Jordanhill railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Jordanhill
code = JOR


caption =
manager = First ScotRail
locale = Jordanhill
pte = SPT
borough = City of Glasgow
platforms = 2
usage0405 = 0.281
usage0506 = 0.331
usage0607 = 0.344
events = Opened
years = 1 August 1887|

Jordanhill railway station is a side platformed suburban railway station in the Jordanhill area in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. The station, which is governed by Transport Scotland and managed by First ScotRail, lies on the Argyle Line and the North Clyde Line. [ [http://www.spt.co.uk/rail/railnetwork.html Map of SPT Rail network] ] It is located near the Jordanhill Campus of the University of Strathclyde and sits atop Crow Road, an important western thoroughfare in Glasgow and the main route to the Clyde Tunnel. [The station is at gbmapping|NS546679 (coordinates coord|55.8826|N|4.3246|W|scale:1000_region:GB) with a Glasgow postcode of G11 7DW.] The station is five stops and eleven minutes' journey time from Glasgow Central on the Argyle Line. Trains on the North Clyde Line pass through without stopping at the station.

History

The station opened on 1 August 1887 as part of the Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Railway. [ [http://www.cat-flap.demon.co.uk/glasgow.htm A chronology of Glasgow's railways] ] Construction of the station structure was not completed until 1895, with modular-design wooden buildings, commonly seen on the new suburban railway lines, being built on both platforms. [

cite book
last = Johnston | first = C.
coauthors = J. R. Hume
title = Glasgow Stations
origyear = 1979
publisher = Newton Abbot
location = London
language = English

] The station is located on part of the former site of brick and tile works, Jordanhill being an area of artisans and miners until the close of the 19th century. [

cite news
first=W. | last=Campbell
title=Jordanhill: Past & Present
publisher=The Western Leader
date=13 March 1932

] The railway station arrived just as much of the local industry was declining, giving residents, who previously had to walk to Hillhead or Partick to find transport into Glasgow, proper access to the city centre. [Donnelly, Max (1987) "Jordanhill - A Historical Sketch" (2nd ed) (Glasgow: Self-published (printed at Strathclyde University))]

The station's opening effectively filled a gap in provision, as lines in the area had already been constructed; the Whiteinch and Stobcross Railways both opened in 1874, [ [http://www.railscot.co.uk/Stobcross_Railway/frame.htm Railscot: Stobcross Railway] ] but no station was constructed on these lines at Jordanhill. A new link allowed services to Whiteinch Victoria Park to begin in 1897, but they ceased in 1951 and the link was closed to freight in 1967. [ [http://www.ltsn.gla.ac.uk/ewan/chronology/range.asp?start=1951&end=1951 1951 Chronology of RAILSCOT] ] [ [http://www.ltsn.gla.ac.uk/ewan/chronology/range.asp?start=1967&end=1967 1967 Chronology of RAILSCOT] ] The route of the link has been converted into a nature walk from Victoria Park to Jordanhill station, running alongside the existing line for approximately half its length.

On 15 January 1898, a man named J. Johnstone, a member of the Whiteinch Harriers running club, was killed while attempting to run across the line west of the station. A small lead memorial stood on the spot for many years. [ [http://www.wsmclean.com/railways Railways in Jordanhill] (contains Ordnance Survey map of station)] The freight line saw near-disaster on 28 December 1932, when seventeen wagons laden with coal ran away on a slight incline on the sidings operated by the Great Western Steam Laundry; they ran into other wagons, derailing nine and spilling coal over the line, seriously disrupting passenger traffic. ["Coal wagons derailed: A shunting accident", "The Times", 29 December 1932 page 5]

A serious accident occurred on 28 April 1980, when a three-coach train carrying 80 passengers from Dalmuir to Motherwell derailed at Hyndland East Junction, just after leaving Jordanhill. All the bogies on the leading coach left the rails, causing fifteen people (nine women and six men) to be injured seriously enough for them to be taken to the Western Infirmary. ["Fifteen hurt as three-coach train jumps rail", "The Times", 29 April 1980 page 4]

Plans for rebuilding

In 1998, Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) undertook a study into the possible relocation of the station west to Westbrae Drive. [ [http://www.ptiscotland.org.uk/Publications/Annual_report/16.html SPT Publications: New stations] ] A December 2002 report from the Scottish Executive included this station as part of their High Resource Scenario, estimating the project cost at approximately £2 million (USD 4 million [Actual $3.99 million] ). [ [http://www.scottishexecutive.gov.uk/library5/transport/ssrswp6-03.asp SCOTTISH STRATEGIC RAIL STUDY: Working Paper 6 - High Resource Scenario] ] By 2004, SPT had identified this station as one of their top three priorities, and Glasgow City Council had identified it as a "main priority". [ [http://www.strath.ac.uk/jordanhillreview/pdf/summ_cons.pdf Faculty of Education Estate Strategy] , Staff Meeting at Jordanhill CampusMonday, 11 October 2004]

An alternative proposal would keep the existing station open, but with many services calling only at a new Westbrae Drive station. This proposal was backed in August 2001 by Charlie Gordon, then leader of Glasgow City Council, who said that having a second station in Jordanhill would assist students at the nearby Jordanhill campus of the University of Strathclyde. ["The Herald", 20 August 2001] The proposed new station would have been only roughly 500 yards (460 m) away.

Jordanhill Station will rebuilt for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, one of a number of stations that will be rebuilt for the Commonwealth Games through a £300 million transport legacy plan. [cite news
first=Stephen | last=Stewart
url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/smgpubs/993466221.html?did=993466221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Feb+25%2C+2006&author=STEPHEN+STEWART&pub=The+Herald&desc=Commonwealth+Games+to+leave+GBP300m+legacy+Transport+plans+would+follow+successful+bid
title=Commonwealth Games to leave GBP300m legacy Transport plans would follow successful bid
publisher=The Herald
pages=1–2
date=2006 February 25
accessdate=2006-03-02

Free preview, subscription required.]

The station at Jordanhill is to be rebuilt, one of six new stations in the west of Scotland, according to an announcement made on 19 May 2006 by SPT chief executive Ron Culley. [

cite news
first=Ron | last=Culley
url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5052449.html
title=Passengers' joy at moves to build six new train stations
publisher=The Evening Times
pages=
date=19 May 2006
accessdate=2006-05-21

]

Services

As part of the Argyle Line, the station is used—along with Glasgow Central and Anderston—by those commuting to and from Central Glasgow, near the heart of its business and financial district. The typical hourly service from the station is four trains per hour to Dalmuir via Yoker, two trains to Motherwell via Glasgow Central and two trains to Springburn via Glasgow Queen Street. [ [http://www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/tt/1139321765-North%20West%20timetable.pdf First Scotrail Timetable - Glasgow-Milngavie, Dalmuir, Balloch, Helensburgh Central; Glasgow-Maryhill, Anniesland; Glasgow-Helensburgh Upper, Garelochhead (including ferry connections to Helensburgh, Kilcreggan and Gourock)] (Accessed 2 March 2006) (PDF)] In SRA's 2002/3 financial year, 85,861 people boarded trains at Jordanhill station, and 94,613 disembarked, making it the 1,029th busiest station in the United Kingdom, and 25th busiest on the Argyle Line in 2003. [ The usage information (Station Entries and Station Exits) is based on ticket sales in the financial year 2002/03 and covers all National Rail stations. It does not include those stations that are owned by TfL. The calculation of station usage levels uses sales recorded in the railway ticketing system prior to their allocation to individual operators. It does not take into account any changes of train during the course of a journey. The ticketing system does not record certain journeys made using TfL bought travelcards, TfL Freedom Passes, staff travel passes and certain other PTE specific products. [http://www.sra.gov.uk/pubs2/performance_statistics/stat_usage/stat_usage_notes.pdf Continued usage notes] , and [http://www.sra.gov.uk/pubs2/performance_statistics/stat_usage/stat_usage.exc Excel format table for all stations] available.]

The station no longer has a staffed ticket counter, but it contains a ticket machine, one of an initial batch of ten installed by SPT in late 2003 and early 2004 as part of a drive to curb fare dodging, which was estimated to be costing the company £2 million a year. ["The Scotsman", 2 December 2003] Both platforms are elevated and each has a wheelchair ramp. There is a connecting footbridge between the two platforms.

In the area

The Jordanhill Campus of the University of Strathclyde, which hosts the Faculty of Education, is located nearby. Several schools are also in the area, including Jordanhill School, Broomhill Primary, St Thomas Aquinas; as well as a Territorial Army centre. For the later part of the 1980s and the early part of the 1990s, a huge Jolly Giant toy centre lay just across Crow Road, and was a major local attraction. [ [http://www.wsmclean.com/south Notes on the area now known as South Jordanhill] ] It closed in the 1990s and after housing a discount clothing store for a few years it is now an Arnold Clark Volkswagen car dealership. [ [http://www.arnoldclark.com/BranchLocator/Default.aspx?Make=Volkswagen&Branch=18 Arnold Clark Dealership in Jordanhill] ]

Backing onto platform 2 is a Scout hall, home to the 72nd Scout Troop.

There are two sports facilities accessible from the station:
*New Anniesland, a rugby union and cricket playing field is home to the Glasgow Academicals Sports Club, and the Glasgow Academy.
*Old Anniesland, home to The High School of Glasgow and the GHK Sports club.

Glasgow Hawks rugby union team predominantly play at Old Anniesland, but occasionally play at New Anniesland.

Gallery

Notes and references

External links

*
* [http://www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/content/travelinfo/station-info.php?stationletter=J Station facilities] from First Group
* [http://www.railscot.co.uk/Glasgow_Yoker_and_Clydebank/frame.htm RailScot: Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Railway]
* [http://www.sustrans.co.uk/default.asp?sRegion=Scotland&map.x=-4.32303174408162&map.y=55.8827958378795&bLarge=&nZoom=1 Map of rail area] from Sustrans (UK)
* [http://www.wsmclean.com/bygones_files/image033.jpgPicture of the station in 1953]
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