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Original Guild Street Station
2616 The original Guild Street Station had two platforms to accommodate four services to the south and three to Deeside. The goods station is to the right.
In 1854 The Great North of Scotland Railway after years of struggle to raise capital opened between Kittybrewster and Huntly; from 1858 this became part of a through route to Inverness. In April 1856 it extended passenger services from Kittybrewster to Waterloo Quay using a line built on the bed of the old Aberdeenshire Canal.
Connecting the two Aberdeen termini, which were about a half mile apart, were railway tracks laid along the quayside and suitable for horse-haulage only. Early GNSR locomotive and carriage at Waterloo Station in the 1860s
2631 The distance between the termini was inconvenient and missed connections were common. Horse drawn buses and cabs were available but most people changing trains walked. Priority was given to mail which was rushed by carriage between the two stations.
In 1862 Waterloo was handling five passenger services to the north, including through carriages to Inverness, and four trains to Buchan. By this
time a network of branch lines was developing north of Aberdeen.
Following several years of controversy over the route and cost of a direct connection between the SNER and the GNSR, Parliament brokered an agreement between the two companies to jointly fund a line from Kittybrewster to a new station in Guild Street at a cost of about £200,000, involving two tunnels and the culverting of the Denburn. The new Joint Station
2632 Possibly late October 1867, shortly before opening, the new Joint Station seems complete but with some minor work still to be completed.
The new Joint Station opened on 4th November
1867, followed by the closure of Waterloo and the
original Guild Street station to passenger services
although they remained open for goods traffic.
Exchange traffic between the two railways used
the new Denburn Valley Railway instead of the
harbour rails.
There was no formal opening but the new station
with its huge arched roof said to be modelled
on that of London Victoria attracted much local
acclaim. Over the next thirty years, increasing
traffic, including suburban trains to Dyce and
Culter and the North British Railway's services
from Edinburgh and Glasgow by way of the Tay
and Forth Bridges, meant that the station soon
became inadequate. During the summer months
and local holidays there were many extra excursion trains. From the 1890s it was widely criticised for its cramped and sometimes dangerous facilities. Gantry for removing station roof in 1912
2636 At the start of the 20th century work began to widen the station approach lines from Ferryhill with new sidings at Guild Street and Craiginches as well as a replacement locomotive depot at Ferryhill. Demolition of the old arched roof in 1913, showing the rolling gantry used to assist the work
2637 In 1909 a new suburban booking office and platforms were opened to the west of the main building, accessed from Bridge Street. It was 1912 before work began on rebuilding the old Joint Station itself including upgrading the track layout to provide 13 platforms, and improved storage, parcels and fish-loading facilities. The arched roof was replaced by a pitched glass roof over the concourse only with cast iron, glass and wood canopies extending along each platform.
The new station, completed in 1915, forms the core of the station as it is today. The Joint Station in 1914
2639 This view was probably taken in May 1914 and shows work proceeding rapidly on the new station which at the same time was handling traffic as normal. The main concourse of the rebuilt station looking north
2640 In the century since the new station opened has
there have been many changes. 1923 saw the
Grouping of the Railways with the GNSR and NBR
becoming part of the London and North Eastern
Railway (LNER) and the Caledonian part of the
London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). In
1948 both were absorbed into the nationalised
British Railways.
The 1930s saw mixed fortunes; new and
improved rolling stock was introduced including
more powerful locomotives. Conversely bus
competition was decimating traffic on branch
lines including Deeside and Buchan; suburban
trains ceased in 1937. During World War 2 all
the glass was removed from the station roof
and replaced by plywood to avoid the effects of
blast and comply with blackout regulations. The
sections were carefully stored under a disused
platform at Fyvie station until the end of the
war. Concourse of the Aberdeen Joint Station
2642 The concourse was dominated by the train departure board, manually operated of course. In front of this was the bookstall, complete with posters announcing the latest news.
The shell in the centre of the concourse was used by many as a meeting place and is still there today. The station forecourt about 1970
2643 The station forecourt about 1970 was still cobbled and
had plenty of space for parking. Diesel trains, ca 1970
2644 The British Railways Modernisation Plan of 1955 saw steam replaced by diesel trains by 1968. An experimental Battery Railcar operated on the Deeside line from 1958 to 1962. It is only in the 21st century that battery and hybrid technology is again being taken seriously. Lord Provost Collie at Aberdeen Joint Station
2645 In the 1980s, long distance train travel started to become popular again. The High Speed Trains on the East Coast route to London were the stars of the new fleet. Lord Provost Collie gave the accelerated "Flying Scotsman" service to London Kings Cross a send-off in June 1981. Lifting Guild street Goods Yards
2646 The station was modernised in the early 1980s with a new Travel Centre and upgraded concourse along with a new electronic signalling centre and High Speed Train servicing depot. Further track rationalisation and the replacement of six old mechanical signal boxes also took place.
About ten years ago Guild Street Goods Yard was lifted and replaced by the Union Square shopping centre which opened in October 2009. This incorporated the old Station Square and the façade of the 1915 building into the atrium of the new development. Separately a new Travel Centre and staff offices were provided.
In the 1990s the rail network was privatised; track and infrastructure passed to a company called Railtrack later transferring to Network Rail. East Coast services initially passed to a company called Great North Eastern Railway but are currently run by Virgin East Coast. Scotrail services are operated by Abellio, a subsidiary of Dutch Railways. The Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston is run by Serco and the daily train to Birmingham and southern England by Arriva Cross Country trains. Although managed by Abellio, Aberdeen Station is today very much a joint station.
In August 1992 the approach to the station from the north past Union Terrace Gardens was being changed dramatically by construction of the Denburn Dual Carriageway. The new Union Square Shopping Centre
2647 In 2009 the new Union Square Shopping Centre had enclosed the main façade. The Joint Station concourse
2648 Despite being over 100 years old the station concourse today appears modern. The Atrium of Union Square
2649 Today the 1915 station's facade is enclosed within the Atrium of Union Square and incorporates restaurant and shopping facilities. A refurbished High Speed Train
2650 The HSTs currently still run to London but will be soon be replaced by new bi-mode trains. New overnight stock is also due to come into service on the Caledonian Sleeper.
Conversely upgraded HSTs will be introduced on internal ScotRail services from 2018 replacing class 158 and 170 units. A new servicing depot is currently being built at Clayhills adjacent to the station. Work has also started on the Aberdeen to Inverness capacity improvements.
Rail travel is still increasing so hopefully Aberdeen Joint Station will continue to serve for another 150 years.
By 2019 ScotRail services to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness will be operated by refurbished High Speed Trains. The first of these units is seen at Aberdeen Station in September 2017. The opening of the line to Ferryhill in 1850
358 The Aberdeen Railway which connected the city by rail with the south for the first time had opened a station at Ferryhill just north of the River Dee in 1850, being joined there by the Deeside Railway from Banchory three years later. In 1854 the line was extended the final 600 yards to a terminus on Guild Street on a site now occupied by the Union Square Shopping Centre.
This lithograph was published in The Illustrated London News. It depicts the opening of the
line to Ferryhill in 1850. The temporary station building seems very substantial. The engine shed on the left still survives.
The Aberdeen Railway soon amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway, which connected it with Perth, to become the Scottish North-Eastern Railway. In turn the SNER was absorbed by the Caledonian Railway in 1866. Plan by James Henderson dated 1850
359 This plan shows proposals for a through station taking access from Union Street.
In 1854 The Great North of Scotland Railway after years of struggle to raise capital opened between Kittybrewster and Huntly; from 1858 this became part of a through route to Inverness. In April 1856 it extended passenger services from Kittybrewster to Waterloo Quay using a line built on the bed of the old Aberdeenshire Canal. Connecting the two Aberdeen termini, which were about a half mile apart, were railway tracks laid along the quayside and suitable for horse-haulage only. Map showing location of first Joint Station
362 Map showing location of first Joint Station alongside the Caledonian Railway's original terminus. Note that the course of the River Dee was closer to the centre of the city in the 1860s.
Following several years of controversy over the route and cost of a direct connection between the SNER and the GNSR, Parliament brokered an agreement between the two companies to jointly fund a line from Kittybrewster to a new station in Guild Street at a cost of about £200,000, involving two tunnels and the culverting of the Denburn. |