Partick station

The Beeching Axe of the 1960s closed Partick West and Partick Central, both on the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway link to the Stobcross Railway and Glasgow Central Railway, leaving just the two stations in Partick, with Partickhill station - which escaped closure owing to being on the newly electrified (1960) North Clyde line from Queen Street Low Level, served by the 'Blue Trains', with a major pre-electrification refurbishment in 1958. It stood a few hundred yards north of Merkland Street. The amalgamation of the two stations to a single site came in 1979, as a major refurbishment of the Glasgow Subway coincided with the Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive's decision to reopen part of the Glasgow Central Railway, which had been axed by Beeching, as the Argyle Line and connecting it to the North Clyde system just east of Partick. Both stations were closed (Merkland Street had been since the Subway works began in May 1977, whilst Partickhill remained in service for several months after the Argyle Line opened, until replaced by the current Partick station) and replaced by British Rail with a new combined Partick station in the middle. The platforms at Partickhill are still visible from the North Clyde/Argyle Line, although access to Dumbarton Road is now blocked. The Merkland Street station buildings are no longer visible.

The station is one of the primary stations on the Argyle Line and North Clyde Line of the Glasgow suburban rail network. These lines primarily provide services to the east and west although the station itself is orientated north–south with two platforms. Statistically, it is the tenth busiest railway station in Scotland[8] and the fifth busiest passenger interchange when subway and bus journeys from the site are included.

There were 15 trains per hour at opening of the Argyle Line in November 1979.

• 2 tph Motherwell to Dalmuir, via Bellshill and Yoker
• 1 tph Motherwell to Dumbarton Central, via Bellshill and Yoker
• 2 tph Motherwell to Dalmuir, via Hamilton Central and Singer
• 1 tph Motherwell to Dumbarton Central, via Hamilton Central and Singer
• 1 tph Lanark to Milngavie, limited stop via Motherwell
• 2 tph Springburn to Milngavie
• 2 tph Airdrie to Helensburgh, limited stop
• 2 tph Airdrie to Balloch via Singer
• 2 tph High Street to Yoker

There are a total of 14 trains per hour, off-peak, in each direction.

• 2 tph Airdrie to Balloch, via Singer
• 2 tph Springburn to Dalmuir, via Yoker
• 2 tph Edinburgh Waverley to Milngavie (limited stop)
• 2 tph Edinburgh Waverley to Helensburgh Central (limited stop)
• 2 tph Larkhall to Dalmuir, via Singer (limited stop)
• 1 tph Lanark to Dalmuir, via Bellshill and Yoker
• 1 tph Motherwell to Dalmuir, via Bellshill and Yoker
• 1 tph Motherwell to Milngavie, via Hamilton Central
• 1 tph Lanark to Milngavie, via Hamilton Central

The basic frequency still remains 14tph each way, but following a major timetable recast in December 2014 some routes have been changed. The main alteration has been the incorporation of the Whifflet Line into the Argyle Line timetable and the consequent removal of trains to Lanark via Belshill (passengers for those stations now have to change at Cambuslang or Glasgow Central, as they run to/from Central High Level). Springburn line services have now also been extended to Cumbernauld eastbound and Dumbarton Central westbound on weekdays, with an hourly service to Cumbernauld via Springburn starting/terminating here on Sundays.[9]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Exhibition Centre		ScotRail Argyle Line		Hyndland
Charing Cross		ScotRail North Clyde Line

• 2011/2012: 1.032 million annually[19]

Inside the eastbound waiting room

Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority began planning an extensive modernisation of the Partick station site – which had remained largely unchanged since its opening in 1979 – as early as 1998. Work began in late 2005 and was originally scheduled for completion in January 2007. However, delays to the project resulted in this date being put back on a number of occasions. The demolition and construction work was carried out while the site remained open to avoid any disruption in rail and underground services, arguably one of the most ambitious attributes of the project.[22]

The total cost of the project was estimated to be around £12.3 million with professional fees and third-party costs accounting for £2.6 million of this. However, due to delays in the progression of the works and unforeseen difficulties – such as ground conditions on the land the station occupies, only discovered after the commencement of work – the company in charge of the development, C Spencer Construction, made a claim for a further £6.3 million.[23]

In early 2009, the project finally reached its conclusion and on 31 March, the new station was officially opened to the public. The work done includes the construction of a completely new and modern station building which incorporates a brand new ticket office (which has been in use since 2008). The station concourse has been completely renovated and new signs have been posted similar to those seen in Glasgow Central and Queen Street stations. Both railway platforms have been refurbished and now have their own indoor waiting rooms. Lifts linking the concourse to the National Rail platforms were installed.[24]

The Subway platforms were renovated between summer 2012 and spring 2013 at a cost of £1.2 million. All floor, wall, and ceiling finishes were replaced with new contemporary designs. Improved lighting, signage, and facilities for disabled people were introduced.[25]

Lifts linking the concourse to the Subway platforms were to be installed as part of this project because the necessary land is not owned by SPT. The future provision of lifts has, however, been safeguarded.[26]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Partick railway station.

• Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
• Location of Partick station on navigable OS map