‘World railway stations’ accolade for Wemyss Bay

THE Scots railway station of Wemyss Bay has been recognised among a list of the ‘world’s best’.

The station, on the Inverclyde coast and serving the ferry to Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, has been named in a list published in the esteemed architecture magazine, ArchitecturalDigest – here.

Says the Friends of Wemyss Bay Station, here: “The present station and pier were built just over 100 years ago, in 1903, by the Caledonian Railway Company, doubling the number of platforms and steamer berths of the previous structures.

“The architect, James Miller, and Donald Matheson, chief engineer of the railway company, were the men responsible for its design.”

Adds the rail infrastructure company, Network Rail, here: “Wemyss Bay station is a category A-listed building [by Historic Environment Scotland – here], meaning it’s of national or international historical or architectural importance.”

The 37-strong list reads, as follows:

World Trade Center Transportation Hub, New York, USA

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, Indonisia

Kanazawa Station, Japan

Liège-Guillemins Railway Station, Belgium

Milano Centrale, Italy

Hungerburg Station, Innsbruck, Austria

Sirkeci Railway Station, Istanbul, Turkey

Antwerpen-Centraal Station, Belgium

Haydarpaşa Railway Station, Istanbul, Turkey

Southern Cross Station, Melbourne, Australia

Union Station, Los Angeles, USA

Metro Station Komsomolskaya, Moscow, Russia

Gare du Nord, Paris, France

Rotterdam Centraal Station, Netherlands

Union Station, Washington DC, USA

CFM Railway Station, Maputo, Mozambique

King’s Cross Station, London

Estación de Atocha, Madrid, Spain

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, India

São Bento Railway Station, Porto, Portugal

Grand Central Terminal, New York, USA

Amsterdam Centraal Station, Netherlands

Napoli Afragola Station, Italy

Hua Hin Train Station, Hua Hin, Thailand

Helsinki Central Station, Finland

Gare do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal

Union Station, Kansas, USA

Gare de Metz, France

Jungfraujoch Station, Switzerland

William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, USA

Strasbourg-Ville, France

Union Station, Denver, USA

St. Pancras International, London

Wemyss Bay

King Street Station, Seattle, USA

Toledo Metro Station, Naples, Italy

Union Terminal, Cincinnati, USA

Update, June 10 2023: Presented with ‘Best-loved railway station in Britain’ award, as reported, here.

Picture credit: John McColl

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