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Description

This is a major electric train maintenance depot to the south of the Glasgow city centre not far from Glasgow Central on the lines to Paisley. It maintains the local electric trains and, for a time between 1974 and 1990, it also maintained West Coast Main Line locomotives. The depot has covered workshops, a wheel lathe and stabling sidings. Approach is from the west, from the Paisley Canal Line, necessitating a reversal where a train comes from Glasgow Central, Polmadie or Muirhouse Central Junction.

It was originally opened in 1967 with the electrification of the routes from Glasgow Central via Paisley Gilmour Street to Gourock and Wemyss Bay, and via Rutherglen [3rd] to Motherwell. Additionally it took over maintenance of Cathcart Circle and the Neilston and Newton (via Kirkhill) branch trains. Prior to its opening trains from these latter lines were maintained at Hyndland Depot, inconveniently requiring locomotive haulage on a non electrified route between 1962 and 1967.

The depot opening followed a major reconstruction of the junctions and sidings at Shields Road. Electrification of the Inverclyde lines and closure of Glasgow St Enoch were around the same time. Glasgow St Enoch had closed in 1966 and its approach lines were rationalised. The line from Port Eglinton Junction via Shields station to Bellahouston No 1 Junction where the routes to Paisley Gilmour Street (via Shields Junction No 2) and to Paisley Canal (via Bellahouston No 2 Junction) divided were lifted. Additionally the freight line between Bellahouston No 1 Junction and Maxwell Junction closed. In order to keep the Paisley Canal line open a new alignment was built between the site of Bellahouston No 2 Junction and Shields Junction No 1. Shields Road Depot was built to the south east of this on the trackbed of the closed routes.