Pollokshields has five railway stations within or on its edge, and most trains reach Glasgow Central in under 10 minutes. The Subway at Shields Road and frequent buses on Pollokshaws Road fill the gaps.
Quick answer
- Nearest stations
- Pollokshields East (Albert Drive), Pollokshields West, Maxwell Park, Dumbreck and Crossmyloof. Shields Road Subway is just north.
- Time to Glasgow Central
- About 4 minutes from Pollokshields East; roughly 6 to 10 minutes from the other stations.
- Subway
- Shields Road station, Scotland Street. Adult single £1.80 on a Smartcard.
- From Glasgow Airport
- Airport Express bus 500 to the city centre: £2 single, about 15 minutes, every 10 minutes, 24 hours. Then a short train ride from Central. A taxi direct takes roughly 15 to 25 minutes.
- From Edinburgh Airport
- Direct coach to Buchanan Bus Station, or tram or bus to Haymarket and a train to Glasgow Queen Street.
- From Prestwick Airport
- Train from the airport's own station to Glasgow Central, about 50 minutes, then change for Pollokshields.
- Bus fares
- Adult singles capped at £2 on First Glasgow buses from 7 September 2026.
From Glasgow Airport
There is no train or tram to Glasgow Airport. The quickest public transport route is the Airport Express bus into the city centre, then a train or the Subway south.
Airport Express bus 500
First Glasgow's 500 runs 24 hours a day, about every 10 minutes, and takes around 15 minutes to the city centre. Inbound stops include Bothwell Street, Bothwell Street at Hope Street (near Central Station), Queen Street Station, North Hanover Street and Buchanan Bus Station.
- Adult single
- £2, under the bus fare cap that began on 7 September 2026
- Where to catch it
- Glasgow Airport stance 1; Buchanan Bus Station stance 46
- How to pay
- First Bus app, online, or on board by cash or contactless
- Concessions
- Scottish concession cards (under 22s and over 60s) are accepted; cards from outside Scotland are not
The buses on this route are electric. From the city centre, change at Glasgow Central for a train south, or walk to Bridge Street or St Enoch for the Subway.
From the city centre to Pollokshields
- By train: get off at Bothwell Street at Hope Street and walk to Glasgow Central. Trains to Pollokshields East take about 4 minutes.
- By Subway: get off at Buchanan Bus Station, walk to Buchanan Street Subway and ride to Shields Road or Kinning Park.
By taxi
Black cabs wait at the airport rank, and Glasgow Airport Taxis take bookings on 0141 889 1813. The drive to Pollokshields is about 8 miles via the M8 and M77, roughly 15 to 25 minutes. As a rough estimate only, expect something like £20 to £30 on the meter; we could not confirm this from an official source.
From Edinburgh and Prestwick airports
Edinburgh Airport
Scottish Citylink runs a direct coach to Glasgow's Buchanan Bus Station about every 30 minutes. Check the service number and fare on the Citylink website.
Alternatively, take the tram or a bus to Edinburgh Haymarket and a train to Glasgow Queen Street. On weekdays there are up to 8 direct trains an hour across the different routes.
From Queen Street, walk about 5 to 10 minutes to Central for southside trains, or take the Subway from Buchanan Street to Shields Road.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Prestwick has its own railway station. On weekdays about 3 trains an hour run to Glasgow Central, taking about 50 minutes. Change at Central for Pollokshields. The X99 and X100 express buses cover early and late times and take about an hour.
By train
Trains are the fastest way between Pollokshields and the city centre. All five local stations run to Glasgow Central, and ScotRail has charged one price all day since peak fares were abolished on 1 September 2025.
| Station | Lines | Minutes to Central | Frequency (daytime) | Step-free | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pollokshields East (Albert Drive, G41 2NE) | Cathcart Circle, Neilston and Newton (east side) | About 4 | About 5 an hour Mon to Sat; 3 an hour Sun (no Circle trains on Sundays) | No | Tramway, the Hidden Gardens, the Albert Drive and Forth Street shops |
| Pollokshields West | Cathcart Circle (west side); Newton via Maxwell Park | About 6 to 9 | About 2 an hour | No | The villa streets of west Pollokshields |
| Maxwell Park (Fotheringay Road, G41 4DT) | Cathcart Circle (west side); Newton via Maxwell Park | About 6 to 9 | About 2 an hour | No | Maxwell Park and Pollokshields Burgh Hall |
| Dumbreck (Nithsdale Road, G41 4HE) | Paisley Canal line | About 6 to 10 | Half-hourly Mon to Sat; hourly Sun | Yes, via ramps or streets | Bellahouston Park and House for an Art Lover |
| Crossmyloof | East Kilbride and Barrhead lines | About 6 to 10 | 4 an hour; 2 an hour in the evening; half-hourly Sun (East Kilbride trains only) | Yes, via ramps or streets | The southern edge of Pollokshields, towards Shawlands |
Journey times and frequencies come from third-party sources, not ScotRail directly. Check the ScotRail journey planner before you travel. None of these stations has toilets. Pollokshields East has a ticket office on weekday and Saturday mornings; the others are unstaffed with ticket machines.
Station by station
Pollokshields East station
On Albert Drive, G41 2NE. The closest station for Tramway, the Hidden Gardens and the Albert Drive and Forth Street shops. Cathcart Circle, Neilston and Newton trains reach Glasgow Central in about 4 minutes, about 5 times an hour Monday to Saturday and 3 an hour on Sundays, when no Circle trains run. It is not step-free.
Pollokshields West station
For the villa streets of west Pollokshields. Cathcart Circle (west side) and Newton trains reach Glasgow Central in about 6 to 9 minutes, about twice an hour. It is not step-free.
Maxwell Park station
On Fotheringay Road, G41 4DT, for Maxwell Park, Pollokshields Burgh Hall and the Fotheringay Centre heritage talks. Same trains and timings as Pollokshields West. It is not step-free.
Dumbreck station
On Nithsdale Road, G41 4HE, for Bellahouston Park and House for an Art Lover. Paisley Canal line trains reach Central in about 6 to 10 minutes, half-hourly Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays. Step-free via ramps or the street.
Crossmyloof station
At the southern edge of Pollokshields, towards Shawlands. East Kilbride and Barrhead line trains reach Central in about 6 to 10 minutes, 4 an hour in the day and 2 an hour in the evening; on Sundays only East Kilbride trains stop, half-hourly. Step-free via ramps or the street.
Times and frequencies are approximate; check the ScotRail journey planner before you travel.
Buying tickets
Buy from the ticket office or machine where there is one, from the ScotRail app, or from the conductor on board. Since September 2025 there is no peak price. Most railcard discounts apply after 09:15.
For the Burrell Collection
The Burrell is reached from different stations. Take a train from Central to Pollokshaws West (under 5 minutes' walk to the park gate) or Shawlands (about 10 minutes' walk). The ride takes about 10 minutes.
The Subway
Shields Road is the nearest Subway station to north Pollokshields, and Kinning Park is close by. It is the best choice for the West End and Govan.
- Station
- Shields Road, Scotland Street and 30 Cornwall Street, G41 1AH. Zone 1, staffed.
- Fares from 5 January 2026
- Adult Smartcard single £1.80, day £3.40. Paper single £1.85, return £3.50, day £4.45. Child Smartcard single 90p, day £1.65.
- Paying
- Contactless cards work at the gates.
- Park and Ride
- 839 spaces. Parking plus a Subway return £8.15 a day; parking only £3.20 for up to 2 hours or £8.15 all day. Overnight parking allowed.
From Shields Road you can reach the city centre (St Enoch, Buchanan Street) without changing. The same loop serves Govan for the Riverside Museum, and Kelvinhall and Hillhead for Kelvingrove and the West End.
Scotland Street School Museum, a Charles Rennie Mackintosh building, is a short walk from Shields Road.
Buses
The busiest bus corridor is Pollokshaws Road, on the east edge of Pollokshields by Tramway and the Hidden Gardens. The stop called "Govanhill, after Albert Drive" is served by several operators.
| Route | Operator | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | First Glasgow | Drumchapel to Govan, via the city centre and Pollok |
| 38, 38A, 38B, 38E | First Glasgow | Newton Mearns and Rouken Glen, through the city centre, to Glasgow Fort and Baillieston |
| 57, 57A | First Glasgow | Auchinairn and Balornock to Silverburn and Kennishead, passing the Burrell |
| 3 | McGill's | Glasgow to Shawlands, Barrhead and Neilston |
| 4 | Stagecoach | Glasgow to Ayr |
| 59 | McGill's | Mosspark to Eglinton Toll, via Dumbreck station and along Albert Drive |
| 29C | Stuart's | Also calls at this stop |
For Pollok Country Park and the Burrell, take the 57 or 57A along Pollokshaws Road, the 3 to Shawholm Crescent, or the 34 or 34A on Dumbreck Road.
Fares and the £2 cap
From 7 September 2026, adult single fares on all First Glasgow buses are capped at £2. A child single is £1.75. The cap is a Scottish Government scheme for participating operators in the Strathclyde area, with no end date published.
- First has withdrawn returns, Family Day and Airport Day tickets.
- A First adult Day City and Local ticket costs £6.60; Day Network costs £8.60.
- Tap on and tap off with a contactless card and First caps your spending at £6.60 a day (City and Local) or £8.60 (Network). Weekly caps are £28 and £37.30.
- First lists these prices as valid from 7 September to 30 November 2026, so check for changes after that.
- We could not confirm whether McGill's and Stagecoach buses are in the £2 scheme. Ask the driver.
Free bus travel with a National Entitlement Card is for Scottish residents (under-22s and over-60s), not visitors.
Taxis and apps
Glasgow's black cabs can be hailed in the street or taken from ranks, including the large rank at Central Station.
- Glasgow Taxis, the main cab co-operative: 0141 429 7070. It also has its own app.
- Glasgow Airport Taxis: 0141 889 1813.
- Uber operates in Glasgow.
The council sets black cab fares. From September 2024 the minimum fare was £4.40, with a £1.50 supplement from 9pm to 6am and extra at Christmas and New Year. A further rise was proposed in 2025, so check the current tariff in the cab.
Card payment is widespread, but confirm with the driver before you set off if you have no cash.
Cycling and bike hire
Glasgow's public bike hire is now run by Voi, which replaced the nextbike (OVO Bikes) scheme in mid-November 2025. The fleet is all e-bikes.
Voi e-bikes
- Hire and pay through the Voi app. Pay-as-you-go, day passes and monthly subscriptions are offered; check prices in the app.
- Bikes are dockless but must be left in marked on-street parking zones.
- There were 171 Voi stations across the city by mid-2026, and the fleet grew to 1,200 bikes for the Commonwealth Games in July 2026.
- The Queen's Park station is one of the busiest in the city. Use the app map to find the nearest zone to you.
Some station information pages still show the old nextbike stands at Pollokshields West, Maxwell Park, Dumbreck and Crossmyloof. Trust the Voi app instead.
National Cycle Network routes 75 and 7
NCN 7 and NCN 75 share a route into Glasgow from Paisley and Johnstone. They split outside the SEC on the north bank of the Clyde.
- NCN 75 continues east along the Clyde Walkway to Cambuslang and on towards Edinburgh.
- NCN 7 heads west along the north bank to Dumbarton and Balloch, at the foot of Loch Lomond.
The shared route is understood to pass through Bellahouston Park and close to Pollokshields and Dumbreck, with links through Pollok Country Park. Check the exact line on the Sustrans map before you set off.
In Pollok Country Park most woodland paths are paved and fine for bikes. Bikes are not allowed inside the Hidden Gardens; there are racks at the Pollokshaws Road gate.
Driving, parking and the Low Emission Zone
Low Emission Zone
Pollokshields is south of the Clyde and outside Glasgow's Low Emission Zone. Driving into the city centre from here does take you into it.
- Area
- About one square mile of the city centre. It is bounded by the M8 to the north and west, the Clyde to the south, and Saltmarket and High Street to the east. The M8 itself is not included.
- Hours
- 24 hours a day, every day.
- Standards
- Petrol cars Euro 4, diesel cars Euro 6. Electric vehicles and motorcycles are fine.
- Penalty
- £60, doubling with each repeat to a £480 cap for cars, resetting after 90 days without a breach. Halved if paid within 14 days.
- Exemptions
- Include Blue Badge vehicles (some must register) and historic vehicles over 30 years old.
Use Transport Scotland's online vehicle checker before you drive in, especially in a hire car or a vehicle registered abroad.
Parking in Pollokshields
Most parking here is on residential streets. Glasgow announced in April 2025 that controlled parking zones would spread to areas including Pollokshields, Strathbungo, Shawlands and Govanhill during 2026 and 2027.
We could not confirm whether a Pollokshields zone is live yet or what its hours are. Parts of north Pollokshields near Shields Road may already be controlled. Read the street signs every time you park.
- Shields Road Subway Park and Ride: 839 spaces; £3.20 for up to 2 hours or £8.15 all day, or £8.15 with a Subway return included. 12 Blue Badge and 4 parent-and-child bays.
- Burrell Collection car park (2060 Pollokshaws Road, G43 1AT; enter via Pollok Avenue): charged 10am to 6pm daily. £1.50 an hour for 1 to 3 hours, £7 up to 4 hours, £12 for 5 to 8 hours. Card, coins or RingGo; the machines do not give change. Blue Badge holders park free in 19 bays at the front.
- Tramway: on-street parking only. Please do not use the Gurdwara car park next door.
Electric vehicle charging
- bp pulse, 890 Pollokshaws Road, G41 2ET: ultra-rapid chargers, open 24 hours.
- Council charger, 87 St John's Quadrant, G41 5SU.
- Arnold Clark, 1646 Pollokshaws Road, G43 1RQ: rapid chargers, open 24 hours.
- Pollok Country Park: 6 charge points at the Riverside car park by Pollok House.
Check charger status on ChargePlace Scotland or Zap-Map before relying on any one point.
Accessibility
Step-free access is limited at the stations closest to central Pollokshields. Plan your route, and book help in advance where you can.
Stations
- No step-free access to the platforms: Pollokshields East, Pollokshields West and Maxwell Park.
- Step-free, but sometimes via long or steep ramps or streets: Dumbreck and Crossmyloof.
- Shields Road Subway: level access to the concourse from Scotland Street and the car parks. Three flights of stairs lead to the platform, with escalators on the upper two. There is no lift to the platform. The station is staffed, with an extra-wide gate and an induction loop at the ticket office.
- None of the five local railway stations has toilets.
- All five have assistance meeting points. Book ScotRail Passenger Assist before you travel. Pollokshields West has one accessible parking space.
Key sights
| Place | Access | Toilets | Getting there step-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burrell Collection | Step-free route from the car park; lifts to all three floors; manual wheelchairs to borrow; hearing loop; BSL and captions on displays; drop-off at the Heritage entrance | Two Changing Places toilets and 9 accessible toilets; baby changing; quiet room | 19 free Blue Badge bays; free electric shuttle in the park from the Pollokshaws Road gate, 10am to 6.15pm |
| Tramway, 25 Albert Drive | All public areas wheelchair accessible; lift to the mezzanine and first floor | Accessible toilet on every level; baby changing on the ground floor | Pollokshields East is 2 minutes away but not step-free; buses 3, 4, 38, 57 and 59 stop nearby; on-street parking only |
| The Hidden Gardens | Wheelchair accessible at both entrances; wide stone paths; ramps into the Medicinal Courtyard and Boilerhouse | None in the garden; use Tramway's | Pollokshaws Road gate, by the bus stops |
Tramway does not mention a hearing loop or Changing Places toilet. Ask on 0141 276 0950 or at info@tramway.org. Euan's Guide has visitor access reviews of the Hidden Gardens.
Further afield, Kelvingrove and the Riverside Museum are both free with lifts throughout. The Riverside has a Changing Places toilet on the ground floor that needs no key.
Sources
Checked 13 October 2026
- First Glasgow: Glasgow Airport Express
- First Glasgow: £2 fare cap
- First Glasgow: changes to tickets across Glasgow
- The Scotsman: £2 bus fare cap extended to the Glasgow area
- Glasgow City Council: Clyde Metro
- SEC: getting here by plane
- Global Railway Review: ScotRail removes peak fares permanently
- National Rail: Pollokshields East, Pollokshields West, Maxwell Park, Dumbreck, Crossmyloof
- Wikipedia: Cathcart Circle Lines
- SPT: Subway fares revised for 2026
- SPT: Subway parking
- SPT: Shields Road station access guide (PDF)
- STV News: Glasgow Subway launches contactless payments
- bustimes.org: Govanhill, after Albert Drive
- STV News: Glasgow taxi fares set to rise
- TaxiPoint: 2025 Glasgow taxi fare review
- Glasgow City Council: six months of Voi cycle hire
- The Scotsman: Voi fleet milestones
- Wikipedia: National Cycle Route 7 and Route 75
- Glasgow City Council: LEZ key information
- Scottish Business News: controlled parking zone expansion
- Burrell Collection: plan your visit
- Tramway: visit us and access
- The Hidden Gardens: visit
- Euan's Guide: The Hidden Gardens
- Glasgow Life: Riverside Museum and Kelvingrove