The rebuilding work at Aberdeen (Joint) Station and the adjoining goods yard have been the subject of debate for some time since the plans were first announced. The aim of the work is to transfer the goods handling facilities from Aberdeen Guild Street to the sidings at Craiginches. The entire area between Market Street & Guild Street (up to the platform-facing facades within the Station, including the bus station but excluding St Magnus House and the railway ticket office) will be demolished and the space used for a large shopping centre with cinema.
I have no intentions at present of commenting on the worthiness of this scheme although it is relevant to point out that there is no physical railhead to Aberdeen Harbour at present - the Aberdeen Transport Forum certainly give this as a reason for opposing the scheme but the Harbour Rail system was disconnected some time ago and goods have to be conveyed by vehicles between the Railway yard and the Harbour.
The first sign of the long-delayed work involved the demolition of the abandonded and derelict Caledonian Railway Transit Shed, situated between the goods yard and the bus station. The building was completely demolished by March 2003 and site clearance is (at the time of writing) continuing. In March 2003 work began on Platforms 7-9 at the Joint Station, this is a short summary of the work I believe is currently ongoing.
- Island Platform 7/8 is now sealed off. The yellow dividing boards between the Platform 7 face and the Platform 8 face have been removed and are being replaced with a new fence made out of steel wire - this is being installed closer to the platform 8 side, increasing the room on the Platform 7 side which is still in use. At present passengers are not allowed down unescorted onto the platform, although the only means of stopping them is a movable barrier which I have seen moved by impatient passengers!
- Contractors are working on the out-of-use connecting bridges between platforms 9,8/7 and the main concourse. These bridges were used up until the 1980s for conveying luggage to the platforms, using electric lifts. The lift towers on the concourse side were completely removed and the resultant opening sealed, although it was (and still is) possible to see where the bridges are. On platforms 7/8 the sections of the towers on the platforms were completely removed and any openings sealed, however the machinery towers were still present. Platform 9's tower was completely intact up until 2003, the tower still reaching platform level, probably because the bridges and lifts went out of use at the same time as Platform 9 (early 1980s).
In March the machinery towers on both bridges were stripped of their cladding and dismantled. On my initial visit in March it could be seen that the tower on platform 9 still had its original machinery, unused since the 1980s!. By June 2003 all evidence of the machinery towers had been removed and sealed over, and the remains of the platform-tower on Platform 9 was removed. Workmen appear to have excavated down to the foundations of the tower and completely removed any evidence of it, save for a singular steel beam that appears to have been left, possibly for weight reasons. The bridges themselves have been repainted and now look surprisingly good, and would appear to be waterproof.
The main work undertaken appears to be on the platform canopies on island platform 7/8, which have been comprehensively overhauled.
So what are they doing?
Alas at the moment I am still unsure about the nature of the work being undertaken, however it seems logical to assume that neither platform 8 or 9 will be reopened. The removal of the platform tower on Platform 9 seems stupid, since the platform is out of use and they appear to be leaving the bridges intact. Further visits will be needed to see exactly what is being done.
Note that as far as I know no work has been carried out on the sidings at Craiginches (currently used to store goods wagons at Aberdeen for overhaul?) or on the proposed sidings at Raiths Farm, Dyce.
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(March) Site of Caledonian Railway Transit Shed
(March) Work on "Big" P7-8-9 bridge
(March) Work on "Big" P7-8-9 bridge
(March) Work on "Big" P7-8-9 bridge
(March) Work on Platform 7/8
(June) Single Girder remains of P9 Tower
(June) Repainted Bridges - but no towers
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