Dundee West
Location type
StationNames 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
TerminusExternal links
Canmore site recordNLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
| Nearby stations Dundee Dundee Ward Road Dundee Trades Lane Dundee East Dundee Esplanade Magdalen Green Roodyards Offset at Back of Law Crossroads Lochee Newport-on-Tay East Newport-on-Tay West Ninewells Junction [Station] Stannergate Wormit | Dundee West Goods Dundee Signalling Centre Tay Bridge Goods Dundee Craig Harbour Dock Street Tunnel Dundee Earl Grey Dock Tay Bridge Minerals Dundee Tay Bridge Shed Dundee Ward Road Shed Seabraes Engine Works Tay Foundry [1st] Dundee West Mineral Yard Tourist/other Discovery Point RRS Discovery V and A Museum Dundee |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
Chronology Dates
| 24/05/1847 | Dundee 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. |
| /07/1859 | Dundee, 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. |
| 10/06/1861 | Dundee 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). |
| / /1864 | Dundee 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. |
| / /1866 | Dundee and Perth Railway Dundee Union Street renamed Dundee West. |
| / /1878 | Dundee 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]. |
| / /1889 | Dundee 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. |
| 17/07/1948 | Newtyle 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. |
| 15/01/1951 | Dundee 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. |
| 10/01/1955 | Newtyle 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. |
| 03/05/1965 | Dundee 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). |
| / /1966 | Dundee and Perth Railway Dundee West demolished to make way for an approach road to the Tay Road Bridge. |
