Opened : 1867
Rebuilt : 1907-1914
Click
here to see this location on the UK Ordanace Survey Map
When the railways first reached Aberdeen they constructed separate stations in the city, the
Aberdeen Railway choosing a site in Guild Street and and
Great North of Scotland Railway operating first from a site at Kittybrewster and eventually moving to a site next to the harbour at
Waterloo Quay. The distance between the two stations involved a long walk and made through travel between the two railway systems very difficult indeed. They finally agreed on a joint station adjacent to the Aberdeen Railway's station at Guild Street which was opened in 1867. The station was similar in construction to St Pancreas Station in London, with a long overall roof covering the long through platform and bay platforms at the south and north ends of the station.
Although the station provided in 1867 was a marvel at the time, traffic grew over the years until by the mid 1880s the station was unable to cope with the volume of traffic it was having to handle. Again funding for improvements was not forthcoming and the station was left with little modifications becoming the subject of heated debate.
A new improved station was authorised in 1899 although work was to take many more years to complete. Once key issue was the widening of the tracks south of the station to Ferryhill Junction, an area of frequent congestion since the line was only double track. In 1908 new platforms were constructed on the western side of the station, together with a granite booking hall which led directly to the platforms from the road above. In 1913 work began in earnest in constructing the new station which was more or less completed in 1914, although the final work was delayed by the first world war and was not completed until 1920.
The rebuilt Aberdeen Joint Station was similar in layout to the previous station, but much more spacious. A total of 13 platforms were provided, of which 4 were for through traffic and 9 were bays (5 at the southern end and 4 at the north). A large circulating area and easy-to-read departures board was provided and covered footbridges linked the plaftorms to the circulating area at the south end, and to the 1908-built granite booking hall at the north end. 2 additional covered bridges with electric lifts were provided for transporting luggage to the through platforms. Interestingly the station also had a steam boiler which was connected to the platforms to permit carriages to be heated prior to departure. The total length of the platform faces was 11,340 feet, an amazing length beaten only by Edinburgh Waverly station.
Aberdeen Joint Station was renamed
Aberdeen Station by British Railways in 1951 and in 1958 battery charging equipment was fitted in Platform 1 for the
Battery Railcar used on the
Deeside Railway. This was connected directly to the mains supply and is believed to remain in situ today! The closure of most of the
Great North of Scotland Railway branch lines in the mid 1960s affected Aberdeen Joint Station, the 4 north bay platforms becoming surplus to requirements were lifted during this time. Platform 7, formerly a through platform, was converted into a bay siding leaving platforms 6,8 & 9 as through platforms.
Further rationalisation took place in the early 1980s. Platforms 8 & 9 were closed and the track lifted, whilst Platform 7 was re-converted into a through platform once more. The luggage footbridges and lifts were closed and boarded up on the concourse side, whilst the ticket office was modified. Platforms 1 & 2 went out of use at this time as well, although the tracks remained connected to the goods yard. Ticket barriers were removed alongwith the wooden departures board and television-style monitors were provided to relay information to the platforms.
This is more or less how the station remains at present. In the past few years the glazed roof over the circulating area has been completely reglazed and the footbridges (including the derelict luggage footbridges) have been repaired and repainted. However the next few years are to see a multitude of changes to the station and to the nearby goods yard and bus station, which are being demolished to accomodate a shopping centre and cinema. The station buildings will be demolished, athough the platform-side frontages will remain alongwith the granite ticket office building which is to be incorporated into the new development. The old Caledonian Railway Transit Shed, which survived derelict opposite the station for many years, was finally demolished in early 2003, and we are likely to see many more changes in the coming years. Hopefully however the developments will be sympathetic to the historically imporatant buildings.
