Glasgow Central railway station

Glasgow Central
General information
Location	Glasgow City Council
Managed by	Network Rail
Platforms	16 (2 on lower level)
Other information
Station code	GLC
Key dates
1 August 1879	High Level Station opened
10 August 1896	Low Level Station opened
1901–1905	High Level Station rebuilt
1960	Re-signalling
5 October 1964	Closure of Low Level Station
May 1974	Start of "Electric Scot" services to London Euston
5 November 1979	Reopening of Low Level Station as part of Argyle Line
1984–1986	Refurbished
1998–2003	Refurbished

Glasgow Central & St Enoch approaches
City of Glasgow Union Railway Glasgow Central Glasgow Central Railway St Enoch River Clyde parts of former station reused as carriage sidings Glasgow Bridge Street Main Street (CGUR) Gorbals Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway Cumberland Street   City of Glasgow Union Railway Southside Eglinton Street Polloc and Govan Railway General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway Pollokshields East Cathcart District Railway Pollokshields West Strathbungo Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway Cathcart District Railway

Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line railway terminals in Glasgow, Scotland, and is managed by Network Rail. It is the northern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, and was opened by the Caledonian Railway on 31 July 1879.

It is the busiest railway station in the United Kingdom outside London. According to Network Rail, over 34 million people depart from, or arrive at, Glasgow Central each year. Glasgow Central serves all of the Greater Glasgow conurbation's southern towns and suburbs, the Ayrshire and Clyde coasts, as well as being the terminus for all inter-city services from Glasgow to destinations south of the border.

Original (high level) station

Inside Glasgow Central, looking north east across the main concourse

The original station, opened on 1 August 1879 on the north bank of the River Clyde, had eight platforms and was linked to Bridge Street station by a railway bridge over Argyle Street and a four-track railway bridge, built by Sir William Arrol, which crossed the Clyde to the south.

The station was soon found to be too congested. In 1890, a temporary solution of widening the bridge over Argyle Street and inserting a ninth platform on Argyle Street bridge was completed. It was also initially intended to increase Bridge Street station to eight through lines and to increase Central Station to 15 platforms.

Low level station

The low-level platforms, in what was originally a separate station, were added to serve the underground Glasgow Central Railway, which was authorised on 10 August 1888 and opened on 10 August 1896. The Glasgow Central Railway was taken over by the Caledonian Railway in 1890. Services ran from Maryhill Central and from the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway in the west through to Rutherglen and via Tollcross through to Carmyle, Newton and other Caledonian Railway destinations to the east of Glasgow.

The 1901–1905 station rebuild

File:Image123.jpg

The "Heilanman's Umbrella": The 1901–1905 extension of the station over Argyle Street as of August 2007

By 1900 the station was again found to be too small: passenger numbers per annum on the high level station having increased by 5.156 million since the first extension was completed in 1890. The 1899 passenger usage per annum being 16.841 million on the high level station and 6.416 million on the low level station, a total of 23.257 million. The station is on two levels: the High Level station at the same level as Gordon Street, which bridges over Argyle Street; and the underground Low Level station.

Between 1901 and 1905 the original station was rebuilt. The station was extended over the top of Argyle Street and thirteen platforms were built. An additional eight-track bridge was built over the Clyde, and the original bridge was raised by 30 inches (0.75 m). Bridge Street station was then closed.

The High Level station now has 14 platforms covered by a large steel ridge/furrow roof. These platforms are numbered 1–12 and 14–15. Platform 12 was created during the 1901–1905 rebuild but was not originally for passenger use—it was known as the Fish, Fruit and Milk platform.

Central Station has a spacious concourse containing a variety of shops, catering outlets, ticket offices and a travel centre. The station is fronted by the Central Hotel on Gordon Street, designed by Robert Rowand Anderson. The world's first long-distance television pictures were transmitted to the Central Hotel in the station, on 24 May 1927 by John Logie Baird. The station building also houses a long line of shops and bars down the Union Street side. The undercroft of the station is not open to the general public — housing private car parking and utility functions for both the station itself and the adjoining Central Hotel.

The station's famous architectural features are the large glass-walled bridge that takes the station building over Argyle Street, nicknamed as the "Heilanman's Umbrella" or Hellamans Umbrella. by locals because it was used as a gathering place for visiting Highlanders; and the former ticket offices / platform and train-destination information building. This was a large oval building, with the booking office on the ground floor and the train information display for passengers on large printed cloth destination boards placed behind large windows on the first floor by a team of two men. Underneath the "Umbrella" is a bustling array of shops and bars, as well as the "Arches" nightclub, theatre, gallery and restaurant complex.

Signalling

The original 1889 signal box was replaced with an electro-pneumatic power-operated signal box based on the Westinghouse system. Work started in October 1907 and it opened on 5 April 1908. It was built directly over the River Clyde, sitting suspended between the two river bridges, well above the level of the tracks. Inside was a frame of 374 miniature levers, making it the longest power frame ever built in Great Britain.

Glasgow Central Signalling Centre, located in the "vee" of Bridge Street Junction, opened on 2 January 1961. It replaced signal boxes at Central Station, Bridge Street Junction, Eglinton Street Junction and Eglinton Street Station. When initially opened it was capable of handling 1,000 routes.

The new signalling centre was needed for three reasons:

• The 1907 power signal box was worn out;
• The original 1879 bridge over the River Clyde was coming to the end of its useful life, and it was more effective to use the newer (1904) bridge to handle all the traffic, with the lines signalled by-directionally;
• Electrification of the Cathcart Circle Lines, and subsequently the Gourock and Wemyss Bay services and the West Coast Main Line.

Glasgow Central Signalling Centre closed on 27 December 2008, when its area of control was transferred to the new West of Scotland Signalling Centre (WSSC), located at Cowlairs. The NX panel is to be preserved. The station is currently signalled by two Westinghouse Westlock Interlockings which are controlled via a GE MCS control system.

Railway electrification

Overhead power lines began to appear on the high-level platforms by the mid-1960s. Firstly, 6.25 kV AC Overhead power lines from the Cathcart Circle Line electrification scheme, which started on 29 May 1962. During this period, the old 1879 bridge over the River Clyde was removed and the railway lines were rearranged.

This was followed by the 25 kV AC overhead-power-lines electrification of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway and the Inverclyde Line to Gourock and Wemyss Bay, completed in 1967; and the WCML northern electrification scheme in 1974. Part of the Cathcart Circle was upgraded to 25 kV AC supply in 1974, to provide a diversionary route; the whole of the Cathcart Circle route was later upgraded to that supply.

Plans exist to electrify other routes, such as the Whifflet Line, as part of a scheme to improve rail services in Scotland.

Late 20th century developments

Low level station

Closure

Services through the Low Level station were withdrawn on 3 October 1964, said to be due to competition with the tram. However, the trams had been withdrawn by 1962, so this may be a contradiction of the "Beeching Axe".

Re-opening

In 1979 part of the low level line was electrified and the Low Level station was re-opened as the Argyle Line of the Glasgow suburban railway network. It consists of a single island platform, numbered as platforms 16 & 17.

Initially services were provided by Class 303 and Class 314 units. The latter units were built specifically for this service. Following the withdrawal of the Class 303 units, the service is, as of 2007, provided by Class 318 and Class 334 "Juniper" units.

Class 320 units were intended to be used on the route, but the narrow tunnels made this proposal impossible, and these units are restricted to the North Clyde Line.

Further details of services can be found in the Argyle Line article.

Flooding of the Low Level line

Over the Christmas festive period of 1994, on 11 December, torrential rain caused the River Kelvin to burst its banks at the closed Kelvinbridge station, with the water making its way through the disused tunnels to Exhibition Centre and the Low Level station, which was completely submerged by the resultant flash flood. It was closed for many months while repairs were made.

In August 2002, torrential rain flooded out the low-level stations from Dalmarnock through to Exhibition Centre for a number of weeks. Most services were routed to the High Level platforms, or to Queen Street station. Incidentally, the 2002 Glasgow floods had a number of other effects, infamously causing a cryptospiridium outbreak in Glasgow's water supply.

1980s redevelopment

The Caledonian Railway destination board still in use during the 1985 refurbishment

The high-level station's facilities were substantially redeveloped in the mid 1980s. The old ticket office / train information building was replaced by an all-new Travel Centre in 1985 adjacent to the Gordon Street entrance, and by 1986 a massive electro-mechanical destination board at the end of the platforms, with a smaller repeater board at the western side of the concourse, had replaced the archaic manually operated train-information boards. The old booking office / train information building was retained and redeveloped into shops, eateries and an upstairs bar/restaurant, and the station was re-floored in marble.

1998–2005 refurbishment

In 1998, a five-year renovation programme was initiated by Railtrack, which saw the station completely re-roofed and internally refurbished. The 1980s vintage mechanical destination boards were replaced with modern LED-style information signage. The final improvement, the upgrading of the upstairs restaurant area, was completed in 2005.

Train operating companies

Five train-operating companies operate trains to and from this station:

• First ScotRail / SPT – Passenger services within Scotland, and sleepers to London Euston.
• Virgin West Coast – to London Euston and Birmingham New Street.
• National Express East Coast – to Edinburgh, Newcastle and London King's Cross
• First Transpennine Express – to Manchester Piccadilly railway station and Manchester Airport railway station.
• CrossCountry – Cross-country routes via Edinburgh and East Coast Main Line.

A taxi rank is to the north of the station, while buses operate from the adjacent streets. St Enoch and Buchanan Street Subway stations are within a few minutes' walk of the station.

SPT operate a bus service to Glasgow Queen Street and the Buchanan bus station; this bus is numbered 398.

Future schemes

In order to accommodate the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, scheduled to open in 2011, an extended Platform 12 will be created by demolishing the present platform-level car park and passenger drop-off area. There are no plans to replace indoor parking or passenger drop-off within Central station. The existing multi-storey parking facility on Oswald Street and on-street parking surrounding Central station will remain, with passenger drop-off also moving to surrounding streets.

Services

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Motherwell		CrossCountry Cross Country Network		Terminus
Motherwell		Virgin Trains West Coast Main Line		Terminus
Motherwell		National Express East Coast East Coast Main Line		Terminus
Lockerbie		TransPennine Express (TransPennine North West)		Terminus
Motherwell		First ScotRail Lowland Caledonian Sleeper		Terminus
Argyle Street		First ScotRail  Argyle Line		Anderston
Paisley Gilmour Street		First ScotRail  Ayrshire Coast Line		Terminus
Cardonald		First ScotRail  Inverclyde Line		Terminus
Pollokshields East or Pollokshields West		First ScotRail  Cathcart Circle Line		Terminus
Dumbreck		First ScotRail  Paisley Canal Line		Terminus
Cambuslang		First ScotRail  Shotts Line		Terminus
Motherwell		First ScotRail North Berwick Line		Terminus
Crossmyloof		First ScotRail  Glasgow South Western Line		Terminus
Carmyle		First ScotRail  Whifflet Line		Terminus
	Historical railways
Glasgow Cross Line open; station closed		Caledonian Railway  Glasgow Central Railway		Anderston Line open; station open
Eglinton Street Line open; station closed		Caledonian Railway  Cathcart District Railway		Terminus
Eglinton Street Line open; station closed		Caledonian Railway  Polloc and Govan Railway		Terminus
Bridge Street Line open; station closed		Caledonian and Glasgow & South Western Railways  Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway		Terminus
Eglinton Street Line open; station closed		Caledonian and Glasgow & South Western Railways  Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway		Terminus

References

Sources

• Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Kernahan, Jack (1980). The Cathcart Circle. Falkirk, Stirlingshire: Scottish Railway Preservation Society. ISBN 0-9043-9601-0. OCLC 85045869.
• Cameron, Dugald (compiler) (2006). Summers, Jim (ed.). Glasgow Central: Central to Glasgow. Boat of Garten: Strathwood Ltd. ISBN 1-9052-7605-2. OCLC 80155887.
• Johnston, Colin; Hulme, John H. (1979). Glasgow Stations (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7569-5. OCLC 6091133.
• Thomas, John (1971). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Vol. VI Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders (1st ed.). Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5408-6. OCLC 16198685.
• Thomas, John; Paterson, Rev A. J. S. (1984). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Vol. VI Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders (2nd ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-9465-3712-7. OCLC 12521072.
• History of Glasgow Central station