Springburn Virtual Museum

Railway industry

Sunday School outing preparing to depart from Springburn Station, early 1960s

The Glasgow and South Western Railway Company wanted a share of the lucrative traffic in the north of the city and proposed to build a new line from Maryhill striking northwards to Drymen and Loch Lomond, utilising the existing North British Railway line from Glasgow to Maryhill. However, this plan was fiercely opposed by the North British Locomotive Company.

Eventually, the City of Glasgow 'Union' line became a shared concern of both companies, with trains running to and from St Enoch in central Glasgow. Springburn Station was built from 1885-87 on this line, between James Reid's Hyde Park works and Walter Neilson's new Clyde (later Atlas) works.

Of the four platforms, two were bays and two were for through lines. Wooden shelters were built on all platforms. The last surviving shelter was burned down by vandals in 1974. A sandstone building to house the booking office was erected on Springburn Road, with cast iron stairs leading down to the platforms. There was even a garden, which won a prize in a British Rail competition in 1976.

Source: Glasgow City Archives