One of the first stations to be refurbished, Hillhead now looks like an overly-lit public toilet…read morewith its uniform coverage of large white tiles and really bright fluorescent lighting. There's no attempt at any artistic merit at the platform level; however that is redeemed largely by the fantastic Alasdair Gray mural on the entrance concourse wall. I feel they have missed a trick with the refurbishment by not taking the opportunity to install LED lighting and incorporate more design elements on the platforms. It's hard to maintain the sense of individuality that the stations used to have when they are all bright white tiles. Some design motifs would have helped, and with LED lighting they would not only be more eco-friendly, they could change the mood of the lighting to suit the occasion. The best it can be described as is functional and utilitarian. But I do love the mural upstairs.

For me, the Hillhead subway station is pretty ideal. It has both staffed and self-service ticket…read moresales points and it has plenty of space in the main entrance and six turnstiles for its hundreds of customers - Hillhead is one of the busiest subway stops in the city. It also has that cool Alastair Grey tiled mural and a coffee shop. This stop is especially handy for Byres Road, the Botanic Gardens and the University of Glasgow which goes some way to explaining why its one of the busier stops on the Clockwork Orange. It's definitely a bit crowded at peak times but the regular rate of trains passing through mean that this isn't normally an issue. It has just reopened following works to modernise the subway in (summer 2016). However, since these works were necessary for sections of track at the depot, rather than for the stations themselves, it looks more or less the same as it did before.

What can you say about a subway station? It's handy for the bottom end of Byres Road and places…read morelike the Lismore, Ichiban, Sparkle Horse, The Three Judges, Butterfly & Pig West End, and anything else in the vicinity of Partick Cross. Strangely, that's what this station used to be known as before the 1980's renovation of the entire subway system. What is now Partick station used to be called Merkland Street, and to avoid confusion when that station was moved to better serve the main line rail station, Partick Cross was renamed Kelvin Hall, despite the fact that it's at least a brisk 5 minute walk from the aforementioned venue. The location of Kelvin Hall station down a wee lane with access from both Dumbarton Road and Dalcross Street is very handy, although the lane used to be a bit scary in the dark and smelled of wee most of the time, with the odd bottle of Buckie occasionally found gracing the pathway. With the recent refurbishment things have improved dramatically and it finally has some decent lighting, although you are still often confronted by a mound of domestic furniture and other rubbish at the Dalcross Street end, which seems to have become a popular location with the locals for fly-tipping despite the best efforts of the Council to keep it tidy.

The bane of the lives of regulars in the surrounding Partick pubs, Kelvinhall Station introduces…read moresubcrawlers to the likes of the Dolphin, Quarter Gill and Partick Tavern to name but a few. It's a pretty inconspicuous stop but is handy for the Partick cross section of Dumbarton Road. Despite the name, it is still a good 10 minute walk to Kelvin Hall from here with many city buses representing a better option for those wishing to visit the sports facility.

This is one of the least-patronised subway stations on the line. There's very little reason to use…read moreit unless you're either a local resident or have need to visit one of the numerous commercial premises in the area. There really isn't much else of interest around apart from a small park and a pedestrian bridge over the motorway, and even that only accesses an area populated entirely by warehouses and industrial sites.

Next to the motorway, this has to be the smallest of the tube stations…read more It bears the new-look design inside with a purple design. It's right in a residential area with a nice park, but being right beside the motorway it's really noisy. Not really much here to see or do, being primarily a tube stop for the folks who live over this part of town.

The Exhibition Centre station is probably a tiny bit too small to do the job it's supposed to. It's…read morea two platform station and is the closest one to the SECC and Hydro, so people either change at Partick or Central to get to the Exhibition Centre for events. The result is that most of the time the station is pretty quiet but every now and then it's absolutely mobbed. I have no idea what the solution to this is. However, it is also quite a handy station if you're in the Finnieston area. Finnieston is more or less in the centre of the subway loop and isn't the best for buses either, so if you're wanting to get between Finnieston and the city centre, you're far better catching the train (it's often cheaper than the subway too). The staff here are particularly great (shout out to the guy with the glasses who sells tickets and who is brilliant) and there's a fair bit of space indoors between the two platforms where you can keep out of the rain. There are also benches on the platforms themselves and there's free WiFi and ticket machines. There are quite a lot of steps to get down to the platform from street level, but there is a lift too. It's just worth planning ahead if you need to use the lift when the station is likely to be busy.

When I was a little brat, I used to often visit the SECC with my family, usually twice a year to…read moresee the Motor Show and the Ideal Homes Exhibition. I used to find such events unbelievably exciting at aged 6, though nowadays I really couldn't be bothered traipsing round the halls looking at cheap Korean cars or a cardboard mock up of a flatpack Wimpy home. Anyway, perhaps the most exciting thing was the massive red tunnel that leads from this station to the SECC, it doesn't feel as space age as it did then, but it still brings back the memories.

I don't know what it is about some subway stations but some of them suck and some of them are…read morepretty darn cool ~ Cessnock falls into the latter category thankfully. My first visit to Cessnock subway was quite a while ago (it was still referred to as the 'underground' then...) and my purpose for alighting at Cessnock was to visit a dear friend of mine who lived only a hop, skip & stumble from Cessnock's fair steps. Instantly I fell for (not over, for once) the beautiful Cessnock signage. Now I have only recently found out that that Cessnock is the only subway left that still retains its 'pre-modernisation livery and signage' (thank you Wiki!) That will be the reason why it appeals to me so ~ the signage is beautiful. I bet most folk don't even notice or take time to stop & wonder at it's beauty *sigh* Cessnock was opened in 1896 so that wee subway has been around a loooong time, shoogling folk from Cessnock to Buchanan Street and the like. It must be tired, poor thing. I mainly go to Cessnock now as it is the closest subway to Bellahouston Park/Leisure Centre/Palace of Art, being only a 15/20 min walk or short bus journey away. If ever you are at Cessnock subway then please take a minute to stop, look & appreciate it's beautiful signage, metal arch & steps before it is no longer...they have already removed one of the metal arches and there is apparently plans to do so with the other. Such a shame.

This tube stop advertises itself as being close to the Glasgow Science Centre, and is in close…read moreproximity to the STV and BBC buildings as well. They are building a new music auditorium down near SECC that should be up and running soonish which might make this a more popular stop. I quite enjoy the long stroll through the huge overpass at the Exhibition Centre train station before heading down that way to be honest, so I rarely go to this tube stop. Check out the the picture for details of the times that the tubes run here.

People tend to forget about Cowcaddens station, but it's really handy for the top end of town and I…read moreprobably use it more than Buchanan Street or St. Enoch. It's a short walk away from Theatre Royal, the Royal Conservatoire, GFT, Piping Centre and even the middle of Sauchiehall Street precinct. Not much else to say about it except for the bit of trivia that the stretch between here and Buchanan Street is the lowest part of the Subway, and in the old days they apparently used to keep a rowing boat at Cowcaddens for when the line was flooded!

At a sort of periphary where the city centre turns into a bit of a concrete jungle, there's not…read moreactually to many places that this stop is most convenient for. Off the top of my head I can think of Buchanan Bus Station, The Royal Concert Hall, Stow College, SMG and if you know what streets to go for a shortcut, the pub / club end of Sauchihall Street. So actually, I stand corrected, it's perhaps quite useful after all.

I first parked at Shields Road by accident, I'd gotten myself lost in the confusing streets of…read moreTradeston and couldn't find Bridge Street. I now prefer Shields Road, so it all worked out well in the end. It's easy to get to off the M8 or M77, so is very handy if you're coming from the south or east. It's located opposite the beautiful Scotland Street School which is always nice to look at early in the morning! There is a multi storey carpark as well as an outdoor parking area, meaning there is always lots of parking spaces no matter what time of day you arrive. I always just park in the outdoor area as I hate the monotony of driving up and down levels trying to find a spot. From the outside carpark it is maybe a 3 minute walk to the underground which even on a wet weather day is bearable (with a brolly). The station itself is small and simple. One platform, inner circle on the left, outer on the right and trains come about every 5 minutes so you're not waiting long. From Shields Road it's 8 minutes to Buchanan Street, or 6 minutes to St Enoch (my two main stations). For car parking and a return underground ticket you'll pay £5 which I think is great value, especially now that onstreet parking in the city centre has gone up again. I often take advantage of The Fish People shop when returning to my car to pick up some fresh fish for dinner that night, which is very handy. I can't think of what Shields Road would need to get this to be a 5 star review, I guess I'm just not that passionate about public transport. Fun fact: I was petrified of the underground for at least a year.

Park and Ride! (£5 all day parking inc return subway ticket)…read more For years I've either caught the train or driven the hour to north Glasgow on the M77/M8. I've often wondered about Shields Road Park and Ride subway station, but until this week never had the opportunity to check it out. Well blow me down if this isn't the best way to get into the city centre without all the hassle of fighting my way through that last few miles of gridlock, or trying to find an affordable parking space. I used the facility late morning/midweek. There were plenty of parking bays available outside the station, and probably plenty in the multi-storey car park too. It was quite a straightforward procedure. I took a ticket at the barrier on my way in, parked, then showed it to the lady at the subway ticket booth. Five pounds was handed over in return for a return subway ticket and the parking ticket which would get me out through the barrier on my return. Worked a treat, and really suited my travel plans. Its opposite the Scotland Street School Museum so I managed to get a little photo opportunity to boot. Win win!

Ah, the home of the legendary - really - Escalator Of Doom…read more Picture the scene. Someone (not me, honest) has had a few drinks and gets off here to visit some more local beverage establishments. You come up the stairs from the platforms, through the gate, and you see A HUGE ESCALATOR leading up to the main road. Do you a) be sensible and get the UP escalator in comfort and enjoy the ride? or b) Get your friend to go up, film you running up the down escalator while laughing uncontrollably and declaring that you're drunk? If the answer is b then you'll love this station, although they do discourage the whole running up the down side these days. YouTube proof does exist, but that remains a secret from this site. A handy station for West End Wanderings, close to several great pubs and eateries, and some excellent street art outside; mental purple squirrels, no less!

It's a tiny little sub-station, no where near as grand as the Buchanan Street or Govan stations,…read morebut it does its work. Located under the bridge off Great Western Road, it's got facilities for the 'park and ride' scheme, which, in this day of conservation is a truly excellent idea. It's got an intuitive layout; a main entrance under the bridge, an escalator entrance from the bridge itself, and, if you feel like walking down stairs rather than being carried down, you can use the side stairs. If you use the side stairs, you get a very good look at some excellent graffiti underneath. Don't get me wrong, this is GOOD graffiti. Artistic, and a few times I have seen a fashion shoot going on under those stairs. (Be wary of late at night though, I've seen other things happen under that bridge also, which aren't suitable for children). As a frequent flyer, I often get recognised by the staff, and they're friendly if you let them. They don't just have to be the person on the other side of the glass. In fact, I once brought a coffee to the guy who sells me my ticket every morning. Got a free ride for that one, but that wasn't my intent. He's just a nice guy. One of the cleaner stations of the Clockwork Orange. But, I will admit, since this place is a lot of staircases, it's a royal pain when the escalators aren't working.

I really don't like Anderston Station and I avoid using it most of the time. Perhaps I'm being…read moresilly but given its location, nestled in the middle of the motorway, I just find it almost impossibly difficult to access. When I used it recently I made three different attempts to walk to it via a sensible route and still ended up jumping a fence. No doubt you figure it out quicker if you need to use it every day to commute but with all the faffing about I'd be faster catching a train from either Exhibition Centre or Central - even on occasions when they're further away. Also, it apparently closes at 6pm on a Sunday and trains just rush straight through it. I can't imagine how annoying it would be to find that out after struggling to actually reach the place. It's a two platform underground station. It's staffed most of the time but there is a ticket machine available and it does have ticket gates. The only way to access the platforms is by steps so it's not accessible those using wheelchairs. There are a few seats on the platform and you can access free WiFi with the cloud. Honestly, though, if you can travel from Exhibition Centre, Central or Charing Cross then that's your best bet. Give this one a miss.

Anderston is one of these few stations that is completely closed on a Sunday, giving it a real…read more'ghost station' feel. It is completely underground and with all the lights switched off and only its nameboards just visible in the gloom, most passengers will probably get a shiver up their spine as they pass through it. With its dark tunnels at each end as well, it reminds me of that ghost train scene on the subway in Ghostbusters 2. A nuisance as this is, the station is well-used on other days, as it is handy for the lower area of Charing Cross and the offices in Argyle Street. Trains run westwards to Milngavie and Dalmuir, and eastwards to Glasgow Central, Motherwell and Lanark. Like the almost identical Glasgow Central low level and Argyle Street stations, Anderston is a bit dank and dreary, as though it's been left behind from the era of steam trains. There is a very frequent service though at least - roughly every 10 minutes.