West Street Station – The furthest flung outpost of the Glasgow Subway
It has to be said that West Street Subway station is the forgotten station in the Glasgow Subway network. In its defense, the station has suffered the unfortunate recent acquisition of a whacking great flyover built next to it. Not exactly the station’s fault now is it.
The extensive and, quite astonishingly, built on budget, M74 extension towers epically over the station entrance much like the Kelvinbridge, but without the elegance. To be fair it looks to be a well built modern bit of civil engineering and it has certainly done a lot to relieve the Kingston Bridge congestion. Unfortunately, the few buildings in the vicinity of the station were eaten in the process and the inevitable fallout of such a construction project litters the adjacent empty lots. Downtown Manhattan this ain’t.
Due to the excellent car park at Shields Road and the easy access from the motorway, there is very little traffic in the station’s vicinity. The road immediately to the left as you exit the station is blocked, so it really isn’t greatly positioned in terms of vehicle and walkway access.
The poor accessibility is a real shame, as the inside of West Street station is one of the smallest and quirkiest stations on the network. The classical middle platform orientation is met by a small tunnel like exit up the stairs. The whole station is very compact and somewhat cosy. It really does have the feel of an outpost in the wilderness.
There are some businesses here, most notably the Duncan Yacht Chandlers, if nautical is your thing. There are also a lot of cash and carrys, as well as industrial units in the direction of Bridge Street.
For many, a hardcore subcrawl has ended upon the rocky shores of West Street. If you are playing by the strictest of rules, The Lord Nelson is the official stop here, a good hike up West Street. Those following the northern route, will all certainly be flagging by now and the final tedious jaunt up to the Nelson is far less appealing than the bright lights of the city centre. For those playing for fun, it’s usually a fair cop out to skip West Street and save some time for the West End. If you do either West Street or Shields Road, it’s an honest subcrawl in my book.
West Street station is unlikely to draw large crowds of anyone except residents due to its slightly secluded location and lack of attractions. However, if seeing a real slice of Glasgow, or one of the more unique stations on the network appeals to you, it might just be worth checking out.