Springburn railway station

Springburn
Scottish Gaelic: Allt an Fhuarain
Location
Place	Springburn
Local authority	Glasgow
Coordinates	55°52′54″N 4°13′47″W / 55.8816°N 4.2296°W / 55.8816; -4.2296Coordinates: 55°52′54″N 4°13′47″W / 55.8816°N 4.2296°W / 55.8816; -4.2296
Grid reference	NS606676
Operations
Station code	SPR
Managed by	First ScotRail
Number of platforms	4
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2002/03	0.143 million
2004/05	0.203 million
2005/06	0.231 million
2006/07	0.235 million
2007/08	0.235 million
2008/09	0.279 million
2009/10	0.308 million
2010/11	0.320 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	SPT
History
1887	Opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Springburn from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Springburn Railway Station serves the Springburn district of Glasgow, Scotland. The station is 1¼ miles (2 km) north of Glasgow Queen Street (High level) station on the Cumbernauld Line and is a terminus of the Springburn branch, a spur from Bellgrove station, on the North Clyde Line.

The station was first built by the City of Glasgow Union Railway, whose branch line from Bellgrove opened to goods traffic in 1875. However it wasn't until 1887 that the station was opened and passenger traffic began operating.^[1] Initially built as a terminus, two through platforms were added shortly afterwards by the company when they gained running powers over the Sighthill Branch of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, which ran alongside the CGUR at this location. The link into this line gave the company access to both the E&G main line at Cowlairs and also the former Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, which had now become the main Caledonian Railway route from Glasgow Buchanan Street to NE Scotland via Cumbernauld and Stirling. Several different passenger routes operated from the station, including workers trains to Singer on the Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway and a circular service that also used the Stobcross Railway and the GD&HR. The CGUR was absorbed jointly by the North British and Glasgow and South Western Railway in 1896, with the former company taking over the Bellgrove to Springburn branch.^[1]

The line from Bellgrove was electrified in November 1960 as part of the North Clyde scheme, but regular services northward to Cowlairs ended in 1963, when the workers trains to Singer were withdrawn. However three years later, trains from Cumbernauld were re-routed here with the closure of the Buchanan Street terminus to passenger traffic.^[2] Passengers had to change onto the North Clyde Line at Springburn to reach the city, as there was no direct route to Queen Street main line station - trains had to reverse at Cowlairs, as the junction there faced north. Normal practice therefore was to operate a Cumbernauld to Springburn shuttle service which connected with the North Clyde line trains. Through running eventually commenced in 1989, albeit with a reversal in a loop alongside the carriage sidings & depot at Eastfield to begin with.

Cumbernauld Line trains are now able to run directly to Queen Street High Level via the Cowlairs Chord - a single track south to east curve which was opened in 1993 by British Rail. Though currently diesel operated, the line is in the process off being electrified as part of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme.^[3]

Springburn station has kept its four platforms, with two used by through trains and the others by terminating services from Bellgrove and points west. Two through goods lines used to run past the station to the west; these formed the original E&G Sighthill branch. They were latterly used to access the goods yard at Sighthill prior to its closure in October 1981, as well as to access St. Rollox railway works but they have since been lifted.^[4]

The station building was designed by James Carsewell - it is now protected as a category B listed building.^[5]

Services

2006/07

On the Cumbernauld Line Mondays to Saturdays there is a half-hourly service from Springburn to Glasgow Queen Street southbound and to Cumbernauld northbound (hourly to Falkirk Grahamston). On Sundays there is an hourly service in each direction.

On the North Clyde Line Mondays to Saturdays there is a half-hourly service to Glasgow Queen Street (Low Level) and beyond to Dalmuir and Balloch. There is no service on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

2013/14

A half-hourly service remains in operation on the Cumberlauld Line (with hourly extensions to Falkirk Grahamston) and the North Clyde line. Services on the latter run to Dalmiur via Yoker during the daytime and Balloch via Singer in the evenings. On Sundays there is an hourly service to Cumbernauld only - no trains to Falkirk or on the North Clyde Line. Ongoing electrification work sees some evening services replaced by buses until the end of February 2014.^[6]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Terminus		First ScotRail North Clyde Line		Barnhill
Glasgow Queen Street		First ScotRail Cumbernauld Line		Stepps
	Historical railways
End on connection with E&GR		City of Glasgow Union Railway G&SWR and NBR		Barnhill
Bishopbriggs		Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway North British Railway		End on connection with CofGUR

Notes

External Links

• Railscot - Photographs of Springburn
• The Rise and Demise of Springburn's Railways

Sources

• Butt, R. V. J. (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 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199. 
• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137.