Gourock: There's a lot of metalwork in this view across the buffers at Gourock on 14 November 2017. Class 380s are the usual fare on the Inverclyde lines, but ageing 314s are still to be seen. This one will form the next semi-fast service to Glasgow.
David Panton 14/11/2017
Gourock
Location type
StationName and dates
Gourock (1889-)Station code: GRK National Rail ScotRail
Where: Inverclyde, Scotland
Opened on the Gourock Extension Railway (Caledonian Railway).
Open on the Inverclyde Lines.
Description
This is a three platform terminus on Gourock Pier. It is served by a regular service from Glasgow Central via Paisley Gilmour Street.
The pier and station were built together, a base for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company, which ran the steamers of the Caledonian Railway. This new pier and extension from Greenock (closed replaced by Greenock Central) put the Caledonian back into a competitive position, their previous 1841 Bridge Street terminus having been completely eclipsed by the station and pier opened in 1869 by the Glasgow and South Western Railway at Greenock Princes Pier [1st], and the North British Railway's Craigendoran Pier station of 1882.
The station had extensive glass roofs, covering the circulating area and canopies over the (originally) four platforms. The exterior of the building had Tudor styling. There was a large clock tower. The station's designer was James Miller.
There were carriage sidings on the west side of the station, with a goods yard beyond. Further goods sidings were on the pier on the east side. A turntable was at the south end on the east side of the lines.
There were two signal boxes. No 1 was on the south side of the line as it turned north west to approach the station at the point where goods lines to the pier began. No 2 was on the west side of the station throat where the west side goods yard, carriage sidings and platform lines divided.
In the run up to electrification the layout was reduced and no 1 signal box closed, taken over by no 2 which was renamed simply 'Gourock'.
In 1985 the box closed, taken over by the Paisley Signalling Centre.
The station building was paired back and Caledonian MacBrayne relocated to their own building on the pier, in the area of the former pier sidings.
The station has been further cut back and a new station waiting room and offices added on its west side.
Caledonian MacBrayne no longer operates a roll on - oll off service from the pier. Pedestrian ferries to Dunoon operate.
Tags
Station terminus pierExternal links
Canmore site recordNLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
07/02/2022
| Nearby stations Fort Matilda Branchton Ravenscraig Greenock Princes Pier [1st] Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] Greenock West Drumfrochar IBM Greenock Cathcart Street [1st] Upper Greenock Greenock Central Greenock (Lynedoch) Whinhill Cartsdyke Helensburgh Central | Adams Boatyard Scottish Concrete Yard Royal Navy Torpedo Factory [Greenock] Lyle Hill Monument Newton Street Tunnel Kilcreggan Boatyard Ravenscraig-Gateside-Smithston Siding Union Street Tunnel Princes Pier Shed Tourist/other Gourock Pier Gourock Bay Kilcreggan Pier Portkil Batteries McInroy^s Point Ravenscraig Hospital |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
Chronology Dates
| / /1866 | Gourock Extension Railway (Caledonian Railway) Gourock Railways and Pier - authorisation to build a line to Gourock and acquire the pier. (Not proceeded with at this time.) |
| / /1884 | Gourock Extension Railway (Caledonian Railway) Authorisation for the extension from Greenock Cathcart Street [1st] to Gourock and Gourock Pier. With new new alignment in Greenock the Dellingburn Branch is authorised to be modified. An agreement is made with the Clyde Lighthouse Board over lights. |
| 01/06/1889 | Gourock Extension (Caledonian Railway) Opened from Greenock Central to Gourock via the Newton Street Tunnel. A new pier was built at Gourock. Stations opened; Gourock, Fort Matilda, Greenock West and Greenock re-built nearby as Greenock Central. Dellingburn Branch connection modified. |
| 01/05/1890 | Caledonian Steam Packet Company Starts to operate service from Gourock Pier (Kempock Point). Gourock opened 01/06/1889. |
| 25/05/1894 | Greenock and Ayrshire Railway Greenock Princes Pier [1st] station re-built on a grand scale right by the quayside as Greenock Princes Pier [2nd] by the Glasgow and South Western Railway on a grander scale to compete with the Caledonian Railway's Gourock station. |
| 13/06/1939 | Gourock Extension Railway (Caledonian Railway) Passenger train derails at Gourock, alongside the signal box. |
| 05/06/1967 | Glasgow South Bank Electrification
Gourock Extension Railway (Caledonian Railway) Gourock and Wemyss Bay lines electrified. |
| 17/10/2004 | ScotRail First Group takes over the ScotRail franchise to create First ScotRail. The first service ran from Glasgow Central to Gourock. |
| /10/2006 | Gourock Extension (Caledonian Railway) Work begins on a £630,000 reconstruction of Gourock station. |
