That’s right, you can now buy an old Legacy Glasgow Subway carriage after it has taken its last ride on June 28. After more than 44 years of service, the trains have completed around 2.6 million miles in its service which is some 400,600 loops in the Subway system.
The Legacy trains have now been completely replaced with brand new ones, with all 15 stations having also been refurbished. There were originally 33 Legacy carriages, but SPT has already disposed of 13 of them, leaving 20 still up for grabs for £5,000 each.
Glasgow Riverside Museum is the first to buy an old Glasgow Subway Carriage, getting ready to display history in all of its glory.
Credit: Glasgow Subway
Now, you might ask – what am I going to do with a full-blown Glasgow Subway carriage? Well, for example, a former train carriage has been transformed into an art installation at Hamilton Central Station, and multiple trains were transformed into holiday rentals across the country.
Ben Denton-Cardew, a rail industry lawyer, who is in charge of finding a buyer, told BBC Radio’s ‘Good Morning Scotland’: “I think they are really part of the fabric of Glasgow, they’ve been more than a train. They’ve been a cultural icon to this city. Mr Denton-Cardew says he already has 10 buyers interested in purchasing a carriage.
The train enthusiast warned any interested parties that there would be a substantial cost to move the carriages, but there is loads of potential. We’ve talked about glamping pods before, we’ve talked about reuse as cafes, as community hubs or even art studios as former train carriages have been in London before
They’re very easy to repurpose, the interiors can just be stripped out. And, if they are used as buildings, because they are on wheels often they don’t require planning permission. It could be quite an easy job to reuse them. We’d really, really like it if anyone in the Glasgow region would like to save one and keep it local. That would really be brilliant.”
A spokesperson for Stadler said: “We are delighted that the Riverside Museum has secured one of the old trains, which is now on display for the citizens of Glasgow and beyond to view and enjoy. We have received a few other inquiries, and these are currently under review.
For businesses and profit-making entities, Stadler has set a fee of £5,000 to cover the cost of scrappage. However, we have waived this fee for charities and not-for-profit organisations.
This, we hope, may mean that one or two further carriages are available for the general public to see, promoting the city’s rich history and culture. Costs associated with transport and logistics will remain the responsibility of interested parties, including charities and not-for-profit organisations.”