Eastfield Railway Project

PROJECT DETAILS

Located in the Springburn of northern Glasgow, Eastfield railway depot is now a fuelling, cleaning and maintenance facility for trains which run on the busy commuter route between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh. It was originally opened by the North British Railway in 1904 to replace engine sheds located in the nearby Cowlairs Engineering Works.

 

Eastfield historically serviced steam locomotives and saw not only the move to diesel but also changing ownership – passing through the hands of the London and North-eastern Company and then to British Railway following nationalisation. It was destroyed by fire in 1919 but rebuilt and became one of the largest depots in Scotland, with space for 200 engines. It closed after 90 years of operation, the victim of a time when most trains on the line had become self-powered diesel units rather than drawn by locomotives. The old sheds were demolished and the site was cleared.

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However, the increase in the number of services linking Glasgow and Edinburgh brought the need for a new ScotRail maintenance facility in the west to complement the Haymarket depot in Edinburgh. With a £14 m investment by the Scottish executive, a new 1300 sq. m shed was built and a half mile of associated track and signalling installed, together with a half mile of elevated cleaning platforms. Eastfield reopened on 13th December 2004. In 2017-18, the depot was extended as part of the Edinburgh-Glasgow improvement programme, to service new electric trains in conjunction with the main depot at Millerhill in Edinburgh.

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DID YOU KNOW? 

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Eastfield has seen many kinds of engine since its construction in 1904, however in 1987 it also housed a wheel lathe and two snowploughs. The old logo of the depot was often referenced as a ‘Scottie’ dog, however it actually resembled a ‘Westie’ – a West Highland White Terrier.

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