General information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Greenock, Inverclyde Scotland | ||||
Coordinates | 55°56′50″N4°46′04″W / 55.9473°N 4.7679°W | ||||
Grid reference | NS272761 | ||||
Managed by | ScotRail | ||||
Platforms | 2 | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | GKW | ||||
Key dates | |||||
1 June 1889 | Opened | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2019/20 | 0.470 million | ||||
2020/21 | 55,108 | ||||
2021/22 | 0.218 million | ||||
2022/23 | 0.268 million | ||||
2023/24 | 0.313 million | ||||
|
Greenock West railway station is a station in Greenock,Scotland,located on the Inverclyde Line which runs from Gourock to Glasgow Central. The route is currently operated by ScotRail under the auspices of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Each service to and from Glasgow on the Inverclyde Line stops at this station.
Starting with PS Comet in 1812,Glasgow soon had Clyde steamer services on the River and Firth of Clyde. From 1841 the Caledonian Railway's Glasgow,Paisley and Greenock line offered quicker travel to its Greenock Cathcart Street terminus,about 5 minutes walk from Steamboat Quay (Custom House Quay) by a narrow squalid lane. [2] [3] The 1865 branch line to Wemyss Bay had mixed fortunes,from then the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) competed with the Caledonian for parliamentary approvals. In 1869 G&SWR services began to Albert Harbour railway station (at Princes Pier),taking away steamer trade. [4] Rival proposals were made for a line to Gourock,in June 1869 the Caledonian bought the existing Gourock harbour. [4] It later realigned its route to run beside the cemetery to the south of Greenock Royal Infirmary,to a station at the junction between Inverkip Street and Newton Street. [5]
The Caledonian Railway was granted permission in September 1882 to build the station,featuring "a very neat and substantial stone building in Renaissance style" at street level,with two "large and handsome" doorways from the booking hall onto Inverkip Street. The building also provided a stationmaster's room,a general waiting room and two first class waiting rooms;one for ladies and one for gentlemen. [6] [7]
The line and platforms are about 26 feet (7.9 m) below street level, [8] in a cutting with red sandstone masonry retaining walls. The station building has a staircase down to Platform 2 (westbound),an enclosed footbridge leads across to the stair to Platform 1 (eastbound). The building is on the corner of Newton Street,which at the point it goes across the railway cutting changes direction to align with the grid plan of the west end of Greenock. From this point,the Newton Street tunnel runs directly under the street. About 920 feet (280 m) from the West Station,the tunnel goes under the older G&SWR tunnel taking that railway line down to Princes Pier. Beneath the upper end of Newton Street,where it merges into Lyle Road,the tunnel curves round towards Fort Matilda railway station. [9]
In December 1883 both the G&SWR and the Caledonian Railway promoted competing bills to Parliament for extending their respective railways to Gourock, [10] the Caledonian's proposals were approved on 28 July 1884. [11] [12]
Construction work by the contractor,Hugh Kennedy &Son,Partick,began in 1885. Buildings next to the Cathcart Street station were demolished in 1886. Work began on 11 March 1888 on the 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long tunnel under Newton Street, [13] [14] connecting Greenock West to Drums near Fort Matilda,which employed thirty to forty men on each face,working day and night. [15] [9] The eastern section of the line was reported completed on 3 May 1889,and on 4 May a special train took Caledonian directors over the whole route to show them the progress of the work. [16] The extension officially opened on 1 June 1889, [17] [18] with the first train departing Gourock at 05:25 taking workmen to Greenock and Port Glasgow,driven by the engineer Dugald Drummond who had designed and got built the Caledonian Railway 80 Class "Coast Bogies" for the route. The first arrival at Gourock with passengers from Glasgow at 07:20 met a "warm reception". [19]
The West Burn flows down adjacent to Inverkip Road,and originally powered water mills downstream from the station site, [20] where a sugar refinery originated in 1826,and was expanded by John Walker and Co from 1848. [21] [22] The river was culverted under the G&SWR railway and Inverkip Street,then taken above the West Station platforms and railway line in an open metal trough forming an aqueduct leading to a reservoir or mill pond just to the north of the station. [8]
The railway cutting includes an area to the northeast of the station. A branch line diverged from the westbound track after the Duncan Street bridge and,passing to the north of columns supporting the Bruce Street bridge,curved round into a goods yard with sidings extending to West Shaw Street. A track continued into Walker's refinery. [20] [21]
Stormy weather followed by torrential rain on 5 August 1912 caused flooding in Greenock. From hills to its south,burns in spate contributed to a torrent down the West Burn and water running down the adjacent Inverkip Road towards Inverkip Street. [23] At Lady Alice Park on the approach to the town,the burgh corporation had put the burn in a culvert for about 400 yards (370 m),with a children's pond at its inlet,and had filled its valley to form a level playing area (bowling greens) higher than the road. Water which would have gone safely down the valley now ran down the road,increasing when the culvert inlet became blocked by debris and the pond overflowed. [24] [25]
Floods built up at the West Station. Water pressure shifted the retaining wall at Platform 2 just east of the Inverkip Street bridge,damaging the westbound line and causing collapse of the gable of an adjacent bookshop with flats on upper floors. Near the foot of Inverkip Road,floodwater found an outlet into the G&SWR tunnel,and rushed down to their sidings above Brougham Street,damaging houses near Princes Pier. [23]
Both railways sued the Corporation of Greenock,in cases which set precedent for law on culverts,and on appeal the House of Lords decided the cases in favour of the railways. [24]
Walker's sugar refinery closed in 1979. [21] The Inverkip Street bridge was of steel girder construction,as the Bruce Street bridge still is,and in a similar way was extended with cast iron column supports to go over the railway sidings. It needed renewal,and in a major project after 2000 it was replaced by a modern concrete bridge and retaining wall which blocks off access to the goods yard area. The site was redeveloped as a Homebase retail outlet and car park. After this business closed,it was replaced in 2020 by The Range retailer,incorporating an Iceland food department. [26]
The mill pond was still intact in the late 1980s,but it became overgrown and its weir has been breached,letting the river flow through. The adjacent church was demolished in 2021. [27] [28]
It is a staffed station with two platforms;the eastbound platform to Glasgow is reached via a footbridge over the tracks. The tracks are located below street level,with a tunnel to the west leading to Fort Matilda,and to the east a cutting then a tunnel takes the line to Greenock Central. The main A78 road bridge which takes Inverkip Street over the station platforms had to be rebuilt and was closed to traffic for several years with a diversion in operation.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is: [29]
Additional trains call at the station during peak hours.
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Fort Matilda | ScotRail Inverclyde Line | Greenock Central | ||
Historical railways | ||||
Fort Matilda | Caledonian Railway Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway | Greenock Central |
The Greenock Case. This law has been laid down in connection with flooding which occurred in the Burgh of Greenock on August 5, 1912 .... [G&SWR] crosses the channel of the West Burn .... the stream flowing underneath the railway in culvert. .... [Caledonian Railway] crosses under the West Burn in an open cutting about 26 ft. deep, in which Greenock West Station is situated . The stream is carried over the railway and station in an open trough .... and through a mill pond into which the trough discharges.
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire, which currently exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area. Inverclyde is located in the west central Lowlands. It borders the North Ayrshire and Renfrewshire council areas, and is otherwise surrounded by the Firth of Clyde.
Greenock is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The town is the administrative centre of Inverclyde Council. It is a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, and forms part of a contiguous urban area with Gourock to the west and Port Glasgow to the east.
Port Glasgow is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most recent census in 2011 states that the population has declined to 15,414. It is located immediately to the east of Greenock and was previously a burgh in the county of Renfrewshire.
Wemyss Bay is a village on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in Inverclyde in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the traditional county of Renfrewshire. It is adjacent to Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire. The town and villages have always been in separate counties, divided by the Kelly Burn.
The Inverclyde Line is a railway line running from Glasgow Central station through Paisley and a series of stations to the south of the River Clyde and the Firth of Clyde, terminating at Gourock and Wemyss Bay, where it connects to Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services. The line has been in operation since the 1840s between Glasgow and Greenock and was the first passenger service to follow the River Clyde to the coast. The line was electrified in 1967.
Inverkip is a village and parish in the Inverclyde council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland, 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Greenock and 8.1 miles (13 km) north of Largs on the A78 trunk road. The village takes its name from the River Kip and is served by Inverkip railway station.
Greenock Central station is one of eight railway stations serving the town of Greenock in western Scotland, and is the nearest to the town centre. This station, which is staffed, is on the Inverclyde Line, 37 km (23 mi) west of Glasgow Central towards Gourock. It has three platforms, two of which are in use, with one disused bay platform. This disused platform is still connected to the main line.
Gourock railway station is a terminus of the Inverclyde Line, located at Gourock pierhead, Scotland. It was originally closely integrated with an extensive clyde steamer pier as well as serving the coastal resort town. The ferry services terminal is now located at the east end of platform 1, with provision for vehicle ferries.
Port Glasgow railway station is on the Inverclyde Line, serving the town of Port Glasgow, Scotland. It is located in the town centre with the main entrance at the junction of Princes Street and John Wood Street.
Paisley Gilmour Street railway station is the largest of the four stations serving the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and acts as the town's principal railway station and also serves Glasgow Airport with easy walking and cycling access as well as a bus service from the station to the terminal. The station is managed by ScotRail and serves the Ayrshire Coast Line and Inverclyde Line, 7+1⁄4 miles (11.7 km) west of Glasgow Central. The station is protected as a category B listed building.
Inverkip railway station serves the village of Inverkip, Inverclyde, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail and is on the Inverclyde Line, located 28¾ miles (46 km) west of Glasgow Central.
Wemyss Bay railway station serves the village of Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde, Scotland. The station is a terminus on the Inverclyde Line, about 26 miles (42 km) west of Glasgow Central. The station incorporates the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry terminal connecting mainland Scotland to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. The station is managed by ScotRail.
The City of Glasgow Union Railway – City Union Line, also known as the Tron Line, was a railway company founded in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1864 to build a line connecting the railway systems north and south of the River Clyde, and to build a central passenger terminus and a general goods depot for the city. The through line, running from south-west to north-east across the city, opened in 1870–71, and the passenger terminal was St Enoch railway station, opened in 1876. The railway bridge across the Clyde was the first in the city.
The Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway was the section of railway line between Glasgow Bridge Street railway station and Paisley, in the west of Scotland. It was constructed and operated jointly by two competing railway companies as the stem of their lines to Greenock and Ayr respectively, and it opened in 1840. The Joint Committee, which controlled the line, built a branch to Govan and later to Cessnock Dock, and then Prince's Dock.
Bridge Street railway station, now disused, was the original Glasgow terminus of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway; jointly owned by the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (GP&G), which later merged with the Caledonian Railway, and the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&A), which became part of the Glasgow & South Western Railway.
The Greenock and Ayrshire Railway ran from Greenock, Scotland to Bridge of Weir, connecting there to the Glasgow and South Western Railway and making a through connection between Glasgow and Greenock. It closed progressively between 1959 and 1983.
The Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (GP&GR) was an early Scottish railway, opened in 1841, providing train services between Greenock and Glasgow. At the time the River Clyde was not accessible to sea-going ships, and the intention was to compete with river boats that brought goods to and from the city. In fact passenger traffic proved surprisingly buoyant, and connecting steamer services to island resorts in the Firth of Clyde provided a very great source of business.
The Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway was a railway owned by the Caledonian Railway, providing services between Greenock and Wemyss Bay.
The lands of Finnart to the west of Greenock belonged to the Earl of Douglas in medieval times. Around 1455 they were forfeited to the crown. Finnart was given to the Hamiltons, while the western part of the barony of Finnart went to Stewart of Castlemilk and became the barony of Finnart-Stewart, or Gourock.
Spango Valley is a steep sided valley to the south-west of Greenock, Scotland. It runs approximately south west to north east for around 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from the confluence of the Spango Burn and Kip Water near Dunrod Farm, to Ravenscraig at the present day Aileymill Gardens. A small stream known as the Spango Burn, runs along the valley floor. The originally meandering burn has been channelised and straightened for much of its length as it runs south west through the valley.
Media related to Greenock West railway station at Wikimedia Commons