Maryhill Central railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maryhill Central
|
|
|---|---|
This is all that is visible of the southern portal of the former Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway line heading north from Maryhill Central station. Hidden behind the Gala Bingo club, the tunnel entrance has been backfilled with earth, and the arch keystone is visible behind the shrubbery. Crossing above is the Glasgow Branch of the Forth & Clyde Canal.
|
|
| Location | Maryhill, Glasgow Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°53′15″N 4°17′16″W / 55.88752°N 4.28782°W |
| Platforms | 4 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Glasgow Central Railway Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Caledonian Railway |
| Post-grouping | LMS |
| Key dates | |
| 26 November 1894 | Opened as Maryhill Barracks |
| 1 October 1895 | Renamed as Maryhill |
| 15 September 1952 | Renamed as Maryhill Central |
| 2 November 1959 | GCR services ceased |
| 5 October 1964 | Closed to passengers |
Maryhill Central was a railway station located in Maryhill, a busy area in the north-west of Glasgow, Scotland. It was an important stop for trains heading in and out of the city. The station opened in 1894 and served passengers for many years before it finally closed in the 1960s.
Contents
Station Location
Maryhill Central station was part of a busy railway network. To the west of the station, there was a special set of railway junctions shaped like a triangle. These junctions allowed trains to switch between different lines.
One line went south towards Kirklee. Another line, part of the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway, headed east. This complex setup helped trains travel efficiently across Glasgow. There was also another Maryhill station located further north.
Station History and Names
Maryhill Central station first opened its doors on 26 November 1894. Back then, it was known as Maryhill Barracks. This name likely came from nearby military barracks.
Less than a year later, on 1 October 1895, the station's name was changed to simply Maryhill. It kept this name for many years.
On 15 September 1952, the station was renamed again. This time, it became Maryhill Central, the name it would keep until its closure.
Station Closure
The station saw its first closure for some services on 2 November 1959. This affected trains on the Glasgow Central Railway route.
The station fully closed to all passengers on 5 October 1964. This closure was part of a larger plan to reduce railway lines across Britain. The railway lines in the Maryhill area also closed down on the same date.
What's There Now
Today, the land where Maryhill Central station once stood is very different. In the early 1980s, the Maryhill Shopping Centre was built on the site.
Around 2010, the shopping centre was rebuilt. It now features a large supermarket and several smaller shops. There is also plenty of car parking space.
Interestingly, when the shopping centre was built, a special space was left in its basement. This space was designed to allow the railway line to be reopened in the future. Even in the mid-1990s, reopening the line was still considered possible. A large bingo hall built nearby also left a channel for the old railway line to pass underneath.
However, in 1999, the idea of reopening the line became less likely. Land along parts of the old track was sold for new houses. Many old railway bridges in the area were also taken down for safety reasons. Despite this, when the new Tesco supermarket was built in 2010, the space for the railway line beneath it was still kept. This means there's still a small chance the railway could return one day.
Map of Maryhill Railways
