Stirling: Turbo star 170456, on the 12.23 service to Glasgow Queen Street HL, seen at Stirling on 13th July 2016.
Gordon Steel 13/07/2016

Stirling

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Stirling (1848-)

Station code: STG National Rail ScotRail
Where: Stirling, Scotland
Opened on the Scottish Central Railway.
Open on the Glasgow to Perth.
Open on the Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine.

Description

This is a excellent well preserved station with building by James Miller on the main down platform and glass canopies. (This is not the 1848 original building, but is similar in style.) The station was rebuilt around 1912.

The main building has crow stepped gable ends and a station entrance canopy. Inside is a semicircular ticket office supporting a glazed roof (similar to Wemyss Bay). Beyond is a glazed area, with wooden built curved shop, leading through to the main northbound platform and glazed covered footbridge to the main southbound platform (and other platforms). The main platforms are heavily canopied, those to the east less so.

In 1968 Stirling East, the former Stirling and Dunfermline Railway station, was officially merged with the former Scottish Central Railway station.

The station has nine platforms, although numbered 2-10 due to the loss of platform 1. The main platforms are 2 down (northbound) and 3 up. There are two south facing bays (7 and 8) and two north facing (4 and 5) and, on the east, Alloa, side of the station two through platforms (6 and 9) which also have access to the line north, and a bay platform facing south (10).

Electrification of the route north has resulted in some cutting back of the canopies.

Stirling Active Travel Hub (formlery Stirling Cycle Hub) is based at the station.

Stirling North box, north of the station, and Stirling Middle box, south of the station, are both 'A' listed. The middle box is now the largest in Scotland.

Local

The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum is located in Stirling, to the west of the station.

Stirling has a very fine castle, perched up above the town Stirling Castle .

Nearby the station, in a former goods shed, is the new The Engine Shed . 'A place to explore your built heritage'.

The Engine Shed is Scotlandâ??s dedicated building conservation centre, based in Stirling. Run by Historic Environment Scotland, it serves as a central hub for building and conservation professionals and the general public.


As Causewayhead station no longer exists, Stirling is the closest to Wallace Monument , which is around 2 miles north.

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
05/05/2022




Chronology Dates

  /  /1845Scottish Central Railway
The company is bound to provide a footbridge at the Shore Road Level Crossing [CR] by Stirling station for use when the roadway is blocked.
01/03/1848Scottish Central Railway
Opened from Scottish Central Junction (Greenhill) to Stirling. Stations at Scottish Central Junction, Larbert, Bannockburn and Stirling.
22/05/1848Scottish Central Railway
Opened from Stirling to Perth. Stations at: Bridge of Allan [1st], Dunblane, Kinbuck, Greenloaning, Auchterarder, Dunning, Forteviot, Forgandenny, Perth General.
28/08/1850Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Forth Iron Works Railway
Opened from Oakley to Alloa. Opened from Dunfermline to Alloa for passengers. A branch to Alloa Harbour station from Alloa was used for passengers travelling on to Stirling by boats along the River Forth.
01/07/1852Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Opened from Alloa to Stirling. Stirling Forth Viaduct [SandD] at Stirling opened alongside the Scottish Central Railway's bridge, to run south to Stirling East station.
13/04/1853Scottish Central Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Agreement made for the use of Stirling station.
12/09/1853Scottish Central Railway Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Operating agreement for the use of Stirling station made by Scottish Central Railway, Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and Stirling and Dunfermline Railway.
18/03/1856Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Railway opened from Stirling to Buchlyvie for goods and minerals.
  /  /1859Scottish Central Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
With the Scottish Central Railway having Consolidated, the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway is re-authorised to access Stirling station.
  /  /1864Scottish Central Railway
Authorisation to stop up the level crossings north and south of Dunblane station and replace them with road overline bridges. Additionally permission is granted to extend the Callander [1st] line from the junction (north) into the station (south) over the site of the northern level crossing. (Similar removal of level crossings in Stirling at a later date.)
  /  /1865Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Following the merger of the Scottish Central Railway into the Caledonian Railway the F&CJR agrees access with the Caledonian Railway to Stirling station.
10/11/1868Scottish Central Railway
Decision taken to move the locomotive shed at Dunblane Shed to Dolphinton [CR] on the Dolphinton Branch (Caledonian Railway). The Kinbuck banking engine and Callander [1st] engines operated from Stirling after 1865.
  /  /1878Scottish Central Railway
Craigs Crossing, south of Stirling station (and Stirling Middle Junction), is authorised to be stopped up with the road lifted onto a road bridge.
  /  /1889Scottish Central Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Shore Road Level Crossing [CR] authorised to be replaced by road bridges and level crossing stopped up (short length of Shore Road survives on east side). Authorisation to expand Stirling station.
  /  /1889Scottish Central Railway
Agreement between Caledonian Railway and North British Railway to expand Stirling station.
  /  /1899Scottish Central Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Railway Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Stirling remodelling - deviation of the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway (now owned by North British Railway) and Forth and Clyde Junction Railway authorised. The new deviation to be vested in the respective companies
02/07/1900Dalry Road Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Dalry Road station opened. Used by Leith North, Barnton, Stirling and Falkirk Grahamston bound trains.
  /  /1903Scottish Central Railway
Authorised to purchase land to the west of Stirling station.
12/10/1904Alloa Railway
Alloa Bridge is badly damaged after being struck by the schooner 'Stirling' resulting in the fall of a span. The Caledonian Railway is allowed to reroute its trains to Alloa via Stirling. North British Railway trains also diverted.
  /  /1907Scottish Central Railway
Authorisation to acquire further land for Stirling station enlargement and lengthening of the Shore Road bridge. New engine sheds authorised.
  /  /1913Scottish Central Railway
Stirling station re-built by the Caledonian Railway.
01/01/1915Scottish Central Railway
Enlarged and rebuilt Stirling station opened.
23/09/1929Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Sentinel Cammell Steam Railcars introduced on the Balloch - Stirling service. The railcars were named for stagecoaches. Quicksilver was based at Balloch Shed, Pearl, Flower of Yarrow and Fair Maid (relief) based at Stirling Shed [NB].
01/10/1934Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Closed to passengers from Balloch (Forth and Clyde Junction [Balloch]) to Gartness Junction and from Buchlyvie Junction to Stirling. The Gartness Junction to Buchlyvie Junction section was used by trains to Aberfoyle and Balfron and Buchlyvie stations remained open. Jamestown, Caldarvan, Drymen, Gartness, Port of Menteith, Kippen and Gargunnock closed to passengers.
05/10/1959Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Port of Menteith to Stirling New Bridge Signal Box (excluded) closed completely. Sidings such as Cowpark Goods in Stirling remained open.
04/03/1964Dalry Road Lines (Caledonian Railway)
Stirling and Falkirk trains diverted from Edinburgh Princes Street to Edinburgh Waverley.
17/10/1966Forth and Clyde Junction Railway
Yard working for Cowpark Goods at Stirling end ceases.
07/10/1968Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Stirling to Alloa [1st] to Dunfermline Lower (Touch South Junction) closed to passengers.
06/10/1975Edinburgh and Northern Railway
Some Perth to Edinburgh Waverley workings diverted from via Stirling to via Newburgh [2nd].
  /  /1994Alva Railway Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Stirling to Cambus and Menstrie (Glenochil Yeast) closed completely. The end nearest Stirling saw occasional use by tampers.
26/02/2003Stirling and Dunfermline Railway Kincardine Line (North British Railway)
Bill presented to the Scottish Parliament by Clackmannanshire Council for the re-opening of the line between Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine. (No bill had closed the line.)
  /12/2007Scottish Central Railway
Introduction of coloured light signalling at Stirling resulting in a mixture with semaphore signalling still in use on the Alloa route.
  /  /2008Scottish Central Railway
Forthside footbridge erected over the railway by Stirling station.
19/05/2008Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Kincardine Branch (North British Railway)
The railway between Stirling and Alloa re-opens to passengers. The line between Stirling and Longannet Power Station via Alloa re-opens to freight providing an alternative route to the Forth Bridge.

News items

11/01/2024Vital rockfall prevention works for Edinburgh-Glasgow line [Network Rail]
23/10/2023Cardiff - Edinburgh open access train service proposal under development [Railway Gazette]
01/09/2023Buses to replace trains south of Perth all weekend [The Courier]
28/08/2023Final phase of railway enhancement work begins at Dunblane station [Network Rail]
08/08/2023Overspeed incidents at blanket emergency speed restrictions [RAIB]
31/07/2023Rail services between Stirling and Alloa halted after train strikes tree and overhead cables snap [STV]
11/07/2023Queen Street station and 'Bowline Viaduct' unveil special heritage awards [Network Rail]
05/07/2023Access concerns raised after £5m Stirling station revamp [Daily Record]
28/06/2023Official opening of Stirling station redevelopment [RailBusinessDaily]
27/06/2023Stirling station redevelopment officially opened [ScotRail]

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

Bradshaw's Guides Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness: 5

Scottish Central Railway (Oakwood Library of Railway History)

The Railways of Stirling