Argyle Street railway station
Encyclopedia
Argyle Street railway station is a busy station in central Glasgow, Scotland, on the Argyle Line
, which connects the North Clyde lines at Partick with Rutherglen in the south-east of the city. The station is located below the thoroughfare whose name it bears. It has a narrow and often crowded island platform
. It serves the Argyle Street
shopping precinct as well as the St Enoch Centre
.
was formed in 1888 to link the Clydesdale Junction Railway
and Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway
with the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway
. By the time it was opened between 1894 and 1897, the GCR had been taken over by the Caledonian Railway
. Although there were three stations under Argyle Street - , and , there was no station on the site of the current station.
The line closed in 1964, but it was re-opened in 1979 and operated by the Scottish Region of British Railways
by arrangement with the Greater Glasgow PTE
. Although the Central Low Level station was re-opened, Glasgow Cross was not re-opened; instead the new Argyle Street station was constructed, midway between Glasgow Cross and Glasgow Central.
Lift access was not considered on the grounds of expense and the physical limits of the platform space.
During the 2006/7 escalator renewal work the only passenger access to the lower level (under platform) of the station was via the steep emergency exit steps.
Ticket barriers came into operation on 17 June 2011.
via are also available.
Services on Sundays are -Motherwell and Milngavie-Motherwell or Lanark. These are limited services that stop only during station opening hours, which are between 10am and 6pm on Sundays.
, , , , , , , and . During peak hours, services to Coatbridge
and are also available.
Services on Sundays are -Motherwell, -Motherwell or Lanark, and Partick-Larkhall. These are limited services that stop only during station opening hours, which are between 10am and 6pm on Sundays.
Argyle Line
The Argyle Line is a suburban railway located in West Central Scotland. It connects the Lanarkshire towns of Lanark, Larkhall and Motherwell to West Dunbartonshire via central Glasgow using sub-surface running...
, which connects the North Clyde lines at Partick with Rutherglen in the south-east of the city. The station is located below the thoroughfare whose name it bears. It has a narrow and often crowded island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
. It serves the Argyle Street
Argyle Street, Glasgow
Argyle Street is a major thoroughfare in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland.With Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street, Argyle Street forms the main shopping artery in the city centre...
shopping precinct as well as the St Enoch Centre
St Enoch Centre
The St. Enoch Centre is a shopping mall located in the central area of Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The Architects were the GMW Architects. The construction, undertaken by Sir Robert McAlpine, began in 1986, and the building was opened to the public in May 1989...
.
History
The Glasgow Central RailwayGlasgow Central Railway
The Glasgow Central Railway was a railway that ran from Maryhill in the north west of Glasgow through the West End and City Centre to Rutherglen and Newton to the south east of the city.- Early days :...
was formed in 1888 to link the Clydesdale Junction Railway
Clydesdale Junction Railway
The Clydesdale Junction Railway was a railway company in Scotland that was formed to run trains between Rutherglen and Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.- History :It received its Royal Assent on 31 July 1845....
and Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway
Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway
The Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway was a railway company in Scotland built in the late 19th century that provided services between Ardrossan and Glasgow, with branches to Irvine and Kilbirnie. The line was operated by the Caledonian Railway with an aim to compete with the Glasgow and South...
with the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway
Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway
- Early days :The Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway was authorised in 1891, and opened in stages between 26 November 1894 and 1 October 1896.On 16 August 1909 the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway was absorbed into the Caledonian Railway...
. By the time it was opened between 1894 and 1897, the GCR had been taken over by the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
. Although there were three stations under Argyle Street - , and , there was no station on the site of the current station.
The line closed in 1964, but it was re-opened in 1979 and operated by the Scottish Region of British Railways
Scottish Region of British Railways
The Scottish Region was one of the six regions created on British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway and ex-London and North Eastern Railway lines in Scotland...
by arrangement with the Greater Glasgow PTE
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is a public body which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating regional transport, and especially the public transport system, in the Strathclyde area of western Scotland...
. Although the Central Low Level station was re-opened, Glasgow Cross was not re-opened; instead the new Argyle Street station was constructed, midway between Glasgow Cross and Glasgow Central.
Station access
When the 1979 re-opening took place, a simple island platform was required, but footings of adjacent buildings and other physical constraints limited the available tunnel width for the new station. Moreover, the roadway above had not yet been pedestrianised, and street access and station building construction was not acceptable within the road limits. Accordingly, station building premises were constructed within the ordinary building line on the south side of the street; access to the platforms is via Argyle Street and Osborne Street into the ticket hall, then down an escalator into the station lower level, below track level. A passageway then leads under the westbound track and a second escalator leads up to the island platform which is located directly under Argyle street.Lift access was not considered on the grounds of expense and the physical limits of the platform space.
During the 2006/7 escalator renewal work the only passenger access to the lower level (under platform) of the station was via the steep emergency exit steps.
Ticket barriers came into operation on 17 June 2011.
Disabled access
This station does not have any disabled access due to the narrowness of the island platform; this is the source of many complaints. Installation of lift access would require platform widening, which would in turn require widening of the tunnel, requiring massive alteration to the buildings adjacent.From 1979
Mondays to Saturdays- 3 per hour - Dalmuir to Hamilton Circle (clockwise)
- 3 per hour - Dalmuir to Hamilton Circle (anti-clockwise)
- 1 per hour Limited Stop - Milngavie to Lanark
2006
On Monday to Saturdays, trains leave approximately once every ten minutes, destined for , , , , , , , and . During peak hours, express services to , continuting to CoatbridgeCoatbridge Central railway station
Coatbridge Central railway station is located in the town of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the Motherwell to Cumbernauld Line. Train services are provided by First ScotRail.-Architecture and history:...
via are also available.
Services on Sundays are -Motherwell and Milngavie-Motherwell or Lanark. These are limited services that stop only during station opening hours, which are between 10am and 6pm on Sundays.
From 2007
On Monday to Saturdays, trains leave approximately every ten minutes, destined for DalmuirDalmuir railway station
Dalmuir railway station is a railway station serving the Dalmuir area of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is a large, five platform interchange between the Argyle Line, North Clyde Line and West Highland Line....
, , , , , , , and . During peak hours, services to Coatbridge
Coatbridge Central railway station
Coatbridge Central railway station is located in the town of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the Motherwell to Cumbernauld Line. Train services are provided by First ScotRail.-Architecture and history:...
and are also available.
Services on Sundays are -Motherwell, -Motherwell or Lanark, and Partick-Larkhall. These are limited services that stop only during station opening hours, which are between 10am and 6pm on Sundays.