Greenock Central
Station 137Rudy visited Greenock Central on
Friday, 26th August 2022
arriving at 12:48 on a train from Glasgow Central.
Greenock Central Station
Greenock Central opened on this site in 1889 when the railway was realigned during it’s extension onwards to Gourock. The huge station buildings were mostly demolished in the 1990s leaving open platforms with incongruously grand screen walls
Greenock’s first station (later known as Cathcart Street) opened in 1841 as a terminus connecting with Clyde Steamers heading doon the watter. When a competing railway company opened a station closer to the piers the Caledonian Railway extended it’s route to Gourock (cutting travel times even more). This meant moving their Greenock station further back but increasing it’s grandeur to keep it an attractive choice for local passengers.
It’s difficult to imagine how impressive the station here once was at it’s peak. The 1889 building was a fully covered station with glass roof over platforms & concourse. Damaged by bombings in 1941 it was reduced to having platform canopies and eventually all but demolished in the 1990s.
Courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland’s Canmore project.
Greenock Central is on the Gourock branch of the Inverclyde Line, fast trains from Glasgow Central take thirty minutes, slower stopping trains take about ten minutes longer. It’s less than ten minutes from the end of the line at Gourock.
The station is listed as staffed into the evening. Both platforms have separate step-free access. Toilet facilities are only available by requesting a key from staff.
