Livingston North station opened on 24 March 1986,[2] concurrent with the re-introduction of passenger services under British Rail on the Edinburgh to Bathgate Line. This station is situated a quarter of a mile east of the original Livingston station. As the line between Cawburn Junction and Bathgate had been singled, the stations at Livingston North and Uphall only required to have single platforms. The platform at Livingston North was built on the solum of the former Up (towards Edinburgh) line due to the station site being in a cutting and the need to provide ramped access (via a 'switchback' path) to it in addition to stepped access. When the station was built, the area immediately south of the line was undeveloped, this being the main reason that the platform was constructed on the north (up) side of the line.
Following route modernisation, re-establishment of double track, new platform for westbound trains and electrification, there are fairly large parking areas to the north and south of the station. As the station has been constructed without a footbridge, access between platforms and parking areas is by way of lengthy disabled ramps and a road bridge.
From opening in March 1986 until December 2010, train services were operated by diesel multiple units, initially Class 101s. From 1987, services were formed of Class 150 units but by 2008, Class 158 and/or Class 170s were used. From December 2010, following electrification, services have been formed of Class 334 electric multiple units.
With the commencement of work for the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link, much excavation was needed around Livingston North station to provide the new platform and to avoid complete closure of the existing platform, which would have been unavoidable had the original railway boundary been observed. The new, second platform came into use on 20 October 2008, when for the first time in over half a century, passenger traffic served the area on a double track railway. Works continue to complete the transformation of the station.
Electrification followed in October 2010 in conjunction with the re-opening of the through route to Drumgelloch and Airdrie.
Rail services between Edinburgh and Livingston North were suspended in December 2010 due to cold weather. MSP Angela Constance said "The situation of train services in and around Livingston is desperate. The worst example is that no trains have left Livingston North station in the past 10 days".[3]Stewart Stevenson replied blaming frozen points: "A particular issue in the rail network is heating the points at the junction where the line to Bathgate and Livingston North leaves the main line from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk."
Services
2007/08
Monday to Saturday daytimes there was a half-hourly service eastbound to Edinburgh Waverley continuing to Newcraighall and westbound to Bathgate. Evenings and Sundays there is an hourly service in each direction.
From December 2008
Monday to Saturday daytimes there was a half-hourly service eastbound to Edinburgh Waverley and westbound to 1986 Bathgate station. Evenings and Sundays there is an hourly service in each direction.
October to December 2010
Monday to Saturday daytimes there was a half-hourly service eastbound to Edinburgh Waverley and westbound to the 2010 Bathgate station. Evenings and Sundays there is an hourly service in each direction.
Winter 2010/11 (From 12 December 2010)
During the week there is an eastbound service of four trains per hour to Edinburgh, with three per hour to Bathgate and one per hour to Helensburgh Central as a result of delays with commissioning of the Class 380 trains, insufficient Class 334 trains for the full service have been available for introduction of intended timetable from 12 December 2010.[4]
When sufficient trains are available, the westbound services will consist of two trains per hour to Helensburgh Central and two trains per hour to Milngavie.[5]
2016
There are four departure each hour in each direction (off peak Mon-Sat) in the May 2016 timetable, with two per hour in the evening and on Sundays. Westbound trains run to Queen St L.L via Bathgate & Airdrie and then onward to either Helensburgh Central or Milngavie (daytimes only), though some late night trains terminate short at Airdrie or Bathgate. Eastbound trains run to Edinburgh Waverley as before.[6]
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. ISBN978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC22311137.
Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC228266687.
