Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has opened its Glasgow Traincare Centre to the public for the first time in 25 years to celebrate the historic depot’s 150th anniversary – Polmadie 150.
Located around two miles south-east of Glasgow Central railway station, the Alstom facility is currently the main base of the iconic Caledonian Sleeper service, where it is maintained and cleaned by over 100 staff who provide a round-the-clock service. Known as Polmadie Depot, it typically welcomes 17 trains per day, including Avanti West Coast’s fleet of Alstom-built Class 390 Pendolinos.
“Polmadie stands as more than a depot – it represents a beacon of engineering excellence and a vital pillar in Scotland’s rich railway heritage. For 150 years, this site has played a crucial role in keeping the country moving, and we’re incredibly proud of the dedicated teams who continue that tradition today,’ said Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom.
He added: “Opening our doors to the public for the first time in a generation is not only a celebration of our past, but a powerful reminder of the innovation and talent that will drive the future of sustainable rail in the UK. It’s a privilege to honour this milestone with the community, and showcase the people and technology that make Polmadie so special.”
Originally opened as Polmadie Shed on 16 September 1875 by the Caledonian Railway company, it was subsequently rebuilt and extended for the maintenance of steam engines and rolling stock – some of which returned to the site as part of Polmadie 150 on Sunday 12 October. British Railways assigned the code 66A to the depot.
“Polmadie Depot is a living monument to Glasgow’s proud railway heritage and industrial ingenuity. For 150 years, it has been at the heart of Scotland’s rail operations, and Alstom’s open day is a fitting tribute to the generations of skilled workers who have dedicated their careers to benefiting passenger journeys and freight flows. It’s inspiring to see this iconic site continue to evolve, while honouring its remarkable past,” said Paul Sweeney MSP for Glasgow, and Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Veterans.
Arriving on a mixture of heritage and modern shuttle buses from Glasgow Central – provided by Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust, Scottish Vintage Bus Museum and McGill’s – over one thousand visitors to Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre were welcomed by a unique lineup of more than 20 rail vehicles that have been based at the depot over the last 150 years:
- Caledonian Railway No. 419, courtesy of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS). The oldest preserved steam locomotive to have been based at Polmadie Depot, No. 419 was built in 1907 at a cost of £1,627 at the Caledonian Railway’s St Rollox Works (today known as Glasgow Works or ‘the Caley’) in Springburn. In preservation, it took part in the Rail 150 cavalcade in Shildon in 1975 to mark the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. As part of an intermediate overhaul at the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, the locomotive has recently been repainted in a London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Crimson Lake livery – as No. 15189 – which it showcased at Polmadie 150
- Class 99 (No. 99001), Class 92 (No. 92023 Polmadie 150 1875 – 2025), Class 73/9 (No. 73968) and Class 66 (No. 66710 Karen Harrison), courtesy of GB Railfreight
- Class 93 (No. 93006), courtesy of Rail Operations Group
- Class 90s (Nos. 90018 The Greatest Gathering and 90021 Donald Malcolm), courtesy of Freightliner
- Class 43s (Nos. 43468 and 43484), courtesy of RailAdventure
- Class 37 (No. 37403 Isle of Mull), courtesy of SRPS
- Class 08s (Nos. 08451, 08696 and 08954), courtesy of Alstom
- Class 390 (No. 390119 Progress) Alstom-built Pendolino, courtesy of Avanti West Coast
- Class 334 (No. 334034) Alstom-built Coradia Juniper, courtesy of ScotRail
- Mark 5 coaching stock, courtesy of Caledonian Sleeper
- Mark 1 coaching stock, courtesy of SRPS
- Unimog U 430 road-rail vehicles courtesy of Network Rail
“What better way to celebrate this historic landmark for Polmadie by opening its doors to the public to showcase the great and invaluable work of the teams there. The site is a key hub for us – with a number of our drivers based there for many years as well as being home to one of our training centre with state-of-art driver simulators,” said Dean Duthie, Director of Engineering and Infrastructure at Avanti West Coast.
“We are really proud to be part of this event which is marking the contribution this facility has had over the last 150 years, while inspiring the next generation to take up a career in this fantastic industry.”
Meanwhile, Caledonian Sleeper opened several of its Mark 5 coaches to showcase its ‘hotel on wheels’ that links various locations in Scotland with London via the West Coast Main Line – a route that has carried passengers overnight since 1873. In addition, Alstom offered family-friendly, hands-on activities to help inspire Scotland’s rail leaders of the future and a ride-on miniature railway was operated by Paisley Society of Model Engineers.
“Polmadie has been an integral part of the Caledonian Sleeper story for generations and it’s fantastic to see it celebrated in this way. Our trains are maintained here every day by a passionate and skilled team who help deliver a world-class overnight service connecting Scotland and London,” said Graham Kelly, Interim Managing Director at Caledonian Sleeper.
He added: “This open day is a brilliant opportunity to honour the depot’s incredible legacy and inspire future generations to be part of Scotland’s rail journey.”
Not only does 2025 mark the first time in 25 years that Polmadie Depot has opened to the public, celebrations are also being held around the world to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. Alstom marked Railway 200 – the bicentenary of the modern railway – in August when it hosted the world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern trains. The Greatest Gathering took place at the company’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works between Friday 1 and Sunday 3 August, welcoming 40,000 visitors from around the world and raising thousands for charity.
The day before Polmadie’s open day, the Scottish maintenance facility welcomed its first-ever passenger train, giving railfans a unique opportunity to ride along rare track across the depot site. Hauled by two RailAdventure Class 43 locomotives – with Derby-built Mark 3 coaches from 125 Group – and organised by the Branch Line Society, passengers were fittingly be able to board a special charter at Alstom’s Derby train factory, linking the two Railway 200 sites. It was also the first-ever passenger train to depart Alstom’s Derby site. At Polmadie, the unit was shunted along multiple depot tracks by the facility’s resident Class 08 locomotives.
Alongside Polmadie 150, railfans in Scotland were also given the opportunity to visit Railway 200’s unique exhibition train, Inspiration. It was stationed along platform 15 in Glasgow Central on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October, alongside a Railway 200 Marketplace on the main concourse, which Alstom also attended.
Marking both events, Alstom and Network Rail hosted a stakeholder breakfast at Glasgow Central on the morning of Sunday 12 October. At the event senior Scottish figures heard speeches from; Alan Fravaloni, Project Director at Alstom; Graham Kelly, Interim Managing Director at Caledonian Sleeper; Alex Kirk, Commercial Director at GB Railfreight; and Gerry McQuade, Capital Delivery Director at Network Rail Scotland.
Following the speeches, GB Railfreight’s Class 92 No. 92023 was named Polmadie 150 1875 – 2025 in recognition of the site’s milestone birthday. The locomotive was specifically chosen, as the previous locomotive to carry the name Polmadie was Virgin Trains’ Class 87 No. 87023. The invited guests then travelled on a heritage bus provided by Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust to explore Polmadie Depot itself.
All profits from the event will be split between Glasgow Traincare Centre’s two chosen charities, Beatson Cancer Charity and the Railway Children’s Glasgow Project. Fundraising efforts were further helped by Network Rail, who waived track access charges for the Branch Line Society charter into Polmadie Depot.
Image credits: Richard Gennis
