The Caledonian Railway's Eglinton Street Station was developed around the time when Glasgow Central Station opened in 1879. It first appears in the Glasgow Post Office Directory for the years 1881/ 1882, with the address of 580 Eglinton Street.
Southside Station at Gushetfaulds, Gorbals, was the previous terminus for the Caledonian Railway’s Lanarkshire services through Rutherglen and Polmadie. It closed in 1879, when the routes were diverted to Glasgow Central Station on the newly laid track which passed through Eglinton Street Station.
In 1900 the Glasgow and South Western Railway opened a completely different station, also called Eglinton Street, serving the lines into St Enoch Station. This station’s name was changed to Cumberland Street in 1924 to avoid confusion with the Caledonian Railway's station situated further south, nearer Eglinton Toll.
The map below was surveyed in the early 1890's and shows the entrance to the Caledonian Railway's Eglinton Street Station from Wellcroft Street.
The waiting rooms and ancilliary buildings to the right of the entrance stairs, closest to Eglinton Street, were later replaced with additional track heading for Lanarkshire and the South through a new tunnel under Eglinton Street.
An aerial view from the south shows the situation as at today.
The twin stair towers are still in place beside the car showroom which now occupies the site of Wellcroft Street. The later track can be seen entering the additional tunnel to the right of the original.
The track furthest to the left is used for local services heading towards Muirhouse Junction in Pollokshields.
An aerial view from the north shows the second tunnel, to the left of the stair towers and the remains of the station buildings and platforms.
The additional track passing the site of the station platforms, before entering the second tunnel under Eglinton Street.
Red brick wall showing site of access to platforms from Eglinton Street, prior to closure of station in 1965.
There was an enclosed timber and glass footbridge at this entrance, with staircases leading to the station platforms.
View of remains of Eglinton Street Station from the west.
A Virgin train, en route to London, passing through the site of platforms at Eglinton Street Station and into the original tunnel under Eglinton Street between the stair towers.
The site of main line platforms at Eglinton Street Station.
The track followed by local services towards Pollokshields is situated behind the brick wall towards the top of the picture.
Remains of platform at Eglinton Street Station.
Looking back from Eglinton Street Junction towards the city centre.
The deisel train approaching is heading towards Muirhouse Junction, Pollokshields, and then on to Strathbungo Junction, where it will split from the south side electric suburban services.
There was a fatal collision between two trains at Eglinton Street Station in March 1883, shortly after the station had opened.
The extract below is from The People's History of Glasgow, published in 1899.
The original platforms and waiting rooms for local routes were situated the the west of the station entrance at Wellcroft Street.
View from Eglinton Street of the twin stair towers which stood at the station entrance at Wellcroft Street.
Blocked up entrance to stair tower, viewed from the garage at the rear.
A map of the lower part of Eglinton Street in the late 1850's, before the construction of Eglinton Street Station.
Govan Poorhouse and the Wellcroft Bowling Greens and Curling Pond had to be removed to make way for the new railway and station buildings.
Wellcroft Bowling Club moved to their present site at Queens Park in 1876, 3 years before the completion of the first phase of Central Station.
The club was adjacent to the Caledonian Railway lines from Lanarkshire to the harbourside and Shields Junction.
An aerial view of the area south of the former Eglinton Street Station, showing where the trains using the West Coast Main line emerge from the tunnels.
A third tunnel, at the bottom of the picture, connects trains from Lanarkshire and the south with Shields Junction.
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All original artwork, photography and text ©Gerald Blaikie 2002-2010 Contact: admin@scotcities.com
Unauthorised reproduction of any image on this website is not permitted.
