Alstom celebrates historic milestone for iconic Scottish rail depot

 Alstom will be opening its Glasgow Traincare Centre to the public on Sunday 12 October to celebrate the historic depot’s 150th anniversary. Located around 4 km 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. Polmadie Depot typically welcomes 17 trains per day, including Avanti West Coast’s fleet of Alstom-built Class 390 Pendolinos.

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. “For 150 years, Polmadie has continuously been a home to dedicated maintenance staff and train drivers that in turn have proudly served passengers and freight across Scotland and along the West Coast Main Line. It’s a privilege to celebrate this milestone with enthusiasts and the local community, and showcase the incredible legacy of rail in Scotland,” said Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom. “Polmadie is more than just a depot – it’s a symbol of engineering excellence and commitment to keeping Britain moving. We’re proud to open our doors and share this heritage with the public, while inspiring the next generation to help us shape the future of rail.” 

Arriving by shuttle bus from Glasgow Central, visitors to Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre will be welcomed by a unique line-up of rolling stock that has been based at the depot over the last 150 years. This will include a Class 37 from the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS), a Freightliner Class 90 and Polmadie’s Class 08 locomotives. A Class 99, a Class 92, a Class 73/9 and a Class 66 – all courtesy of GB Railfreight – will also be on display, alongside more exhibits to be announced.

Meanwhile, Caledonian Sleeper will be opening 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 will offer family-friendly, hands-on activities to help inspire Scotland’s rail leaders of the future and there will be demonstrations of the latest rail simulation technology.

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 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 over thousands for charity. 

The day before Polmadie’s open day, the Scottish maintenance facility will welcome 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 power cars – with Derby-built Mark 3 coaches from 125 Group – passengers will fittingly be able to board this special charter at Alstom’s Derby train factory, linking the two Railway 200 sites. At Polmadie, the unit will be shunted along multiple depot tracks by the facility’s resident Class 08 locomotives, 08451, 08696 and 08954.

Organised by the Branch Line Society and supported by Network Rail, the charter,  the railtour will also call at Derby railway station, and then Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Lancaster and Motherwell, on its journey to Polmadie Depot. The unit will return passengers to Derby Litchurch Lane Works – which celebrates its 150th birthday in 2026 – the following day. 

The railtour is called ‘To the Birthplace and the Backbone’, as the same set will also travel between Derby and Shildon – situated on the route of the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives, the Stockton and Darlington Railway – a few weeks before its trip to Polmadie. ‘Backbone’ refers to Glasgow being the northern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, Europe’s busiest mixed-use railway.

Alongside Polmadie 150, railfans in Scotland will also get the opportunity to visit Railway 200’s unique exhibition train, Inspiration, which will be stationed in Glasgow Central on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October. Tickets for Polmadie 150 will be on sale from 19:00 BST on Tuesday 9 September via the Branch Line Society and priced from £150 per person (including a round trip ticket for the railtour). All profits will be split between Glasgow Traincare Centre’s two chosen charities, The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre and the Railway Children’s Glasgow Project.

Public admission to Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre open day on Sunday 12 October is currently only available in conjunction with the purchase of a round trip railtour ticket for Saturday 11 October and Sunday 12 October.