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Written by Ewan Tait - 15 Jan 2004
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Location notes
Glasgow Central station is at the north end of the WCML and the terminus for the Ayrshire coast and Glasgow Southside commuter services. It is the busiest station in Scotland with an almost constant stream of trains arriving and departing.
Railway type and traffic
DMUs - 156s, 220s, 221s and 170s soon.
EMUs - 314s, 318s, 322s (only a few per day), 334s and 390s (only one return per day plus driver training)
Loco-hauled - 91s, East Coast HSTs occasionally, Virgin 390s, DB Schenker 90s on the Caledonian Sleeper
Glasgow Central is visited weekly by the Network Rail NMT (the Yellow HST), plus there are occasional workings such as driver training and the OHLE test train. Keep an eye on scot-rail to see if any thing interesting is happening.
Link to Real Time Trains
RTT Link Glasgow Central
This link should be close to the location, but may not be the actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.
Environment
A major station, fully staffed so usually very safe. There is a British Transport Police office on site.
Road directions
From M8 eastbound:
Come off M8 at Junction 21 (signposted East Kilbride). The motorway ends at a junction with the A8 Paisley Road. Turn right along Paisley Road and continue for 600m until you come to the junction with Commerce Street. Turn left and cross over the Clyde. Straight over the next two junctions along Oswald Street and then Hope Street. Once onto Hope Street, you'll find off-street parking on the right hand side (certainly short stay and probably long stay).

From M8 westbound:
Come off the M8 at junction 20 after crossing the Kingston Bridge. This should bring you onto West Street which you continue along north to Paisley Road. Turn right onto Paisley Road, along Paisley Road until you reach the junction with Commerce Street; turn left onto Commerce Street and cross the Clyde. Continue over the next junction onto Oswald Street, then over the next onto Hope Street. Glasgow Central's off street parking is on the right hand side.

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Glasgow Central map co-ordinates
Parking
There is a short stay car park in the station and long stay car parks close by.
Public transport
A large number of trains from all over the Glasgow area and the UK.

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Amenities
Glasgow, being a former European city of Culture has plenty of places to eat both in the station and close by outside.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Glasgow Central

Googly map
Streetmap links
Glasgow Central general view map
Glasgow Central close up map

Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Glasgow Central



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Railway Gen Group
scot-rail.co.uk
Photographic notes
Glasgow Central has a huge number of vantage points but you need to watch the sun though as the station runs north-south with the trains arriving and departing from the south end of the station.
One of the best locations is platform 11a which is situated right out over the Clyde and allows you to watch all the comings and goings.
Platform 2 and 10 give some nice vantage points from about halfway up their length of trains approaching the shorter platforms in between - the station is fitted with TPWS so arriving trains will be moving slowly.
Links to photographs at this location

Ewan's Photos - Glasgow Central
Rail Net - UK Tour 2003 - Glasgow


General views - All photographs © Ewan Tait unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking south


Fig 1 - Looking south

From platform 1 - 2.

Fig 2 - Looking north


Fig 2 - Looking north

Reverse angle of fig 1

Fig 3 - Looking north


Fig 3 - Looking north

From platfrom 11a

Fig 4 - Looking south


Fig 4 - Looking south

Same position as fig 3, reverse angle.

Fig 5 - Looking north



Fig 5 - Looking north

From platform 9

Fig 6 - Within the station



Fig 6 - Within the station


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