Location type

Station

Names and dates

Govan (1868-1875)
Govan (1880-1899)
Govan (1902-1906)
Govan (1911-1921)

Opened on the Govan Branch (Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway).

Description

This was a single platform terminus on the south side of Govan Road. The platform was on the west side of a loop and there was a large goods yard on the east side.

The station was approached from the south, from Ibrox Junction. The platform had a long platform. The goods yard had a large goods shed and eight sets of sidings.

The signal box was at the south end of the passenger platform. Close to this was a turntable, on the east side of the passenger lines and with the goods lines flowing round its eastern side.

Ship yards

Between the passenger station and the goods station a siding ran north to join the tramway system by which the Fairfield Shipyard (still open and now better known as the Govan Shipyard) to the north west could be reached.

Just to the north was Harland and Wolff's Govan Shipyard [2nd]. This was formed by merging the sites of the Govan Ship Yard [1st] (Robert Napier), Middleton Shipyard and Govan Yard.

To the east are the Govan Graving Docks.

The Govan Tube Works and Glasgow Railway Engineering Works were to the west of the station. To the south were the Govan Foundry (of Harland & Wolff), British Polar Diesel Engine Works (still in business) and Moore Park Boiler Works.

Passenger openings and closures

Passenger trains were withdrawn between 1875 and 1880.

Regular trains, known as 'Bus Trains' ran from Springburn, Bellgrove and Gallowgate from 1887, using the City of Glasgow Union Railway line.

These trains were withdrawn with the electrification of the tram routes and their more regular (and much more direct) services. Also nearby was the new Govan [Subway] station with a very direct service to the city centre.

The Glasgow District Subway opened in 1896. Its Broomloan Depot [Subway] was opened alongside the Govan terminus, on the east side of the goods yard.

The station had a further series of openings and closing. It was closed between 1899 and 1902 and between 1906 and 1911. The railway struggled to compete with the tramway system which was electrified around 1901/2. Final closure to regular passengers was in 1921.

Later period

The goods yard remained busy. The signal box was dispensed with in 1933.

The turntable was removed and the goods yard was altered allowing the southern end of the sidings to be laid straight, rather than curving round the turntable.

The branch finally closed altogether in 1966. One of its last uses was the crane loading of Caledonian 123 onto road transport for the journey to the Glasgow Transport museum at Coplawhill Tram Depot.

Much of the trackbed to the south was used by the Subway for a test track.

To the east of the station site is Broomloan Depot [Subway], some of the surface sidings of which overlap the southern part of the former goods yard.

Tags

Terminus station
07/02/2022

Nearby stations Govan [Subway] Yorkhill Merkland Street [Subway] Ibrox Excursion Platforms Partick West Partick Ibrox [Subway] Partick [Subway] Kelvin Hall Partickhill Kelvinhall [Subway] Ibrox [Govan Platforms] Ibrox Cessnock [Subway] Whiteinch Riverside	Govan Tube Works Broomloan Depot [Subway] Govan Shipbuilding Yard Govan Ship Yard [1st] Colonial Iron Works Glasgow Railway Engineering Works Water Row Ship Yard Middleton Shipbuilding Yard Abbotshaugh Engineering Works Helen Street Engine Works Govan Engine Works Tourist/other Govan Ferry Govan Old Parish Church Pointhouse Quay Govan Wharf
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.