Dalmarnock railway station is an intermediate station on the Argyle line and is just 4km southeast of Glasgow Central, the largest and the busiest station of Scotland. The Dalmarnock station is managed by ScotRail.
The station was opened in November 1895 and currently has a footprint of 80,000 passengers a year. The passenger numbers are expected to significantly increase as Dalmarnock will host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The station is located near to the event’s main venues such as the Athlete’s Village, Celtric Park, the National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
To make way for the visitor passenger traffic and also to serve as a future important transport hub of the ongoing Clyde Gateway Regeneration Scheme, the station is being redeveloped.
Construction work on the £11m redevelopment project commenced in September 2011 and is scheduled to be completed in November 2013.
The project is being funding by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), Glasgow City Council and Clyde Gateway. It has also received financial backing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the UK rail operator, Network Rail, for £2.89m and £2.4m respectively.
Transport Scotland is monitoring the project and has awarded a contract worth £8.6m to Network Rail to deliver the project.
Background to the Dalmarnock station
The Dalmarnock station is more than 100 years old. It is situated on the Swanston Street and has two platforms. It has limited facilities and is not very accessible for passengers with less mobility. It lacks public utility facilities such as automatic ticket machines and waiting rooms. The northern part of the station ends in a tunnel and has poor ventilation and lighting.
The station has faced disrupted train services, due to poor drainage system, during the recent floods.
In the wake of the upcoming 2014 Commonwealth Games, STP identified the station as a vital transport hub for the visitors and appointed the Independent Rail Consultancy Group (IRCG) to perform a study on the existing station conditions and the potential for future developments.
The initial development plans involved two options. The first plan involved refurbishment and construction of the basic station building at a cost of £5m and the second plan involved construction of a new prominent station building and upgrading the surrounding area. The total cost of implementing this option was estimated at £9m.
The funding partners choose the second option and agreed to go ahead with the project by contributing £2m each.
Design and construction of the major Commonwealth Games transport link
The new-look station is designed by Atkins and is being constructed by C Spencer for Network Rail. The project will however retain the original Victorian design, such as the raised viaduct, staircase and ironwork to maintain its historical significance.
The redevelopment project includes demolition of the main station building and constructing a new one that will be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995. The entrance of the station will be relocated to the Dalmarnock Road from the Swanston Street.
A large concourse area will house customer information and communication systems and provide direct access to the platforms. The ticket office will be positioned to face the new entrance. The roof ceiling will feature folded roof-scape.
New lighting will be installed in the platforms. A lift and pedestrian bridge will be installed to provide access to the platforms. The platforms will have new surfaces and new wall cladding. The exterior of the station building will be clad in a diffuse polycarbonate glazing.
To address the flooding problem from the drains, Network Rail has appointed Farrer Consulting to carry out the assessment of the drainage system and provide a permanent solution for the same.
Four trains per hour travel eastbound and westbound of the Glasgow Central. The station remains closed on Sundays.
Facilities of the Scottish railway station
The current station provides limited facilities such as cycle parking, a CCTV camera and ticket counter.
