Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
The 30.5 mile long Forth and Clyde Junction Railway was a railway line in Scotland which ran from Balloch to Stirling.[1]
It shared a short stretch from Gartness Junction to Buchlyvie Junction with the Glasgow to Aberfoyle line.
1853 The company was incorporated.
The line was opened on 25 May 1856 and operated by the North British Railway.
1908 The line, 30.75 miles long, is leased to the North British Railway company. [2]
It is unlikely that the line was ever particularly viable, since it ran through a rural area without any town of any size, largely following the route of an old military road. Some of the stations were not particularly near the village they served e.g. Drymen station was really in the smaller village of Croftamie, and Balfron station was not very near Balfron (probably the largest village on its route) which led to a hamlet of Balfron Station growing up at the station.
1923 Became part of London and North Eastern Railway [3]
1934 The line was closed as a through route for passenger traffic on 1 October 1934, quite some years before the Beeching Axe, although the Glasgow to Aberfoyle line remained open for passenger traffic until 1951. The various sections were then progressively closed to passengers and freight.