Blantyre Tram Terminus

Blantyre's Ain Website

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, ScotlandGlasgow Road South

Blantyre Tram Terminus

First Day of Blantyre Trams – 1903

First Day of Blantyre Trams - 1903

The first tram inaugural run from Motherwell to Blantyre was on 6th October 1903.

You can imagine the excitement on this great day. The local inhabitants could now freely visit Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw. The service was completely overwhelmed with over 30,000 individuals lining the Wishaw Blantyre Hamilton route expecting to get on the Trams on its first day alone.

Besides being a very popular means of transport for commuting between the towns, the Tramcars were also highly popular with courting couples as a novel way of being able to spend some time together.

The Tram Terminus was at the bottom of Stonefield Road, near David Livingstone Memorial Church.

Blantyre Trams 1903 – 1930

Blantyre Tram

The Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw tramways company line was opened on 22nd July 1903 and provided an excellent means of travel from Blantyre to Hamilton, Larkhall, Motherwell and Wishaw. The Western Terminus at Blantyre was situated 65 metres west of Stonefield Road at Livingstone Church. The first tram inaugural run from Motherwell to Blantyre was on 6th October 1903.

The company extended the line in 1907 to create a new terminus at Dunallon Loop at the West End, Glasgow Road, where passengers wishing to continue to Glasgow disembarked and travelled into the City on trams belonging to the Glasgow Corporation Tram Company which terminated at Priory Bridge. The Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw Company constructed further lines within Lanarkshire to include within its network of Newmains in 1909 and New Stevenson in 1911, making it possible to travel in a circular route around various districts of Glasgow and return to Blantyre via Newmains.

The Company later changed its name to the Lanarkshire Tramways Company but closed on 10th October, 1930 and the old Shoogly Trams disappeared from the streets of Blantyre.

To give your children the experience of riding on an old shoogly tram, you can visit Summerlee in Coatbridge, and even be able to take them down a mine.

Source: Neil Gordon’s A TO Z Dictionary of Blantyre

George Mackenzie wrote: My father was born in 1912 and told me his first job after leaving the school was a Conductor on 2 Trams that went I think from Hamilton to Blantyre –
He said they didn’t have numbers but instead had names.
They were called “I can Hop it” and “So can I.”

Janette Brown: And 110 years later you need to get 2 buses from Blantyre to get to Motherwell or Wishaw, so much for improvement and a better bus service. The public transport service from Blantyre is a total joke.

Elizabeth Weaver: In some ways, it was probably easier to get around than it is now. Fine if you have a car nowadays; not so simple if you don’t. Great photo.

~~~

If you have any Photos… Send them to Bill

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland

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