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The two giant steel horse-head sculptures of The Kelpies against a blue sky

Scotland Station code FKG

Falkirk Grahamston

Falkirk guide: the rotating Falkirk Wheel, the 30-metre Kelpies and Callendar House, reached on LNER's daily Highland Chieftain.

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The Kelpies, Andy Scott's 30-metre horse heads at The Helix parkPhoto: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Falkirk

Falkirk lies between Edinburgh and Stirling, and Falkirk Grahamston is the town-centre station where LNER's daily Highland Chieftain calls. The town has built itself a reputation for big, bold landmarks rooted in its canal and industrial heritage.

The Falkirk Wheel, the world's only rotating boat lift, links the Forth & Clyde and Union canals, while The Kelpies – two 30-metre horse heads by the artist Andy Scott – stand in The Helix park. Closer to the centre, Callendar House sits in a large historic park that contains a stretch of the Roman Antonine Wall.

Journey

FKG
Fastest from London King's Cross
Around 5 hours
LNER routes calling
1
Previous and next calling points on each LNER route serving Falkirk Grahamston
RoutePrevious stopNext stop
London – Inverness stop 12 of 24

May–December 2026 timetable · not every train calls at every station

Only one LNER train a day each way: the Highland Chieftain, which takes 5 hours 0 minutes from King's Cross (12.03 departure) in the May–December 2026 timetable.

Journey times are from LNER's May–December 2026 timetable and vary by train. Check yours with LNER timetables or the National Rail journey planner.

Key facts

Opened
1 October 1850 (as Grahamston); present buildings 1985–86
Platforms
2
Managed by
ScotRail
Passengers a year
612,000 (April 2024 – March 2025) Source: orr.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Did you know?

  • The station opened in 1850 as Grahamston (Falkirk) and took its present name on 1 February 1903.
  • It is one of three stations serving Falkirk, with Falkirk High and Camelon.
  • The branch to the port of Grangemouth, opened in 1860–61 and still used by freight, was promoted by the Forth and Clyde Canal Company rather than a railway company.

Photos of Falkirk

Arriving at Falkirk Grahamston

Falkirk Grahamston has two platforms. The station building, with the ticket office, waiting room and toilets, is on platform 1; platform 2 is reached by a short steep ramp, and because the footbridge has stairs the step-free route between the platforms is via the road bridge. The station is on Meeks Road on the north side of the town centre: the High Street and the Falkirk Steeple are only about 400 metres to the south as the crow flies. Taxis wait at a rank by the north-west entrance on Meeks Road – the easiest way to reach The Kelpies (about 1.6 miles away) or the Falkirk Wheel (about 2.2 miles).

Falkirk Grahamston is on Meeks Road on the north side of Falkirk town centre; the High Street is only about 400 metres away. The town's other main station, Falkirk High, is on the Edinburgh–Glasgow main line.

Getting around

Callendar House is served by local buses (routes 1, F16, F25 and X38 stop near the park, according to the venue). For The Falkirk Wheel and The Helix, check local bus options or take a taxi.

Other train services and connections

  • ScotRail: trains to Edinburgh Waverley, to Stirling and Dunblane, and to Glasgow Queen Street via Cumbernauld (not on Sundays)
  • Falkirk High station (separate) for Edinburgh–Glasgow trains

Station facilities

  • Step-free accessStep-free to both platforms (category B1): a short steep ramp to platform 2, and the road bridge as the step-free link between platforms
  • StaffStaffed Mon–Fri 06:20–22:00, Sat 06:30–22:00, Sun 09:30–22:00
  • Ticket officeOn platform 1: Mon–Thu 06:20–17:30, Fri 06:20–18:00, Sat 07:45–18:15, Sun 09:30–22:00
  • Ticket machinesAt the north-west entrance
  • ToiletsIn the platform 1 waiting room, during ticket office hours
  • Accessible toiletsUnisex accessible toilet with baby change (RADAR key)
  • Baby changingIn the accessible toilet
  • Waiting roomsOn the concourse and on platform 1
  • Wi-fiNo station wi-fi
  • ShopsNewsagent
  • Left luggageNo left luggage
  • Car parking342-space council car park, 10 accessible bays; £1.50 a day when checked
  • Cycle storage40 sheltered stands
  • TaxisRanks including one at the north-west entrance on Meeks Road
  • Help pointsOn both platforms

Checked September 2026. Facilities and opening hours change — see the National Rail Enquiries station page (opens in a new tab) for the latest details.

History of the station

Grahamston station opened on 1 October 1850 on the line from Polmont to Larbert, built by the Stirlingshire Midland Junction Railway, which the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway had absorbed before it opened. A chord at Carmuirs later linked it to the Scottish Central Railway, creating a relief route between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and in 1860–61 the station became the junction for the Grangemouth branch, which lost its passenger trains in 1968 but still serves the port and refinery.

Renamed Falkirk Grahamston in 1903, the station was rebuilt in 1985–86 with the buildings in use today. Glasgow trains were rerouted via Cumbernauld in 1999, and in 2018 the lines through the station were electrified under the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme, bringing faster electric services to Edinburgh, Stirling and Dunblane.

A day in Falkirk

Giant horse heads, a rotating boat lift and a stately home on the Antonine Wall.

  1. Morning

    The Kelpies

    Take a taxi or local bus to The Helix to see Andy Scott's 30-metre Kelpies; a guided tour is the only way inside.

    The Kelpies at The Helix in Things to do

  2. Late morning

    The Falkirk Wheel

    Cross town to the world's only rotating boat lift and, if you have booked, ride it on a boat trip through the Roughcastle Tunnel.

    The Falkirk Wheel in Things to do

  3. Afternoon

    Callendar House

    Back near the centre, explore the free exhibitions and Georgian kitchen at Callendar House and walk the stretch of Antonine Wall in its park (closed on Tuesdays).

    Callendar House in Things to do

  4. Evening

    Behind the Wall

    Finish a couple of minutes from the station at BTW, a Falkirk institution since 1985, with food, live bands and real ale.

Things to do near Falkirk Grahamston

Distances are approximate. Opening times and prices change — check the official website before you go.

Eat & drink near the station

  • Bar

    Behind the Wall (BTW)

    A Falkirk meeting and eating place since 1985, with live bands, a 60-seat beer garden and, upstairs, the Eglesbrech Ale and Whisky Bar, listed in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide.

    A couple of minutes from the station, on Melville Street Website for Behind the Wall (BTW) (opens in a new tab)

Day trips from Falkirk

  • Edinburgh

    Scotland's capital, with its castle, Old Town and museums.

    ScotRail trains take about 35 minutes and run several times an hour Monday to Saturday.

  • Stirling

    Stirling Castle, the Old Town and the National Wallace Monument.

    ScotRail trains towards Dunblane take about 15 minutes.

Annual events

Dates change from year to year — check the official website before you plan a trip around an event.

Where to stay in Falkirk

Hotels in and around Falkirk town centre; Stirling and Edinburgh are both a short train ride away.

Tips for your visit

  • The Highland Chieftain is LNER's only through train on this line: it leaves London King's Cross at 12.03 every day and Inverness at 07.55 Monday to Saturday (09.40 on Sundays) in the May–December 2026 timetable, so plan around it and reserve a seat.
  • Boat trips on the Falkirk Wheel and Kelpies tours are best booked in advance at busy times.

Questions about Falkirk Grahamston station

How far is Falkirk Grahamston from the town centre?

Very close: the High Street and the Falkirk Steeple are about 400 metres south of the station as the crow flies.

Is the station step-free?

Yes, but with care: National Rail rates it category B1. Platform 2 is reached by a short steep ramp, and because the footbridge has stairs, the step-free route between platforms is via the road bridge.

How do I get to The Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel?

Both are outside the centre – The Kelpies about 1.6 miles north-east and the Falkirk Wheel about 2.2 miles west of the station as the crow flies – so take a taxi from the rank at the station or a local bus.

Can I park at the station?

Yes: the council-run car park has 342 spaces including 10 accessible bays, and cost £1.50 a day when checked in September 2026. Blue Badge holders park free in the accessible bays.

Is there left luggage at the station?

No. National Rail lists no luggage storage at Falkirk Grahamston (checked September 2026).

Which LNER trains call here?

Only the Highland Chieftain, once a day in each direction between London King's Cross and Inverness.

Sources we checked (September 2026)

We researched this page using the sources below. They are listed for transparency and are not links; always check official websites for the latest details.

  • assets.ctfassets.net/mxack5k9p2sw/7jQOjS38muWdVQbPCRGxyV/809f4c4fe0a29fcd38233147ab0f48…
  • lner.co.uk/travel-information/timetables/
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Grahamston_railway_station
  • scottishcanals.co.uk/visit/canals/visit_falkirk_wheel
  • thehelix.co.uk/
  • falkirkleisureandculture.org/venues/callendar-house/
  • nationalrail.co.uk/stations/fkg/
  • dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage/
  • behindthewall.co.uk/about/
  • falkirkfest.co.uk/
  • falkirkherald.co.uk/news/people/in-pictures-more-images-of-music-and-mirth-at-the-might…
  • opentraintimes.com/schedule/W83125/2026-09-29
  • opentraintimes.com/schedule/W83163/2026-09-29

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