Buchanan Street railway station
Buchanan Street station is a former railway station in Glasgow. Less well known than the city's other terminus stations – Central, Queen Street and St Enoch – it was situated to the north-west of Queen Street station and served the north of Scotland.
Buchanan Street | |
|---|---|
The station in 1961 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Glasgow, Lanarkshire Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°51′59″N 4°15′10″W / 55.8665°N 4.2527°W |
| Grid reference | NS590660 |
| Platforms | 6 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| History | |
| Original company | Caledonian Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Caledonian Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1 November 1849 | Opened as terminal station[1] |
| 7 November 1966 | Closed[1] |
History edit
Constructed in 1849 by the Caledonian Railway Company as its main terminus for the city, the original station buildings consisted of supposedly temporary wooden structures, which lasted until the 1930s. A goods station at the site opened in 1850. Services ran primarily northbound, to Aberdeen, Perth and Stirling and other destinations.
The station was earmarked for closure and replacement in the "Bruce Report", which made proposals for the redevelopment of Glasgow after the Second World War. The plan included replacing Buchanan Street and Queen Street stations with a Glasgow North station on land including the site of Buchanan Street, but many times larger. There was also a similar scheme to replace Central and St Enoch stations with a Glasgow South station, but neither came to fruition.
This reprieve proved to be temporary, as the station was closed in 1966 as part of the rationalisation of the railway system devised by Richard Beeching, with most of its services running to Queen Street. The buildings were demolished in 1967. The 430 yd (390 m) Buchanan Street tunnel that ran from just outside the station to Sighthill still exists, but public access is prohibited.
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Caledonian Railway Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway | St Rollox Line and station closed |
Site edit
In 1975, British Rail constructed Buchanan House (later named ScotRail House between January 1985 and April 1994) and Glasgow Caledonian University occupy the site of the station.[clarification needed] The Station Bar, nearby, still exists.
References edit
Notes edit
Sources edit
- 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. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.