The
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was authorised by Act of Parliament on 4 July 1838. It was opened to passenger traffic on 21 February 1842, between its
Glasgow Queen Street railway station (sometimes referred to at first as Dundas Street) and
Haymarket railway station in Edinburgh. Construction cost £1,200,000 for 46 miles (74 km). The intermediate stations were at
Corstorphine (later
Saughton),
Gogar,
Ratho,
Winchburgh,
Linlithgow,
Polmont,
Falkirk,
Castlecary,
Croy,
Kirkintilloch (later
Lenzie) and
Bishopbriggs. There was a ticket platform at
Cowlairs. The line was extended eastwards from Haymarket to
North Bridge in 1846, and a joint station for connection with the
North British Railway was opened on what is now
Edinburgh Waverley railway station in 1847.