Glasgow Central

If Queen Street was all about the glass, then the first impression I gained on arrival at Glasgow Central was that this one was all about the wood. Though this turned out not to be the whole story, the large oval-shaped former booking office and train information building that was added to the concourse at the start of the twentieth century, and which now serves as a restaurant, still gives the station an initial and distinctive appeal today.

Scotland’s busiest station was built in 1879 by the Caledonian Railway. It’s got a good bustle about it that befits its location and the terminus of the WCML from London Euston, and like Queen Street, it is also hemmed in within the central area of the city. It is approached by rail over the bridge that straddles the River Clyde. The main pedestrian entrance is marked by ornate and substantial iron gates and a lengthy porte cochere that opens up onto Gordon Street. Above that is the old Grand Central railway hotel, which was added in 1884. The station concourse gains light from a vast overall glass roof, which then extends over the platforms, giving the whole entity a real sense of importance. Simon Jenkins gave it five stars in his book, Britain’s 100 Best Railway Stations, describing it as the “custodian of the city’s soul”.