Bridge Street railway station

the Glasgow subway station of the same name
Disused railway station in Scotland

Bridge Street railway station, now disused, was the original Glasgow terminus of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway; jointly owned by the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (GP&G), which later merged with the Caledonian Railway, and the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&A), which became part of the Glasgow & South Western Railway. The station opened for traffic on the GPK&A in August 1840; and for traffic on the GP&G in March 1841. It was sited in Laurieston on the south side of the River Clyde, but was close to the centre of Glasgow. Some 21,890 people used the service during Glasgow Fair week in July 1841. In 1883, St Enoch railway station became the headquarters of the Glasgow & South Western Railway, and all services were diverted to St Enoch.

The Caledonian Railway eventually built their new terminal station, Glasgow Central station, which opened in 1879 on the north side of the River Clyde. Access to Glasgow Central station was gained via a four track railway bridge, built by Sir William Arrol parallel to Glasgow Bridge. Central station initially had eight platforms. Bridge Street station was also refurbished in 1879, along with a new station further south at Two new through platforms on the east side provided access to Glasgow Central station. Bridge Street however remained the terminus, for the time being, for the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway; which had two dedicated bay platforms on the west side. Signal installation commenced in October 1907; the west side was commissioned on 5 April 1908 and the remainder on 3 May 1908. The booking hall, which fronted Bridge Street, had an elaborate Doric portico flanked by two projecting end pavilions. under the supervision of engineer, George Graham. The main block, fronting Bridge Street, was designed by James Miller in early French Renaissance style. The massive four storey and attic building was built with cream sandstone. There was an arched entrance to a central booking hall at street level and additional entrances leading directly to the platforms at each end of the building, at 40 and 52 Bridge Street. These side entrances are still in use as access to apartments following the redevelopment of the upper levels of the block for residential use in 1994. The station buildings are now protected as a category B listed building.