Inside Central Station

[whole diary]

[BBM]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Scotland, 3rd March, 21:00: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00032nr

First in a six-part series following the staff in Glasgow Central Station. Thousands of Ed Sheeran fans push the events team to their limit as the station copes with the heat.

(BBC Scotland is available south of the border on Freesat ch.108, Sky ch.457, Virgin Media ch.162 and iPlayer.)

[BBM]

Series 2 starts tomorrow (Sunday 3rd May) on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Scotland at 21:00:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000j05d

Documentary series following the people that work all hours to keep Scotland's busiest train station on track, delving into the buildings history with stories of the past. Central station has been at the heart of Glasgow for more than140 years, running over 950 trains a day for 32 million passengers a year. Day and night for one long summer, this series follows the people who make the station work. Central station has long been Scotland's busiest - it is the Northern terminus of the West Coast Main Line from London and the starting point for travel to hundreds of stations in mainland Britain. Over the decades, the station has knitted itself into the lives of many people. For generations of Glasgow folk, particularly those that work here, Central station has become part of the family.

In this episode, heavy rainfall causes travel chaos for passengers attempting to travel south, and staff across the station pull together to help passengers reach their final destinations.

It is the first week on the job for new station tour guide Jackie, and she is trying to get to grips with the long history of Central station in time for a test run of her new tour. Meanwhile, the Blue Lagoon chip shop serves hundreds of station passengers every day, but it is a race against the clock to get the refurbished shop open in time for rush hour. Station manager Drew is on night shift as he watches over passengers heading off for a day at the races, and author Gordon Webster explains the legacy of the infamous Beeching Cuts as veterans of Central station discuss the impact of railway privatisation.

[Lee]

I hear a spin-off programme is in the works...

[grahame]

I hear a spin-off programme is in the works...

I am feeling especially thick ... looking for a connection.   Is that a different "Central" Station?   There are still some more about:

[Lee]

Not 100% sure so might be wrong...but is that Coatbridge Central?

The photo in my post is from 1960, and one of the items on display in it was recently offered to a mutual friend.

[grahame]

Not 100% sure so might be wrong...but is that Coatbridge Central?

The photo in my post is from 1960, and one of the items on display in it was recently offered to a mutual friend.

Footbridge to Pilning???

Yes, Coatbridge Central.   Probably not the most exciting for a documentary about various "Central Station"s!

[Lee]

You are on the right lines...Now which set of friends of a Central station made the offer to the Pilning folks?

[grahame]

You are on the right lines...Now which set of friends of a Central station made the offer to the Pilning folks?

Immediate thoughts go to Gainsborough ... didn't they have a bridge replaced, but don't they need the second platform.   Gainsborough does sound like your sort of place with a Lee Road!

[Lee]

Hehehe 

Gainsborough Central was actually one of CANBER^▸ (Campaign Against the New Beeching Report)'s final active campaigns in the early 2010s. Unsuccessful at the time, so we cant claim any credit for their eventual success in 2019 in gaining an hourly service to Sheffield, which was the result of many years hard work on the part of campaigners on the ground, in association with North Lincolnshire and West Lindsey District Councils.

In terms of the photo, the station buildings were demolished in 1975, leaving just the two platforms and the footbridge. The footbridge was removed overnight on 6/7 February 2016, and the new prefabricated structure slotted into place. The new bridge stands about 10 metres further north, and faces the opposite way to its predecessor.

Despite the clearly expressed wishes of local campaigners to see the old footbridge donated to Pilning, it was instead donated to Wensleydale Heritage Railway for repair and re-use on its railway.

[Lee]

Photo of new Gainsborough Central footbridge:

[grahame]

I hear a spin-off programme is in the works...

After Glasgow ... a series each on

Acton Central
Birkenhead Central
Burnley Central
Cardiff Central
Coatbridge Central
Dumbarton Central
Exeter Central
Folkestone Central
Gainsborough Central
(Glasgow Central - done already)
Greenock Central
Hackney Central
Hamilton Central
Helensburgh Central
Hyde Central
Lincoln Central
Liverpool Central
Milton Keynes Central
New Mills Central
Redcar Central
Rotherham Central
Southampton Central
Southend Central
St.Helens Central
Telford Central
Walthamstow Central
Warrington Central
Wembley Central
Windsor & Eton Central
Wrexham Central

[JontyMort]

I hear a spin-off programme is in the works...

After Glasgow ... a series each on

<snip list>

Are those all the remaining Centrals that are open?

Lincoln only just scrapes in - they’ve officially dropped the “Central” now (35 years after St Mark’s closed).

Manchester Central has at least regained its name - just needs to get some trains back.

Incidentally, Glasgow Central really is a beautiful station - a splendid Edwardian period piece now tastefully restored and well worth a visit. And you could do Wemyss Bay (and Rothesay) as a side-trip.

[grahame]

Are those all the remaining Centrals that are open?

Approximately, yes ... from name list on our "Station Comparator" page which originated from official sources but is now slightly yellow around the edges.

[grahame]

Are those all the remaining Centrals that are open?

Approximately, yes ... from name list on our "Station Comparator" page which originated from official sources but is now slightly yellow around the edges.

I've taken a look ... following official changes to station names effecting "Central"s:
LCN renamed from Lincoln Central to Lincoln
SFD renamed from Salford to Salford Central
SNH renamed from St.Helens Central to St Helens Central
No brand new stations called "Central"; no stations called "Central" closed.

[ellendune]

No brand new stations called "Central"; no stations called "Central" closed.

Of course there were other Centrals closed before your list:

Leicester Central
Rugby Central
Aintree Central

and many others


Wasn't the current station at Gloucester once called Central?

SNH renamed from St.Helens Central to St Helens Central

Just removing the .?