There's a new way to travel by train across the central belt between the east and west coast of Scotland. That's because, from Sunday 12 December, the new line between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Airdrie and Bathgate is open for business.

In fact, the new service will allow trains to run as far west as Helensburgh through Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh.

The introductory timetable will have an hourly service from Helensburgh Central to Edinburgh via Bathgate and Airdrie on weekdays. There will also be four Edinburgh-Bathgate services during weekday peak times – double the current number.

And it includes a direct half-hourly service from Helensburgh Central to Edinburgh at weekends.

The new stretch of track between Airdrie and Bathgate re-establishes a fourth route between Edinburgh and Glasgow after a gap of 50 years.

It also includes new stations at Armadale, Blackridge and Caldercruix and a relocated Drumgelloch station.

However, Network Rail has announced that the severe weather had left the access roads and platform surfaces at some of the new intermediate stations impassable preventing the completion of some minor station works.

Consequently, the new stations at Armadale, Caldercruix and Drumgelloch will not be brought into use right away but will be opened as soon as possible once the weather improves.

A replacement bus service will be in operation at these stations which will allow customers to connect into rail services at Airdrie and Bathgate. These bus services will operate subject to road conditions and bus operator availability.

The introductory timetable will be enhanced as more new Class 380 trains are introduced on Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire routes to and from Glasgow Central.

The new trains – the largest order of its kind in a decade – will allow Class 334 trains to move from these routes to the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Airdrie and Bathgate line. The frequency will increase over time between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street Low Level, with daytime trains every 15 minutes to be launched next Spring.

The end result will be increased options available for travel between Scotland’s two main cities.

It will also open up new economic and educational opportunities for those living on the line – and offer a greener alternative to the daily car commute on the M8.

The line also means great days out are now even easier. For example, you can visit the Livingston Designer Outlet or Almond Valley Heritage Centre. And, with new direct links to Edinburgh and Glasgow, you can also make the most of the train during the festive season. Take a look below for more information on the route.

* Key stations only shown. Drumgelloch, Caldercruix and Armadale stations will be served by an interim bus link until fully operational. Buses will operate subject to road conditions and bus operator availability.

BUS SERVICES

The interim bus link will operate 7 days between Airdrie and Bathgate calling at Drumgelloch (old), Caldercruix, Blackridge, Armadale and Bathgate. These will depart as shown:

Monday to Friday bus timetable

Saturday bus timetable

Sunday bus timetable

To view and download a copy of our introductory rail timetable, choose the appropriate link below. These timetables will apply until further notice:

Monday to Friday timetable

Saturday timetable - Edinburgh-Glasgow

Saturday timetable - Glasgow-Edinburgh

Sunday timetable - Edinburgh-Glasgow 

Sunday timetable - Glasgow-Edinburgh

What’s more, there’s also a wide range of different fares available. So whether you’re a regular commuter, or just fancy a one-off trip, you’ll be able to find a great value fare to suit you. See the table below for more on sample fares and journey times.

 
Fares shown valid from 2 January 2011.
* Savings compared to purchasing equivalent individual Anytime Return tickets