Travel advice & experiences during the Glasgow Central disruption

[Buzby]

Motherwell isn’t ideal. The Edinburgh to Glasgow QS has an excellent service, I’d use that in preference.

 

[Pemberton]

I wondered if anyone could advise me on getting from Wemyss Bay to Motherwell, for an Avanti connection, during the current situation?
I can see the hourly train from Wemyss Bay going as far as Paisley Gilmour Street. It's from there I'm not sure what's best. I can see the 38 bus into Glasgow looks quickest though it says on diversion to Bridge Street. Is that the one and then a walk to a station for a train to Motherwell? I'm not from the area and any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Travelling from London to Glasgow later today - is the best way to go LNER via Edinburgh, or Avanti to Motherwell and then the ScotRail local? Is there any problem getting on the local at Motherwell? A colleague of mine travelled earlier in the week and he had heard stories of 1-2 hour waits at Motherwell

Motherwell has a Scotrail train every 10 minutes or so to/from Glasgow Central LL, taking about 35 mins.
At Motherwell they go from a pair of platforms (P3/4) at right angles to the ones on the WCML (P1/2) so some time is required to make the connection.
To further confuse matters, Scotrail trains can reach Central in both directions (either via Hamilton or Whifflet/Carmyle) from both platforms so you have to be sure which of P3 or P4 to use.

Some Euston-Glasgow (via Birmingham) services have also been diverted at Carstairs to Edinburgh, from where it's an easy 2tph to Glasgow Queen St taking 50 mins. Ignore the slower trains via Bathgate which take 80 mins.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Some Euston-Glasgow (via Birmingham) services have also been diverted at Carstairs to Edinburgh, from where it's an easy 4tph to Glasgow Queen St.

Interchanging at Haymarket might shave a few minutes off the overall travel time for such a journey and might be an easier connection. Presume Glasgow Central (Low Level only) can still be reached by travelling via Haymarket and then via Bathgate.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Interchanging at Haymarket might shave a few minutes off the overall travel time for such a journey and might be an easier connection. Presume Glasgow Central (Low Level only) can still be reached by travelling via Haymarket and then via Bathgate.

The Bathgate route takes you to Queen St Low Level, not Central LL.
You'd have to go on to Partick and come back to Central LL on the Argyle line.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

You'd have to go on to Partick and come back to Central LL on the Argyle line.

Thanks for clarifying. Glasgow Queen Street would be far easier.

 

[WiltsBus]

Bustimes shows more decker operation than usual on First Glasgow 9

 

[josh-j]

There's a really dramatic aerial picture that shows how close we came to the hotel and/or station igniting. I took this from the skyscrapercity forum, I don't know where they got it from.

There does look to be some damage to the station roof, for example one of the access ladders seems to have melted, hopefully all fairly minor.

Tell you what, it's a good job the back wall fell inwards and not onto the station in the way the front of the building fell into the road.

 

[AndrewE]

I can't find the thread on train service adaptations (if there is one) but credit to Avanti for once...

Glasgow passengers are being told to travel via Edinburgh rather than get dumped at Motherwell and Avanti have diverted most if not all of the Birmingham - Glasgows to Edinburgh instead.

Well done!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I can't find the thread on train service adaptations (if there is one) but credit to Avanti for once...
Glasgow passengers are being told to travel via Edinburgh rather than get dumped at Motherwell and Avanti have diverted most if not all of the Birmingham - Glasgows to Edinburgh instead.

Well done!

Fast Euston-Glasgows (1Sxx) still terminate at Motherwell. There's just one 9Sxx via Birmingham left running to Motherwell (1140 from Euston).
I think part of the reason for the diversions to Edinburgh is that TPE are not running in most of their paths north of Carlisle, so the Avanti fills in.

 

[endecotp]

Glasgow passengers are being told to travel via Edinburgh rather than get dumped at Motherwell and Avanti have diverted most if not all of the Birmingham - Glasgows to Edinburgh instead.

Why would passengers prefer to be dumped in Edinburgh, rather than travel via Motherwell with its 3tph to Glasgow?

 

[AndrewE]

Why would passengers prefer to be dumped in Edinburgh, rather than travel via Motherwell with its 3tph to Glasgow?

I was imagining that Motherwell might not be ideal for transfers onto all-stations local trains going to Central, when at least some passengers might well be changing for places on the network which might more easily (and maybe more quickly in the present circumstances) be reached via Haymarket or Edinburgh.

p.s. the other thing is that the Avanti trains to Edinburgh are usually quite busy, especially on Fridays, so with the extra people being told to divert via Edinburgh they might be overwhelmed.

 

[Buzby]

Glasgow passengers are being told to travel via Edinburgh rather than get dumped at Motherwell

Always the sensible option, especially with the fast connections to Queen Street. To be fair I was advised on Tuesday to go via Edinburgh so XC, TPE and Avanti were singing from the same hymn sheet. I’m returning to Glasgow today and My route (via Manchester) from Sheffield is pointless as a TPE passenger, I’ll return via Waverley instead.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Always the sensible option, especially with the fast connections to Queen Street. To be fair I was advised on Tuesday to go via Edinburgh so XC, TPE and Avanti were singing from the same hymn sheet. I’m returning to Glasgow today and My route (via Manchester) from Sheffield is pointless as a TPE passenger, I’ll return via Waverley instead.

Are they advising that because the Scot Rail trains are full and standing leaving Motherwell or is it to manage numbers alighting in Glasgow?

 

[miami]

Always the sensible option, especially with the fast connections to Queen Street. To be fair I was advised on Tuesday to go via Edinburgh so XC, TPE and Avanti were singing from the same hymn sheet. I’m returning to Glasgow today and My route (via Manchester) from Sheffield is pointless as a TPE passenger, I’ll return via Waverley instead.

It was unclear what trains were actually running from Motherwell based on online tooling, so I travelled via Queen Street and Haymarket on Wednesday morning. The Avanti train made an additional stop at Lockerbie.

 

[trainophile]

Is there general ticket acceptance for people on Advances booked into Central to use alternative routes?

 

[hexagon789]

Is there general ticket acceptance for people on Advances booked into Central to use alternative routes?

Yes, via Motherwell on ScotRail Argyle Lines services into Central Low Level or via Edinburgh into Glasgow Queen Street.

 

[trainophile]

Yes, via Motherwell on ScotRail Argyle Lines services into Central Low Level or via Edinburgh into Glasgow Queen Street.

That’s good to know. I’m booked for next Tuesday 17th on a TPE from Preston to GLC, and I suspect I might have to make alternative arrangements.

 

[D1511]

Always the sensible option, especially with the fast connections to Queen Street. To be fair I was advised on Tuesday to go via Edinburgh so XC, TPE and Avanti were singing from the same hymn sheet. I’m returning to Glasgow today and My route (via Manchester) from Sheffield is pointless as a TPE passenger, I’ll return via Waverley instead.

Only sensible if Avanti actually run trains to Edinburgh. 9S80 was terminated at Preston again last night. With Central shut they should be trying a lot harder than this......

 

[D1537]

Why would passengers prefer to be dumped in Edinburgh, rather than travel via Motherwell with its 3tph to Glasgow?

Although ironically it's actually not that much different. For most of the day the Avantis arrive in Motherwell at xx47, presumably just missing the xx47 to Dalmuir and therefore having to wait for the xx17 instead, and then it's a 38 minute journey. Total time from Carlisle - 1hr55. Meanwhile the Edinburgh services take 1hr13 to travel to Haymarket where you have an 11-minute wait for a train to Queen St which takes 44 minutes. Total time: 2h08.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Although ironically it's actually not that much different. For most of the day the Avantis arrive in Motherwell at xx47, presumably just missing the xx47 to Dalmuir and therefore having to wait for the xx17 instead, and then it's a 38 minute journey. Total time from Carlisle - 1hr55. Meanwhile the Edinburgh services take 1hr13 to travel to Haymarket where you have an 11-minute wait for a train to Queen St which takes 44 minutes. Total time: 2h08.

There seem to be fewer Scotrail services from Motherwell to Glasgow Central LL today (none via Whifflet/Carmyle it seems).

 

[Warrior2852]

Central Low Level wasn't in the best shape last night, there were about two dozen buckets scattered around the platform area catching assorted leaks.

 

[ScottDarg]

Central Low Level wasn't in the best shape last night, there were about two dozen buckets scattered around the platform area catching assorted leaks.

The buckets catching leaks and general excess of water on the platforms has been an ongoing problem in the low level for months. Looked to be a gradual worsening of the problem as the 'Avenues' project work at street level has progressed but whether it's related is unclear to me. Doubt it's related to the firefighting activity though given it's been a longstanding thing.

 

[QueensCurve]

There may be a capacity crunch on the low level route but being able to get people to Glagow Central Low Level seems to be a good thing under the circumstances.

 

[GettingToArran]

Good afternoon. Just found this extremely useful discusssion and registered so I can ask a question. I may have to travel from London to the Isle of Arran in the near future at short notice but my usual route is impossible while Glasgow Central is closed. I normally get the Avanti service from Euston to GC and transfer to a Scotrail train to either Troon or Ardrossan Harbour to get the ferry. As far as I can make out, the trains coming in from Ayrshire are terminating at Paisley Gilmour Street and the WCML trains are terminating at Motherwell. Reading above, is it right that I could get to GC from Motherwell on the Low Level service? I'd then have to get a bus to Paisley GS, I think, and that would be the same if I took the East Coast route and ended up at Glasgow Queen Street. Given the long-running problems with the ferry, I could have done without problems on the rails too!

 

[teaspoon]

I've just changed at Motherwell, and a 6-car Dalmuir train has easily scooped up the onward passengers from a nearly-full Pendolino.

 

[68000]

I was on a 3 car low-level service earlier and most of the people in the carraige I was in were getting the Avanti service at Motherwell. The Class 318 & 320s are not great for people with the large luggage.

 

[hexagon789]

Good afternoon. Just found this extremely useful discusssion and registered so I can ask a question. I may have to travel from London to the Isle of Arran in the near future at short notice but my usual route is impossible while Glasgow Central is closed. I normally get the Avanti service from Euston to GC and transfer to a Scotrail train to either Troon or Ardrossan Harbour to get the ferry. As far as I can make out, the trains coming in from Ayrshire are terminating at Paisley Gilmour Street and the WCML trains are terminating at Motherwell. Reading above, is it right that I could get to GC from Motherwell on the Low Level service? I'd then have to get a bus to Paisley GS, I think, and that would be the same if I took the East Coast route and ended up at Glasgow Queen Street. Given the long-running problems with the ferry, I could have done without problems on the rails too!

Depending on ticket acceptance, another alternative might be Avanti to Carlisle, ScotRail to Kilmarnock and Kilmarnock to Troon (and if necessary thn Troon to Kilwinning, Kilwinning to Ardrossan - though Ardrossan isn't running at present).

Otherwise, yes, trains are running from Motherwell into Glasgow Central Low Level.

 

[Sirius]

The quicker journey (via Whifflet, hourly) appears to be 3 carriages all day. The longer journey (via Hamilton) appears to be mostly 6 carriages (2tph).

These lines could also see more footfall from people who would usually use Bellshill or Uddingston.

If the situation merited extra services to accommodate moving people to Glasgow from Edinburgh neither the lines via Falkirk High or via Airdrie/Bathgate (to Queen Street low level) have returned to pre-covid levels of service so paths could be found easier than Motherwell to Central low level.

 

[GettingToArran]

Thank you, I hadn't realised I could get to Kilmarnock from Carlisle that easily. That would be much better. Fingers crossed I don't have to go until GC is open again, though!