One of Glasgow's oldest railway stations has undergone a massive refurbishment.

The building is now home to a cycle repair station and resource centre.

The transformation project was made possible through a number of generous funding contributions, including a sustainable heating system provided by the Scottish Power Green Energy Trust.

First opened in 1848, Pollokshaws West Railway Station is the oldest surviving railway station operating in the city. In 1998, the station's old waiting rooms and ticket office were replaced with newer facilities which left sections of the old building derelict, with windows boarded up and its attractive Victorian interior stripped back to an empty shell.

However, over the past four years, The Glasgow Building Preservation Trust has worked continuously to raise some much-needed funds to save the Category B-listed building and transform it into a cycle repair and resource centre, which will be operated by South West Community Cycles.

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The station is set to become a centrepiece of the local community and will provide free bike repairs to children, low-cost bike hire and sales, training and events. It will also offer secure bike lock-up facilities, a bike repair workshop, lockers, showers and changing room, bike hire facility and a café serving hot food and drink.

As well as supporting green travel, the eco-friendly building is completely sustainable, thanks to a wood pellet stove boiler, funded by the Green Energy Trust's donation. The boiler ties in with the traditional architecture of the Victorian building and now provides heating and hot water for its visitors.

Gill Stewart from the Glasgow Building and Preservation Trust, said: "We are committed to saving and restoring historic buildings so that they can take on a new life and once again play an important role within local communities. We are delighted to finally re-open the doors of the station and bring local people together with this much needed community cycling hub. By installing the biomass boiler we will keep the station's running costs low and promote the environmental ethos at the heart of the project."

Alison McKean, Senior Environmental and Social Policy Manager at ScottishPower, added: "The ScottishPower Green Energy Trust is always interested in helping fund renewable energy projects and it's fantastic to be supporting such an exciting development. The funding will help provide a modern sustainable energy source for the station and ensure that this very special building is preserved and continues to be an asset to the local community in Pollokshaws."

(JP/MH)