Partick station
Encyclopedia
Partick station is a combined railway station and underground station
in the Partick
area of Glasgow
, Scotland
. It, along with an adjacent bus station, forms one of the main transport hubs in Glasgow with regular services to many locations in Greater Glasgow
and wider Strathclyde
. The station was one of the first to receive bilingual English and Gaelic signs, because there is a significant Gaelic-speaking population in the Partick area.
's , opened in 1887 slightly to the north of the existing site on the opposite side of the Dumbarton Road. Soon after, the Glasgow Subway
opened and its Merkland Street station
, slightly to the south of the existing station site, opened in December 1896. Neither was independently known as "Partick station" as there were two other railway stations in Partick between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries: (later renamed Kelvin Hall station) to the east with and to the west.
of the 1960s closed and , both on the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway
link to the Stobcross Railway
and Glasgow Central Railway
, leaving just the two stations in Partick, with Partickhill station - which escaped closure owing to being on the newly electrified (1960) North Clyde line from Queen Street Low Level, served by the 'Blue Trains', with a major pre-electrification refurbishment in 1958. It stood a few hundred yards north of Merkland Street. The amalgamation of the two stations to a single site came in 1979, as a major refurbishment of the Glasgow Subway coincided with the Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive's decision to reopen part of the Glasgow Central Railway
, which had been axed by Beeching
, as the Argyle Line
and connecting it to the North Clyde system just east of Partick. Both stations were closed (Merkland Street had been since the Subway works began in May 1977, whilst Partickhill remained in service for several months after the Argyle Line opened, until replaced by the current Partick station) and replaced with a new combined Partick station in the middle. The platforms at Partickhill are still visible from the North Clyde/Argyle Line, although access to Dumbarton Road is now blocked. The Merkland Street station buildings are no longer visible.
The station is one of the primary stations on the Argyle Line and North Clyde Line
of the Glasgow suburban rail network. These lines primarily provide services to the east and west although the station itself is orientated north-south with two platforms. Statistically, it is the tenth busiest railway station in Scotland and the fifth busiest passenger interchange when subway and bus journeys from the site are included.
and North Clyde Line
.
Eastbound Argyle Line
trains serve and , before continuing to , , via or , as well as . Eastbound North Clyde Line
trains operate to , , eastbound, via . Westbound services operate to and via , and to .
Many journeys that interchange between the Argyle and North Clyde lines require passengers to change at Partick, as it is the closest station to central Glasgow with direct services to both and main line stations.
is a relatively large population centre of Glasgow housing around 100,000 people, a significant number of whom use the subway to commute to the city centre.
Furthermore, Partick station is an interchange for two lines on the National Rail network. People commuting from outside of Glasgow to one of the areas covered by the underground network may choose to continue their journey from Partick to allow for ease of transfer between the services and to avoid a lengthy walk between (for example) Glasgow Central
and St. Enoch.
It is one of only three with a dual side platform
layout (the others being Govan
and St Enoch
). The rest have either a single central platform covering both circles or two platforms with a track running at the same side of each. The new Partick station replaced Merkland Street, which was located to the south, after modernisation. It should not be confused with the old Partick Cross subway station which is now known as Kelvinhall
and is the station directly preceding or following Partick, depending upon the direction of travel.
It is the only station on the Subway that interchanges directly with a railway station, although Buchanan Street station
is linked to Queen Street
by a length of moving walkway. St. Enoch
once shared this distinction, before its parent St Enoch railway station
was closed and demolished in the 1960s.
Partick is one of three subway stations on the SPT Subway line to benefit from mobile telephone service nodes, the others being Buchanan Street
and Hillhead
. These nodes allow users of the O2
cellular network to use their mobile telephones while waiting on a subway train. The idea was to trial the technology at the busiest stations and, if successful, to put similar devices at each station eventually extending service across the entire network. As yet, the trial is incomplete.
began planning an extensive modernisation of the Partick station site - which had remained largely unchanged since its opening in 1979 - as early as 1998. Work began in late 2005 and was originally scheduled for completion in January 2007. However, delays to the project resulted in this date being put back on a number of occasions. The demolition and construction work was carried out while the site remained open to avoid any disruption in rail and underground services, arguably one of the most ambitious attributes of the project.
The total cost of the project was estimated to be around £12.3million with professional fees and third-party costs accounting for £2.6million of this. However due to delays in the progression of the works and unforeseen difficulties - such as ground conditions on the land the station occupies, only discovered after the commencement of work - the company in charge of the development, C Spencer Construction, made a claim for a further £6.3million.
In early 2009, the project finally reached its conclusion and on 31 March, the new station was officially opened to the public. The work done includes the construction of a completely new and modern station building which incorporates a brand new ticket office (which has been in use since 2008). The station concourse has been completely renovated and new signs have been posted similar to those seen in and Queen Street
stations. Both railway platforms have been refurbished and now have their own indoor waiting rooms. A system of lifts and escalators have been installed and updated to conform with disabled access legislation.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
in the Partick
Partick
Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:...
area 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...
, 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...
. It, along with an adjacent bus station, forms one of the main transport hubs in Glasgow with regular services to many locations in Greater Glasgow
Greater Glasgow
Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area...
and wider Strathclyde
Strathclyde
right|thumb|the former Strathclyde regionStrathclyde was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created by the Local Government Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government etc Act 1994...
. The station was one of the first to receive bilingual English and Gaelic signs, because there is a significant Gaelic-speaking population in the Partick area.
History
The first station in the area was the North British RailwayNorth 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:...
's , opened in 1887 slightly to the north of the existing site on the opposite side of the Dumbarton Road. Soon after, the Glasgow Subway
Glasgow Subway
The Glasgow Subway is an underground metro line in Glasgow, Scotland. Opened on 14 December 1896, it is the third-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground and the Budapest Metro. Formerly a cable railway, the Subway was later electrified, but its twin circular lines...
opened and its Merkland Street station
Merkland Street station
Merkland Street station was on the subway in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the only station on the system that has closed permanently. The station opened in 1896. It was located 25 metres to the south-west of Partick station, about 300 metres to the south of Partickhill railway station. It closed...
, slightly to the south of the existing station site, opened in December 1896. Neither was independently known as "Partick station" as there were two other railway stations in Partick between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries: (later renamed Kelvin Hall station) to the east with and to the west.
Argyle Line opening
The Beeching AxeBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
of the 1960s closed and , both on 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...
link to the Stobcross Railway
Stobcross Railway
Stobcross Railways is a rail line originally created to provide freight rail access to the new Queens Dock and the expanding west end of Glasgow. Upon creation of the Glasgow City and District Railway, Stobcross became a commuter line.-Sources:* ....
and Glasgow Central Railway
Glasgow 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 :...
, leaving just the two stations in Partick, with Partickhill station - which escaped closure owing to being on the newly electrified (1960) North Clyde line from Queen Street Low Level, served by the 'Blue Trains', with a major pre-electrification refurbishment in 1958. It stood a few hundred yards north of Merkland Street. The amalgamation of the two stations to a single site came in 1979, as a major refurbishment of the Glasgow Subway coincided with the Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive's decision to reopen part of the Glasgow Central Railway
Glasgow 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 :...
, which had been axed by Beeching
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, as the Argyle Line
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...
and connecting it to the North Clyde system just east of Partick. Both stations were closed (Merkland Street had been since the Subway works began in May 1977, whilst Partickhill remained in service for several months after the Argyle Line opened, until replaced by the current Partick station) and replaced with a new combined Partick station in the middle. The platforms at Partickhill are still visible from the North Clyde/Argyle Line, although access to Dumbarton Road is now blocked. The Merkland Street station buildings are no longer visible.
The station is one of the primary stations on the Argyle Line and North Clyde Line
North Clyde Line
The North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
of the Glasgow suburban rail network. These lines primarily provide services to the east and west although the station itself is orientated north-south with two platforms. Statistically, it is the tenth busiest railway station in Scotland and the fifth busiest passenger interchange when subway and bus journeys from the site are included.
Services
Partick station is on a busy section of the Strathclyde rail network, served by all services on the Argyle LineArgyle 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...
and North Clyde Line
North Clyde Line
The North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
.
Eastbound Argyle Line
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...
trains serve and , before continuing to , , via or , as well as . Eastbound North Clyde Line
North Clyde Line
The North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
trains operate to , , eastbound, via . Westbound services operate to and via , and to .
Many journeys that interchange between the Argyle and North Clyde lines require passengers to change at Partick, as it is the closest station to central Glasgow with direct services to both and main line stations.
November 1979 (from opening of Argyle Line)
There were 15 trains per hour at opening of the Argyle Line in November 1979.- 2 tph to , via and
- 1 tph to , via and
- 2 tph to , via and
- 1 tph to , via and
- 1 tph to , limted stop via
- 2 tph to
- 2 tph to , limited stop
- 2 tph to via
- 2 tph High StreetHigh Street (Glasgow) railway stationHigh Street Railway Station is a railway station which serves High Street in Glasgow, Scotland and the surrounding area. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is served by trains on the North Clyde Line.-History:...
to
2010/11 (From 12 December 2010)
There are a total of 14 trains per hour, off-peak, in each direction.- 2 tph to , via
- 2 tph to , via
- 2 tph High StreetHigh Street (Glasgow) railway stationHigh Street Railway Station is a railway station which serves High Street in Glasgow, Scotland and the surrounding area. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is served by trains on the North Clyde Line.-History:...
to - 2 tph to (limited stop)
- 2 tph to , via Singer (limited stop)
- 1 tph to , via and
- 1 tph to , via and
- 1 tph to , via
- 1 tph to , via
Subway station
Partick subway station is one of the largest stations on the Glasgow Subway network, and has around 1.01 million boardings per year.http://www.spt.co.uk/publications/stats2005/s&t2005.pdf This is due in part to its situation within the city and also the National Rail network. PartickPartick
Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:...
is a relatively large population centre of Glasgow housing around 100,000 people, a significant number of whom use the subway to commute to the city centre.
Furthermore, Partick station is an interchange for two lines on the National Rail network. People commuting from outside of Glasgow to one of the areas covered by the underground network may choose to continue their journey from Partick to allow for ease of transfer between the services and to avoid a lengthy walk between (for example) Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central station
Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line railway terminals in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The station was opened by the Caledonian Railway on 31 July 1879 and is currently managed by Network Rail...
and St. Enoch.
It is one of only three with a dual side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
layout (the others being Govan
Govan subway station
Govan subway station is a station serving the area of Govan in Glasgow, Scotland. It is located on the south side of the River Clyde. Just to the south of the station is the main depot and test track for the Glasgow Subway. The station is located near the historic Govan Old Parish Church.This...
and St Enoch
St Enoch subway station
St Enoch subway station is the first station on the north of the River Clyde on the Glasgow Subway. It is located in Glasgow city centre, Scotland...
). The rest have either a single central platform covering both circles or two platforms with a track running at the same side of each. The new Partick station replaced Merkland Street, which was located to the south, after modernisation. It should not be confused with the old Partick Cross subway station which is now known as Kelvinhall
Kelvinhall subway station
Kelvinhall is an underground station on the Glasgow Subway, renamed after the nearby Kelvin Hall. It is located in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland, near to many of the city's best known tourist destinations including:...
and is the station directly preceding or following Partick, depending upon the direction of travel.
It is the only station on the Subway that interchanges directly with a railway station, although Buchanan Street station
Buchanan Street subway station
Buchanan Street subway station is a station on the Glasgow Subway in Scotland. It serves Buchanan Street, which is popular with shoppers. Close to Buchanan Bus Station and providing interchange with Glasgow Queen Street railway station via a travelator, it is the busiest station on the Subway, with...
is linked to 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...
by a length of moving walkway. St. Enoch
St Enoch subway station
St Enoch subway station is the first station on the north of the River Clyde on the Glasgow Subway. It is located in Glasgow city centre, Scotland...
once shared this distinction, before its parent St Enoch railway station
St Enoch railway station
-External links:* *...
was closed and demolished in the 1960s.
Partick is one of three subway stations on the SPT Subway line to benefit from mobile telephone service nodes, the others being Buchanan Street
Buchanan Street subway station
Buchanan Street subway station is a station on the Glasgow Subway in Scotland. It serves Buchanan Street, which is popular with shoppers. Close to Buchanan Bus Station and providing interchange with Glasgow Queen Street railway station via a travelator, it is the busiest station on the Subway, with...
and Hillhead
Hillhead subway station
Hillhead subway station is a station on the Glasgow Subway, serving the Hillhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. The entrance is located on Byres Road.This station is the nearest to Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the University of Glasgow....
. These nodes allow users of the O2
O2
O2, o2, O2, or O2 may refer to:- Companies :* O2 Global Network, an international network for sustainable design* O2TV, a Russian independent socially-political TV channel...
cellular network to use their mobile telephones while waiting on a subway train. The idea was to trial the technology at the busiest stations and, if successful, to put similar devices at each station eventually extending service across the entire network. As yet, the trial is incomplete.
2005-2009 Modernisation project
Strathclyde Passenger TransportStrathclyde 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...
began planning an extensive modernisation of the Partick station site - which had remained largely unchanged since its opening in 1979 - as early as 1998. Work began in late 2005 and was originally scheduled for completion in January 2007. However, delays to the project resulted in this date being put back on a number of occasions. The demolition and construction work was carried out while the site remained open to avoid any disruption in rail and underground services, arguably one of the most ambitious attributes of the project.
The total cost of the project was estimated to be around £12.3million with professional fees and third-party costs accounting for £2.6million of this. However due to delays in the progression of the works and unforeseen difficulties - such as ground conditions on the land the station occupies, only discovered after the commencement of work - the company in charge of the development, C Spencer Construction, made a claim for a further £6.3million.
In early 2009, the project finally reached its conclusion and on 31 March, the new station was officially opened to the public. The work done includes the construction of a completely new and modern station building which incorporates a brand new ticket office (which has been in use since 2008). The station concourse has been completely renovated and new signs have been posted similar to those seen in and 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...
stations. Both railway platforms have been refurbished and now have their own indoor waiting rooms. A system of lifts and escalators have been installed and updated to conform with disabled access legislation.