Long-Lost Railway Sculpture Returns to Springburn After 20 Years

A landmark sculpture celebrating Scotland’s railway heritage has returned to public view after more than two decades in storage, finding a new home at Springburn railway station.

The piece, titled Heritage and Hope, was created in 1989 by artist Vincent Butler and reflects the deep-rooted railway traditions of the Springburn area. It portrays a railway worker and his daughter guiding a symbolic figure of hope, representing generations of families connected to locomotive building and the wider rail industry.

Following the closure of Springburn Museum in 2001, the sculpture was removed from display and remained out of sight for years. Its revival began in 2024 when local artist Mandy McIntosh took steps to secure its preservation and return.

Working alongside Network Rail, ScotRail and community groups including Springburn Shopping Centre and the Springburn Unity Network, the sculpture has now been restored and installed on platform one at the station.

As part of the project, Network Rail created a new plinth and positioned the artwork in a prominent location, ensuring it will be visible to the large number of passengers passing through the station each year.

The installation forms part of wider ambitions for the station, with further improvements under consideration, including accessibility enhancements and upgrades to the station frontage.

It also highlights a broader effort by rail organisations to celebrate local identity while investing in communities across Scotland.

Brian Maley, project manager for strategy and investment at Network Rail, said:

"We’re delighted to see Heritage and Hope return to Springburn. Springburn has played, and continues to play, an important role in Scotland’s railway story.”

Mandy McIntosh said:

"This sculpture is so important in recognising Springburn’s industrial heritage It’s fitting that Heritage and Hope now has a permanent home at the train station. It's a wonderful link to the future for people and place in an area of such significance."

Paul McKay, ScotRail communications director, said:

“Springburn has an incredible railway history, so it’s fantastic to see the Heritage and Hope statue back at the heart of the community that inspired it. This sculpture is a powerful reminder of the generations of railway workers and families who helped shape Scotland’s Railway and the communities around it.”

Image: Network Rail