Dundee West

Location type

Station

Names and dates

Dundee Union Street (1847-1866)
Dundee West (1866-1965)

Opened on the Dundee and Perth Railway.

Description

This was a large terminus station on Union Street in Dundee for services west to Perth, Glasgow, Edinburgh, England and, later, north via Newtyle [2nd].

The station was rebuilt several times.

A temporary station opened at Yeaman Shore, the courtyard in front of the later station.

The original small wooden two platform passenger terminus of the Dundee and Perth Railway was flanked on both sides by goods facilities. The goods line to the north continued east to the harbour. The Dundee Earl Grey Dock was just to the east and served by a goods line from the station.

The railway originally approached along the foreshore, initially actually out on the beach on a raised embankment until the mud beach north of the embankment was infilled. Land to the south was also progressively recovered. The goods station actually bordered the beach. Due to this requirement to recover land for building the railway the station was originally small.

After the 1863 merger with the Scottish Central Railway an improved station was opened in 1864. This fine building was Italianate in style with roman arches.

A new gothic/Scottish Baronial third station was built to the west, behind the second station's frontage, in 1890. This was not long after the opening of the second Tay Bridge and Forth Bridge, the line passing through the competing North British Railway's Tay Bridge [Station] just to the south. Demolition of the second West station cleared a large carriage turning area in front of the third incarnation of the station. This was a four platform station with a large glazed trainshed by Blyth and Cunningham, 500ft long and 112 ft wide. A new signal box was included, opened 1889. This was on the north side of the approach to the station, west of the platforms.

After closure the station was demolished. Road re-alignment took place, largely due to the new Tay Road Bridge. The far west ends of the disused platforms survived for a few years. The goods yard survived considerably longer. The site has been redeveloped with new roads, a car park and several buildings.

Tags

Terminus

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67




Chronology Dates

24/05/1847Dundee and Perth Railway
Line opened from Dundee Union Street (later Dundee West) to Barnhill [DPR], on the east bank of the River Tay near Perth.
  /07/1859Dundee, Perth and Aberdeen Junction Railway
Act for the Lochee Deviation, Ninewells Junction (on the Dundee and Perth Railway) to Fairmuir (on the Dundee and Newtyle Railway), passed. Dundee Ward Road and the Law Incline were to close and trains terminate at Dundee Union Street (later Dundee West). Also for the deviation from Rosemill Loop to Auchterhouse [2nd] replacing the Balbeuchley Incline.
10/06/1861Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
Opening of the deviation to Ninewells Junction giving access to Dundee Union Street (later Dundee West). Dundee Ward Road closed (Dundee Top of Law probably closed around 1846, Offset at Back of Law and Cross Roads probably closed before 1853/1855, details are unclear).
  /  /1864Dundee and Perth Railway
Dundee Union Street (later Dundee West) station rebuilt in Italianate style, expanded and reopened. Authorisation to divert Yeaman Shore (not done). Enlargement required due to larger trains, extra traffic arising from increased frequency of services and the diversion of Dundee and Newtyle Railway trains to the station.
  /  /1866Dundee and Perth Railway
Dundee Union Street renamed Dundee West.
  /  /1878Dundee and Perth Railway
Authorisation to expand and rebuild Dundee West station. The Tay Bridge and Associated Lines (North British Railway) opened in 1878 and the Caledonian Railway was facing competition from the North British Railway's new Dundee Tay Bridge [Station].
  /  /1889Dundee and Perth Railway
Dundee West station rebuilt with superb baronial building at entrance and large glass canopy covering the platforms behind. Station rebuilt with growing competition from the North British Railway's Dundee Tay Bridge [Station], to the south, following the opening of the second Tay Bridge.
17/07/1948Newtyle and Coupar Angus Railway
Scottish Midland Junction Railway
Crash at Ardler Junction. The 4.20pm Dundee West to Blairgowrie service via Newtyle [2nd] passes the home signal at the junction and is struck by the southbound 3.30pm ex-Aberdeen postal express train resulting in the death of 2 people.
15/01/1951Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
Alyth Railway
Dundee West to Alyth passenger train withdrawn. Alyth Junction to Newtyle [2nd] essentially closed to passengers until 1952 when Ardler Junction to Newtyle [2nd] is closed and Dundee West to Blairgowrie trains diverted via Alyth Junction.
10/01/1955Newtyle and Glammis Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Deviations (Dundee and Perth Railway)
Alyth Junction to Dundee West closed to passengers. Newtyle [2nd], Auchterhouse [2nd], Dronley, Baldragon, Baldovan and Downfield, Lochee, Liff closed.
03/05/1965Dundee and Perth Railway
Dundee West to Buckingham Junction closed to passengers. With both Dundee West and Dundee Tay Bridge [Station] having lost services the latter was able to take on the traffic of the former. Dundee West Goods remains open and Tay Bridge Goods closed (although much remains open as sidings).
  /  /1966Dundee and Perth Railway
Dundee West demolished to make way for an approach road to the Tay Road Bridge.

News items

10/04/2023Trams, trains, buses and ferries: How transport in Dundee changed over the years [The Courier]
22/02/2022Final days of iconic Dundee West Railway Station showcased in freshly unearthed photos. [Daily Record]
28/06/2021Death of a station: Dundee West was lost to the city forever in 1966 [The Courier]
21/04/2020The death knell sounded 55 years ago for Dundee West Railway Station with demolition of gothic masterpiece [The Courier]

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The North of Scotland v. 15 (Regional railway history series)

An Illustrated History of Tayside's Railways

Railways of Dundee (Oakwood Library of Railway History)