Scottish - Springburn review 1

24/8/08 Belgrove to Springburn

Details from SPRS "Routes & Branches" Excursion  

Journey time: 8 minutes

Distance: 2½ miles  Weather: cloudy

Train type: Class 334 4-car EMU  (double track )

Railway company: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport

Frequency of trains: every half hour

Belgrove is an island platform with the basic shelters, which belie its grand past, when it was an important station on the old main line from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh via Airdrie. Soon after the station we move left and then go into the Duke Street tunnel. We then emerge straightaway into Duke Street station which has two shelters. We pass a mixture of old factories and some run down scenery. Then we come into Alexandra Parade station, which is in a cutting. It has two shelters, but some flowers on the platform help brighten up the station. Soon after we enter another tunnel, the Blochairn Tunnel, then we pass through a cutting and the line starts curving to the right. There is not much to see here apart from overgrown greenery. Then we enter a third tunnel, (the Barnhill Tunnel), as we go under the Cumbernauld line. There is a large factory on the right, with lots of high-rise buildings in distance, and then we come into Barnhill station. The line from Cumbernauld joins us on left, just before we arrive at Springburn station, which has four platforms and platforms 3 and 4 are terminus platforms for trains from Balloch. A non-electrified freight line goes on to Ashfield on right, whilst a single track on the left curves towards the main line into Queen Street from Stirling and beyond. There is a large white building on the left, which is the Network Rail signalling centre for the west of Scotland.

Summary: A busy branch line in a built up area of East Glasgow, which will doubtless remain busy for many years to come.  MC