Disruption from huge fire at historic building next to Glasgow Central continues

Key Points

Glasgow Central closed until further notice with no services in or out
City centre road closures in place
18 fire engines and specialist resources sent to the scene at height of blaze
More than 250 firefighters involved since alarm raised at 3.46pm on Sunday
First Minister John Swinney ‘deeply concerned’ by the scenes
ScotRail expects disruption to last for ‘several days’

Glasgow city centre is facing another day of disruption in the aftermath of a huge fire that destroyed a historic building near Central Station.

Scotland’s busiest railway station will remain closed on Tuesday, with no estimate on when the station will reopen following the blaze on Union Street.

The fire started at around 3.46pm on Sunday and quickly engulfed the entire building on Union Corner next to Central Station, causing “enormous damage” and the loss of the building’s dome.

More than 200 firefighters were involved in the incident, with 18 fire engines and a specialist resource deployed to the scene at the height of the blaze.

Only the facade of the building at the corner of Gordon Street and Union Street has been left standing.

Network Rail said Glasgow Central will remain closed until further notice as structural engineers assess the stability of the remaining building.

They confirmed they are working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at the scene.

Four fire engines and two high reach appliances remained at the scene at 6.30am on Tuesday.

ScotRail said disruption is expected to last for “several days”.

No trains will run to or from the high-level platforms at Scotland’s busiest station, while trains that run through the low-level platforms will not call at Glasgow Central.

Passengers will be able to board and depart at Anderston and Argyle Street stations.

A multi-agency investigation is set to be undertaken to establish the cause of the incident.

Road closures

The public has been urged to avoid the area if possible and plan ahead for any journeys.

Road closures have been put in place:

• Renfield Street at West George Street

• St Vincent Street at West Nile Street

• West Nile Street southbound from Bath Street

• Still in place at Broomielaw between Oswald Street and Jamaica Street

• Vehicles can go over King George V bridge and turn left onto Broomielaw

• Clyde Street westbound, turn right onto Glasgow Bridge and then back over King George V bridge

Explainer

What do we know about the Union Street fire?

More than 200 firefighters have been involved in efforts to bring the blaze under control

‘Enormous damage and disruption’

First Minister John Swinney, who visited the scene of the fire on Monday morning, said the blaze had caused enormous damage and would lead to significant disruption.

He said: “There is a significant incident that has been dealt with here in the city of Glasgow and I’m relieved in all the efforts of our emergency services that there have been no injuries.

“There’s obviously a huge amount of disruption for members of the public in the west of Scotland as a consequence of the closure of Central Station and the closure of a number of roads, so there’s a very focused recovery operation under way just now involving all partners.

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“The disruption from this incident is absolutely enormous because Central Station in Glasgow is the busiest in Scotland – a huge number of passengers go in and out of the station every day – and the adjoining roads that are closed will also add to congestion in and around the city.

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“The government recognises that this is an unexpected and extraordinary incident to affect the city of Glasgow, so there will be numerous businesses affected and we will work with Glasgow City Council to support the council and businesses as part of the recovery operation.

“The government will be active supporters of that process, we’ll be financial contributors to that process to make sure we can get the city centre of Glasgow up and running as quickly as we can.”

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said the incident could have been “so much worse” without the actions of fire crews.

“This is another reminder of just how important Glasgow city centre is to Scotland’s national life”, she said. “It has no equivalent in terms of economic and cultural impact.

“Ensuring a swift recovery and longer-term restoration must be a priority for all levels of government in the weeks ahead.”

A spokesperson for Scottish Fire and Rescue said on Monday afternoon: “We were alerted at 3.46pm on Sunday, March 8, to reports of a fire affecting the ground floor of a four-storey commercial building on Union Street, Glasgow.

“More than 250 firefighters have been involved in the effort in total to make the area safe since the alarm was raised.

“As of this morning [Monday], nine fire appliances and three high-reach vehicles remain at the scene.

“At the height of the incident, 18 fire appliances and specialist resources – including a high volume pump drawing water from the River Clyde – were deployed to the scene.

“There are no reported casualties, but the fire has caused extensive damage to the building, including the loss of its iconic dome.”

‘Follow alternative travel arrangements’

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “Glasgow Central Station remains closed following the fire in a building on Union Street on Sunday.

“While the fire is now under control, emergency services are still on site, and we continue to support their response.

“The station will remain closed today and likely tomorrow. Timescales for reopening will only be confirmed once we are able to safely gain access and carry out the necessary checks.

“All services to and from Glasgow Central are currently suspended, and passengers should continue to follow alternative travel arrangements as advised by their train operators.

“We will provide further updates as soon as more information is available.”

David Ross, ScotRail Chief Operating Officer, said: “Glasgow Central will remain closed on Tuesday while the impact of the fire in the building next to the station is assessed and we expect disruption to continue for several days.

“We’d like to thank our colleagues in the fire and emergency services who worked incredibly hard to tackle the blaze and prevent it from spreading to the station itself.

“We know this closure will cause significant disruption for our customers, and we’re very sorry for the impact this will have on their journeys.

“Our teams are working hard to keep people moving where possible, and we’d encourage customers to check their journey before travelling using the ScotRail app or website.”

Crews remain at the scene as of 6.30am on Monday. STV News

TransPennine Express said its services would not run between Glasgow Central and Liverpool Lime Street or Manchester Airport on Monday, while trains between Edinburgh and Newcastle/Manchester Airport will be subject to delays and cancellations in both directions.