It is situated 9 miles 71 chains (15.9 km) from Glasgow Queen Street, measured via Westerton and Maryhill.

As befits a junction station with two alternative routes to the city and access to both main stations there (Glasgow Queen Street Low Level and Glasgow Central Low Level) there are a wide range of destinations available.

Generally services to Helensburgh are nonstop to Dumbarton East, with the intermediate stations served by the Balloch terminating trains.

The Helensburgh Central trains run non-stop over the Yoker line as far as Hyndland, and continue to Edinburgh Waverley.

[8] In addition the station is the first (or last) stop for almost all West Highland Line services from Queen Street High Level to Oban and Mallaig via Fort William.