Helensburgh Upper railway station
Encyclopedia
Helensburgh Upper railway station serves the town of Helensburgh
, Scotland
, on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde
to the west of Glasgow
. It is located in a residential area uphill from the town centre and is by far the smaller of the town's two stations.
Originally built with an island platform
in a cutting, the Up platform was taken out of use in 1968 although the station building remained in use for another few years.
, 41 kilometres (25.5 mi) north west of and is served by services to and /.
The station is within a short walk of the Hill House, built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh
and now preserved by the National Trust for Scotland
. By using Helensburgh Upper station to visit the Hill House, visitors can avoid the walk uphill from Helensburgh Central railway station
. However, Helensburgh Upper has an infrequent train service compared with that available to and from Helensburgh Central.
diesel multiple unit
s. There is also a nightly sleeper service hauled by a Class 67
locomotive
. All services at this station are operated by First ScotRail
.
at Helensburgh Upper was replaced on 21 December 1941. That signal box closed on 21 July 1968, when the crossing loop was removed.
On 27 March 1988, Helensburgh Upper became the southern extremity of the Radio Electronic Token Block
signalling on the West Highland Line. A two-aspect colour light signal installed at the east end of the platform controls entry into the signal box (since superseded by Yoker IECC
) Track Circuit Block signalling area.
Helensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
to the west of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. It is located in a residential area uphill from the town centre and is by far the smaller of the town's two stations.
History
The station opened in 1894.Originally built with an 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...
in a cutting, the Up platform was taken out of use in 1968 although the station building remained in use for another few years.
Location
It is located on the West Highland LineWest Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
, 41 kilometres (25.5 mi) north west of and is served by services to and /.
The station is within a short walk of the Hill House, built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...
and now preserved by the National Trust for Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...
. By using Helensburgh Upper station to visit the Hill House, visitors can avoid the walk uphill from Helensburgh Central railway station
Helensburgh Central railway station
Helensburgh Central railway station serves the town of Helensburgh on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde, near to Glasgow, Scotland. The station is a terminus on the North Clyde Line, north west of Glasgow Queen Street railway station...
. However, Helensburgh Upper has an infrequent train service compared with that available to and from Helensburgh Central.
Services
Services at this station are provided by Class 156British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s. There is also a nightly sleeper service hauled by a Class 67
British Rail Class 67
The Class 67 locomotives are a class of Bo'Bo' diesel electric mainline locomotives which were built for the English, Welsh and Scottish Railway between 1999 to 2000 by Alstom at Meinfesa in Valencia, Spain with drive components from General Motors Diesel.Rail enthusiasts have nicknamed the class...
locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
. All services at this station are operated by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
.
Signalling
The original (1894) signal boxSignal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
at Helensburgh Upper was replaced on 21 December 1941. That signal box closed on 21 July 1968, when the crossing loop was removed.
On 27 March 1988, Helensburgh Upper became the southern extremity of the Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block is a system of railway signalling used in the United Kingdom. It is a development of the physical token system for controlling traffic on single lines.- How it works :...
signalling on the West Highland Line. A two-aspect colour light signal installed at the east end of the platform controls entry into the signal box (since superseded by Yoker IECC
Integrated Electronic control centre
The Integrated Electronic Control Centre was developed in the late 1980s by the British Rail Research Division for UK-based railway signalling centres, although variations exist around the world...
) Track Circuit Block signalling area.