IBM railway station
| Industry | Computer manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Fate | Plant closure and site redevelopment |
| Headquarters | Greenock , Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Products | Computers |
Number of employees | 4000+ |
IBM railway station—previously known as IBM Halt—is a currently inactive stop on the Inverclyde Line, positioned to the west of .
Located on the southern incline of Spango Valley along the Glasgow to Wemyss Bay route, IBM Halt commenced operations on 9 May 1978 under British Rail. It was established to serve a significant IBM computer manufacturing facility employing over 4,000 staff members. At first, the station was unlisted in public timetables and catered only to peak-hour trains. Subsequently, it became publicly advertised with nearly all trains calling there. Prior to service suspension, trains stopped hourly in both directions.
The station was situated within a large complex once owned by IBM, which was a major employer in Greenock until the plant's closure. Parts of this site were later sold to firms such as Sanmina-SCI and Lenovo, both of which have since ceased operations there. By June 2009, half of the buildings had been demolished, and the area was renamed Valley Park; however, the station retained its original name. Due to its isolated setting, it mainly served employees of Valley Park but remained accessible to the general public.
Until 16 May 1983, it stood out as the only station bearing the suffix "halt"—a term that had largely fallen out of official use since 1974 but was revived for IBM Halt and two stations in Cornwall in 2008.
Service suspension
Train services at this station were halted from 9 December 2018. According to ScotRail, this decision was influenced by low passenger numbers and issues with anti-social behaviour connected to the adjacent derelict IBM premises. Although there is potential for services to restart following redevelopment of the site, no specific schedule has been announced. In February 2020, a planning proposal valued at £100 million was submitted for a mixed-use project that includes plans to reopen the station.
Services
Before operations ceased, an hourly service ran along the Inverclyde Line between Glasgow Central and . Despite this regular service, annual passenger figures sharply declined from over 100,000 to approximately 500 by the time of suspension.