Paisley Gilmour Street railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Paisley Gilmour Street
code = PYG


caption = A train from Gilmour Street (platform 3) to Glasgow Central
manager = First ScotRail
locale = Paisley
borough = Renfrewshire
pte = SPT
stats = yes
usage0203 = 2.560
usage0405 = 2.832
usage0506 = 3.069
usage0607 = 3.152
platforms = 4
latitude = 55.8474
longitude = -4.4242
years = 14 July 1840
events = Opened: 2 platforms and 2 lines
years1 = 1880
events1 = expanded to 4 lines and 4 platforms

Paisley Gilmour Street railway station is one of four stations serving the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland (Gilmour Street, St. James, Paisley Canal and Hawkhead). The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Ayrshire Coast Line 12 km (7¼ miles) west of Glasgow Central.

History

The station was opened on 14 July 1840 on the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&AR). [Butt (1995): page 180.] The station was used jointly by the GPK&AR and the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (GP&GR). However, the GP&GR did not run services until March 1841 due to construction difficulties at Bishopton.Thomas (1971): Page 155.] It was originally built with only two through platforms, with the GPK&R and the GP&GR lines separating to the west of the station. The station was later expanded to four platforms, two for the GPK&R and two for the GP&GR, with the lines separating to the east of the station.Thomas (1971): Page 52, has a 1888 photograph of the station with two through platforms; and the two lines separating to the west of the station.]

The section between Glasgow Bridge Street railway station and Paisley Gilmour Street station was a joint line: the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway.

A collision occurred between two trains at the eastern end of the station on 16 July 1979.

Electrification

The station was electrified as part of the 1967 Inverclyde Line. Ayrshire Coast Line platforms (then numbered 1 and 2) were wired, however the wires finished a short distance west of the station. These were extended as part of the Ayrshire Line electrification in 1986. This 1986 work coincided with the renumbering of the platforms with the Glasgow bound platforms numbered 1 (Inverclyde) and 3 (Ayrshire), and the outbound platforms numbers 2 (Inverclyde) and 4 (Ayrshire).

Current operations

Paisley Gilmour Street is the busiest of the four Paisley stations. It has four platforms, with trains running on the Inverclyde and Ayrshire Coast lines. It is the fourth busiest railway station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central, Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley. [The usage information (Station Entries and Station Exits) is based on ticket sales in the financial year 2004/05 and covers all National Rail stations. [http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/station_usage_2004-05_notes.pdf Continued usage notes] , and [http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/xls/station_usage_2004-05_excel.xls Excel format table for all stations] available.]

Following extensive works, Paisley Gilmour Street now has step-free access to all platforms, and the main access onto County Square, has been joined by a re-opened back access onto Back Sneddon Street. The access was originally built along with the station, but had closed and had been converted into a model shop for a number of years. Despite this conversion the shop retained the steps up to stations lower concourse, however it has been bricked up to prevent access. When the shop owner retired, it was decided to purchase the unit and convert it back as part of the step free access works for disabled people, as it would increase space within the station, and the works were fairly simple since the original stairs were retained. After re-opening it was signed as a dedicated exit to the station for those wishing to use the bus link to the airport, as the buses stop directly outside the door and the airport cycle route which passes outside.

Connecting buses from this station also serve nearby Glasgow Airport (GLA) which is approximately 2km away. It is possible to buy a railway ticket to and from the airport, which includes not only the train journey but also the journey on Arriva Scotland West 66 and 300 buses which depart from stops outside the Railway station. The current airport bus link will be replaced in 2009 by the direct Glasgow Airport Rail Link. It is also possible to cycle from the station to the Airport using the Airport Cycle Route.

It is an important interchange, not only for the airport bus link, but also for many local buses which depart from the area surrounding the town centre running to destinations throughout the town of Paisley, Renfrew and to the out of town shopping centre, Braehead. It is expected that Braehead will get a dedicated bus link in the future, possibly utilising Hillington East.

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