Bridge Street Junction

Location type

Junction

Name and dates

Bridge Street Junction (1879-)

Opened on the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway.

Description

This is a large junction to the south of Glasgow Central station on the south bank of the River Clyde. The junction, and crossovers to the north, allow a train from any platform to take any line.

Bridge Street Junction was formed in 1879 when the 1840 Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway was met by new Glasgow Central Station (Caledonian Railway), (the approach to Glasgow Central from West Street Junction), directly south of the Bridge Street terminus. To the north of Bridge Street a new Clyde Viaduct continued the line north to Glasgow Central. The new line connected with the easternmost platforms at the station.

There was a signal box in the 'V' of the junction. It opened in 1878.

In 1894 an additional pair of lines, serving platforms, were added on the east side of Bridge Street. These were solely served from the Larkfield Junction direction which was now quadrupled as far as Eglinton Street Junction. Bridge Street Junction box was replaced with a larger box just to the south and aligned with the Paisley line.

In 1901-5 Glasgow Central was expanded with the addition of new lines on the west side of the existing station and a new bridge over the River Clyde. Bridge Street station closed, its platforms cleared and the site used to lay out the new expanded Bridge Street Junction. Some carriage sidings were also laid.

The new bridge was approached by the former terminal platforms on the west side of the station. To reach the bridge a new connection from the Larkfield Junction approach was laid crossing and joining the Paisley lines on the level. The junction now formed a large 'IXI' shape. In addition, to the south, the line from Port Eglinton Junction to Larkfield Junction was quadrupled.

The layout remained largely unaltered until 1961 when the original Clyde Viaduct closed and the Bridge Street Junction box closed replaced by the new Glasgow Central Power Box. (The Clyde Viaduct was still accessible from the south only until 1962 around which time it was removed.)

Tags

Junction




Chronology Dates

  /  /1878Glasgow Central Station (Caledonian Railway)
Eglinton Street Shed, a four road brick locomotive shed with 42ft turntable, opened to reduce light engine movements to Polmadie Shed via the congested Bridge Street Junction to Gushetfaulds section. The new shed was a sub-shed of Polmadie. Opened in anticipation of Glasgow Central.
01/07/1879Glasgow Central Station (Caledonian Railway)
Gordon Street lines opened - Central Station Junction (just north west of Gushetfaulds Junction) to Eglinton Street Junction to Bridge Street Junction opened. Strathbungo Junction to Eglinton Street Junction opened.

Books


An Illustrated History of Glasgow's Railways