Balloch may not be the most desirable of places to go, but there is plenty to do in this area…read more The train station has a small platform, with a ticket office, waiting room. The area has an out door shelter area and bike storage area. Across from the train station there is a shop & local chippy. A few yards up the road you have sweeneys cruises,hotels &B&B's Just across the road there is public toilets

Ohhhh Patterton. What a sad train station. It's barely even a station, and more of an lonely,…read moredesolate area with two platforms, a bridge and one small shelter for those "rare" Scottish days of bad weather. This is my local station though, and needs must. I like that trains seem to arrive on time and if the driver sees you running for the train, they'll (mostly) wait for you. I've had some great times standing at this platform, most notably in the snow in negative temperatures and then tramping back home again as the train was a no-show. There's now an extra car park in addition to the one at the station, it's over the road and has a stupidly located exit so you have to go back on yourself to get out and over to the station. Nothing like a mad dash to run for the train first thing in the morning. II'd love it if they upgraded Patterton to make it more like its glamorous neighbour, Whitecraigs. Now this is a fancy station - they even have flower planter boxes and an indoor waiting area. Alas, I don't think that's going to happen any time soon.

Anyone who has ever had to commute from Glasgow to the west empathises with the horror you feel…read morewhen realisation strikes that you have, in fact, boarded the express train to Balloch rather than a normal service. "Ladies and gentleman, the next stop is.... ....Dumbarton Central." The stations you should be stopping at mock you as they whizz by, while other passengers smirk at your frantic phone calls, "I won't be in until 6...I know you said 5.30 but...yes but it's not my fault...I know I did it last week but...I don't mind eating it cold..." and so on. Thankfully it's the one and only occasion I get to visit Dumbarton Central train station which is unquestionably one of the most sophisticated on the local line. For one thing, it has to be the only one that is a category A listed building, with the main terminal cutting a grand figure having been built during a refurbishment in 1896. It has four platforms, one of which is redundant, and offers plenty of sheltered seating areas as well as good disabled access. With four services an hour to Glasgow as well as lines to Balloch and Helensburgh, it is one of the busiest First Scotrail - aided by those of us who just won't learn the difference between express and standard.

As the previous reviewer said, it is pretty easy to end up here by accident feeling like a right…read moreplonker. Living in Old Kilpatrick which is a few stops before Dumbarton, I've done it loads of times. The last time was a December night. The shelter provided no respite from the absolutely freezing weather. There were also less trains then you would expect from an interchange station and I had to wait 20 minutes for the next one home. There was no shop or toilet in Dumbarton Central which added to my annoyance. So the moral of the story is, ladies and gentlemen make sure you check the stations on the little screen before you board. If in doubt, ask a railway worker. That double check may result in you avoiding a freezing arse wait at the most irritating station in the world, cursing all the sundry.

Is there really any need for train station signs to be translated into Gaelic?…read more Don't get me wrong, I don't lose any sleep over it. I'd even understand it in Glasgow or Edinburgh. After all, the tourists will revel in it and it's genuinely nice to see its use encouraged. But Dalmuir? Really? Who are these people who wouldn't understand where they were unless all of the umpteen dozen signs at the station didn't have "Dal Mhoire" bolted underneath them. OK, it's a token gesture, but I bet those Gaelic speakers among us would also prefer to see this money to go towards, say, a heated waiting room or a wee man dishing out cups of tea on the 7.42 service to Drumgelloch. Nevertheless, the rest of Dalmuir station is terrific, particularly the long awaited improvements to disabled access. As a commuter hub the station really needed to up its game in recent years and although the building work took a little longer than most passengers hoped, the station has improved beyond belief and has even kept the handy little newsagent kiosk which many feared would close. It's certainly made travelling from here a much more pleasant experience so a big well done, or should that be tapadh leat, to Network Rail.

Dalmuir station excels in its status as an interchange station, with frequent services to many…read moredestinations across and around Glasgow: namely Balloch, Helensburgh Central, Springburn, Drumgelloch and Motherwell. There is a new state-of-the-art footbridge, complete with an elevator built in (gee whiz!). Unfortunately, Dalmuir is also plagued by a lot of local neds, which probably explains the signs about CCTV equipment.

I like this station. I won't be going around recommending it to people as a must see, or make…read morevisits here on occasions when I don't require a train to or from Helensburgh. But as train stations go, this is a pretty damn good one. Old fashioned in appearance, the station boasts plenty of sheltered areas, a spacious ticket office and a little kiosk for a bite to eat or something to read for the train journey; relatively rare for stations on this line. Furthermore, and best of all, it offers several bike lockers which are particularly handy given Helensburgh remains a fairly popular place for a day trip. It is situated bang in the town centre with plenty of nearby eating and drinking options. Perfect. In saying that, it's probably just about true to say Helensburgh Upper is a better option if you're visiting the area for a look around Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Hill House. Personally, I'd choose the extra five minute walk just because I like this station but please don't feel like you have to do likewise.

Helensburgh Central Railway Station is the terminus of the North Clyde Line. Trains to Glasgow…read moreleave every half hour via Dumbarton. There are a few express trains which miss all the stops except Dumbarton, Dalmuir and Partick. Bang in the centre of Helensburgh, it is a very handy station for locals. The little shop inside selling snacks and hot drinks is also appreciated. This station is entirely under cover, a blessing on harsh winter days.

A famous painting by artist Terence Cuneo in the early '60s, used in a British Railways advertising…read morecampaign, depicted one of the brand new 'Blue Trains' sweeping past Bowling. The scene at Bowling still looks quite similar today, with the old harbour alongside the station giving it a picturesque backdrop on the River Clyde. The station has been modernised to an extent though - the usual platform tannoy and 'bus shelter' waiting rooms common with all Glasgow stations, though there is no ticket office. Bowling is essentially a commuter station, meaning it is usually pretty quiet for most of the day. But being in such an exposed location right next to the sea can make it very cold and windy, and this isn't helped by the fact one of the waiting rooms only has one side to it.

Oh how I love Bowling train station on a hot summer's day, when the sun shimmers off the Clyde and…read moreyou're offered spectacular views of the surrounding areas. It's almost enough to make you want to miss your train. But then there's the flipside - winters at Bowling train station. Oh dear. Exposed to all the elements, a wet and windy day here is a truly horrific experience. Offering limited protection and no ticket office, it's a fairly basic station which is generally appallingly designed for a Scottish climate. For days like the latter, I recommend popping into the Railway Inn slightly further up the road and doing everything you can to ensure your platform waiting time is seriously limited.

With Glasgow uniquely positioned in Scotland, traveling by train is the perfect options. Times are…read moreconvenient and fairly priced. The train station is dirty but the coach seat was perfect and clean once on the train. The passengers and workers were extremely friendly and helpful, making for a great, safe and comforting trip. The boarding process was quick and easy, especially with luggage. Although we had to carry our luggage up 1 stair, the train wasn't sold out so there was plenty of room for our many bags.

Station is freezing. It's ok otherwise. Lots of trains, which is the main thing. Some places to…read moregrab a wee snack and it's close to the city center

This train station is cute and tiny with only one platform. This is an end point so it's a last…read morestop or a first stop. The ticket office is fairly large though with good signage around. There are employees abound to ensure you are getting on the right train and giving you warnings about which cars to use, etc. This train station is super convenient, letting you out right in the seemingly busiest part of town. Our hotel was a literal 2 min walk away, I could see it from the platform. Super convenient. I only wish I had gotten some pictures because the train planters made from barrels may be he cutest decoration I've ever seen at a train station. Next time, hopefully!

Lovely little train station with only one platform. Great for links to the ferry add is a two…read moreminute walk to the ferry terminal. The station is also close to the main part of the town centre.

When considering my high points of 2009, undoubtedly in my top three is the opening of a kiosk in…read moreHyndland Train Station. Indeed the difference this has made to my quality of life has been astounding. No longer is there scrapping with fellow dreary commuters for the last Metro in the stand to brighten up the slog into work. Gone are the days of worrying about a quite colossal rumbling of the stomach interrupting a meeting, as I forget to have breakfast and leave myself with no options en route. And no more is the wait for the train enough to make you want to throw yourself in front of it, as time is spent reading the front covers of magazines I'd be too embarrassed to buy otherwise. And to be fair, Hyndland Train Station has always been one of the better ones on the local line circuit. Hidden just off Novar Drive, access to the station comes via a long tunnel which has been loudly decorated by the children of Hyndland Secondary School (all of whom must be hitting 40 soon, given the mural first appeared in the 80's). The people of Hyndland simply couldn't cope with the lack of facilities afforded to, for instance, the people of Yoker and Kilpatrick so needless to say there's a heated ticket office complete with a generous number of seats, both inside and outside. Proper seats as well, not those benches which resemble a football crossbar and ensure a numb backside for the length of your journey. The addition of a kiosk has unquestionably made Hyndland one of the best non-interchange stations on the line and if there's anywhere you are likely to see a commuter crack a smile, it's here. Still unlikely though.

Hyndland station is a small, two-platform island station serving the Hyndland and Broomhill areas…read more It's the closest station to Gartnavel hospital. It's quite a busy station for such a small one and is served by all services on the Argyle Line and North Clyde Line. From here it's easy to get to the centre of Glasgow, Edinburgh Waverley (although via a slightly slower route and it may be better to change at Partick), Balloch, Dalmuir, Helensburgh, Milngavie, Hamilton and on and on. The station has a small, indoor waiting room on the platform as well as a few outdoor benches. The waiting room has a staffed ticket office but there's a machine as well for those hours when no staff are available. There's also a small coffee kiosk on the platform which sells coffee, tea, small snacks and newspapers. The underpass that leads to the station has a 45 meter long tiled mural with a train theme that was created by students at Hyndland secondary school in 1990.