1]
Southbound view of the station platform, June 2024
General information
Location	Balloch, West Dunbartonshire Scotland
Coordinates	56°00′08″N 4°34′59″W / 56.0021°N 4.5831°W / 56.0021; -4.5831
Grid reference	NS389818
Managed by	ScotRail
Transit authority	SPT
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	BHC[2]
Key dates
24 April 1988	Opened by British Rail
Passengers
2018/19	0.554 million
2019/20	0.488 million
2020/21	67,320
2021/22	0.279 million
2022/23	0.351 million
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail & Road

Balloch railway station is a railway station serving the town of BallochinScotland. The station is a western terminus of the North Clyde Line, sited 20 miles 38 chains (33.0 km) northwest of Glasgow Queen Street, measured via Singer and Maryhill.^[3]

History[edit]

Although the line through the station was opened in July 1850,^[4] the current Balloch station was opened by British Rail and SPTE on 24 April 1988, replacing the former Balloch Central station which was situated immediately north of a level crossing on Balloch Road.^[5] Closure of this level crossing was made possible by the closure of the previous terminus station, Balloch Pier, in 1986. The station is located 1⁄2 mile (800 m) south of where Balloch Pier station stood.^[6][7] This relocation allowed the level crossing to be closed.^[8]

In 2023, it was announced that Balloch would receive a brand new park & ride facility, at a cost of £50,000.^[9]

Location[edit]

It lies within the boundary, by just over 150 metres (160 yd),^[10] of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and provides one of few examples of an overhead electrified railway operating within a UK national park.^{[citation needed]}

Facilities[edit]

The station has a ticket office, an accessible toilet, a shelter, seats, a help point and bike racks. The station has a stepped entrance from Tullichewan Road, and three step-free entrances from Balloch Road, Lomond Road and Balloch Road. All of the station is step-free.^[11]

Passenger volume[edit]

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services[edit]

There is a half-hourly daily service to Airdrie on weekdays and Saturdays, and - on Sundays - to Motherwell (via Whifflet) or Larkhall (via Hamilton Central) alternately (i.e., hourly trains from Balloch to Motherwell/Larkhall).^[13]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Alexandria		ScotRail North Clyde Line		Terminus

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
• 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.
• Quick, Michael (2022). Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain: A Chronology (PDF) (5th ed.). London: Railway and Canal Historical Society.
• "Balloch opens for business". RAIL. No. 82. EMAP National Publications. July 1988. p. 15. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Balloch railway station.

• Train times and station information for Balloch railway station from National Rail

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