Leith Central railway station
Encyclopedia
Leith Central Railway Station was a railway station in Leith
, Scotland. It formed the terminus of a North British Railway
branch line from Edinburgh Waverley
. The station was built on a large scale, including a trainshed over the platforms.
Following the amalgamation of the City of Edinburgh and the Burgh of Leith in 1920, the two formerly separate tram
systems were joined (including the conversion of Edinburgh's system from cable haulage to electricity). The improved services provided intense competition with the railway, affecting the viability of Leith Central station.
Until 1952 Leith Central had a regular passenger service to Edinburgh, a journey of just over a mile.
on the western side; Easter Road
on the east and Duke Street to the north. The four platforms were positioned around fifteen feet above street level, with the buffer stops being at the western end. On this, the Leith Walk side, the station was entered by doors on the corner of Duke Street, leading to stairs up to the ticket office, waiting rooms and other passenger facilities, which were situated at platform level, one storey above the street.
Below these consisted of series of retail premises on the Leith Walk and Duke Street sides of the Foot of the Walk, most notably the Central Bar, which still exists.
At the eastern side, the station was still as high above street level, however, the four platforms and many sidings contained within the station narrow to cross Easter Road on a four-track bridge. Before crossing Easter Road, the train sheds finished just before the platform ends, around 100 yards (91.4 m) from Easter Road. Between the glass panelled gable end of the train shed and the Easter Road bridge was located Leith Central signal box, controlling the approach to the station, most notably the three scissors crossings at the station mouth.
Also provided at the Easter Road end of the station was an additional entrance. From almost underneath the Easter Road bridge, access was gained to the platforms by way of two stairways, meaning passengers did not have to make the long trip from the bottom of Easter Road to the foot of Leith Walk to catch their train.
The station is of similar scale to the Caledonian Railway
's Princes Street railway station. It is generally believed that it was the threat of this railway company's ambitious plans to complete a circular route of North Edinburgh by building an extension to its existing Newhaven branch via Leith and an extensive tunnel under Calton Hill and under George Street back to Princes Street Station which led to the construction of Leith Central. The size of the completed station was therefore a symbol of the might of the North British, and an indication to the Caledonian of its dominance in Leith.
(MPD) for the new Swindon-built Inter City diesel multiple unit train sets used on express services (from 1956) between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street
. These trainsets are often mistakenly referred to as Class 126 units but the individual vehicles being numbered in the 79xxx series means that they never received a BR TOPS designation. The Class 126 vehicles were actually the later 51xxx/59xxx/51xxx series 3-car trainsets built by Swindon Works for Stranraer and Ayrshire services from Glasgow St Enoch ( later Glasgow Central ). By the beginning of the 1970s the Inter City units were becoming unreliable and in May 1971 they were replaced by trains consisting of 6 coaches worked in top 'n tail mode by a pair of Class 27
locomotives. This change rendered Leith Central redundant as a depot. It was finally closed completely in 1972 and became derelict.
In the 1980s the derelict station was a haven for drug addicts, this being alluded to in Trainspotting
by Irvine Welsh
. In one scene, the character Begbie sees his alcoholic father living in the station. The macabre joke is that the people who are there are all train-spotting, despite the fact of it being abandoned since the early 1970s. This is where the title of the book comes from. The large trainshed was subsequently demolished and all that remains is the terminal building and clock tower.
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Scotland. It formed the terminus of a North British Railway
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
branch line from Edinburgh Waverley
Edinburgh Waverley railway station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being...
. The station was built on a large scale, including a trainshed over the platforms.
Following the amalgamation of the City of Edinburgh and the Burgh of Leith in 1920, the two formerly separate tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
systems were joined (including the conversion of Edinburgh's system from cable haulage to electricity). The improved services provided intense competition with the railway, affecting the viability of Leith Central station.
Until 1952 Leith Central had a regular passenger service to Edinburgh, a journey of just over a mile.
Description of original station
The most striking feature of Leith Central Station was its size. The station occupied a whole town block at the foot of Leith Walk, being bounded by Leith WalkLeith Walk
Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stretches from The Foot Of Leith Walk at the junction of Great Junction Street and Constitution Street to the junction with London Road, it then links to the east end of Princes Street via Leith Street...
on the western side; Easter Road
Easter Road, Edinburgh
Easter Road is a main road in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It links Leith with Abbeyhill. It is so called as it was originally the 'Easter Road to Leith', ie the road from Edinburgh to Leith which was furthest East. There is no connection to Easter the Christian festival...
on the east and Duke Street to the north. The four platforms were positioned around fifteen feet above street level, with the buffer stops being at the western end. On this, the Leith Walk side, the station was entered by doors on the corner of Duke Street, leading to stairs up to the ticket office, waiting rooms and other passenger facilities, which were situated at platform level, one storey above the street.
Below these consisted of series of retail premises on the Leith Walk and Duke Street sides of the Foot of the Walk, most notably the Central Bar, which still exists.
At the eastern side, the station was still as high above street level, however, the four platforms and many sidings contained within the station narrow to cross Easter Road on a four-track bridge. Before crossing Easter Road, the train sheds finished just before the platform ends, around 100 yards (91.4 m) from Easter Road. Between the glass panelled gable end of the train shed and the Easter Road bridge was located Leith Central signal box, controlling the approach to the station, most notably the three scissors crossings at the station mouth.
Also provided at the Easter Road end of the station was an additional entrance. From almost underneath the Easter Road bridge, access was gained to the platforms by way of two stairways, meaning passengers did not have to make the long trip from the bottom of Easter Road to the foot of Leith Walk to catch their train.
The station is of similar scale to 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...
's Princes Street railway station. It is generally believed that it was the threat of this railway company's ambitious plans to complete a circular route of North Edinburgh by building an extension to its existing Newhaven branch via Leith and an extensive tunnel under Calton Hill and under George Street back to Princes Street Station which led to the construction of Leith Central. The size of the completed station was therefore a symbol of the might of the North British, and an indication to the Caledonian of its dominance in Leith.
Reuse as a DMU depot
Following closure to passengers, the station was adapted to become a motive power depotMotive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
(MPD) for the new Swindon-built Inter City diesel multiple unit train sets used on express services (from 1956) between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street
Glasgow Queen Street railway station
Glasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini and the third-busiest station in Scotland. It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to...
. These trainsets are often mistakenly referred to as Class 126 units but the individual vehicles being numbered in the 79xxx series means that they never received a BR TOPS designation. The Class 126 vehicles were actually the later 51xxx/59xxx/51xxx series 3-car trainsets built by Swindon Works for Stranraer and Ayrshire services from Glasgow St Enoch ( later Glasgow Central ). By the beginning of the 1970s the Inter City units were becoming unreliable and in May 1971 they were replaced by trains consisting of 6 coaches worked in top 'n tail mode by a pair of Class 27
British Rail Class 27
British Rail's Class 27 comprised 69 diesel locomotives built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company during 1961 and 1962. They were a development of the earlier Class 26; both were originally classified as the BRCW Type 2.- Usage :...
locomotives. This change rendered Leith Central redundant as a depot. It was finally closed completely in 1972 and became derelict.
In the 1980s the derelict station was a haven for drug addicts, this being alluded to in Trainspotting
Trainspotting (novel)
Trainspotting is the first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. It is written in the form of short chapters narrated in the first person by various residents of Leith, Edinburgh, who either use heroin, are friends of the core group of heroin users, or engage in destructive activities that are...
by Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
. In one scene, the character Begbie sees his alcoholic father living in the station. The macabre joke is that the people who are there are all train-spotting, despite the fact of it being abandoned since the early 1970s. This is where the title of the book comes from. The large trainshed was subsequently demolished and all that remains is the terminal building and clock tower.