Glasgow Central Station to fully reopen more than two weeks after massive blaze

Glasgow Central Station will fully reopen on Wednesday following a massive blaze that destroyed a historic building in the city centre.

Scotland’s busiest railway station was closed after a Union Street building was torn through by a fire, which broke out at a ground-level vape shop on March 8.

The travel hub was partially reopened last week, however, it was unable to fully open until the neighbouring building’s façade was demolished.

Network Rail has confirmed that Central Station will return to full capacity on Wednesday, more than two weeks after the incident.

A small exclusion zone will remain in place on the high-level concourse while Glasgow City Council continues its remediation work on the affected building.

The Gordon Street and Union Street entrances will also remain closed.

Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “Glasgow Central is at the heart of the city and is Scotland’s busiest station, and we’ve been fully focused on getting everyone back safely.

“The aftermath of the fire has been a significant challenge for everyone involved, but our teams have been working tirelessly to restore the station and support our passengers, train operators and retailers.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding. Their cooperation has made a difficult situation easier and we’re grateful for the support shown.

“Our priority now is to keep people moving safely and give everyone who relies on this station a smooth and welcoming experience on Wednesday.”

Normal timetable resumes, says ScotRail

ScotRail said platforms one to 15 can now be used from the start of service on Wednesday.

A limited timetable returned to several routes last week, but with all platforms available, ScotRail services will also now return to:

Edinburgh – Glasgow Central via Shotts/Carstairs.
Glasgow Central – Cathcart Circle.
Glasgow Central – Paisley Canal.
Glasgow Central – Newton.
Glasgow Central – Barrhead.
Glasgow Central – Neilston.

Alterations which were in place for the following services during the disruption will also end:

Glasgow – Ardrossan Harbour.
Glasgow – Largs.
Glasgow – Dumfries/Carlisle.
Glasgow – Stranraer.

Customers are advised to check their journey before travelling as there may be some minor alterations to services due to some trains being out of position following the station closure.

The reopening of the remaining platforms has been confirmed following comprehensive safety checks by Glasgow City Council and Network Rail and as the safe demolition of the building next to the station continues.

However, not all entrances and exits to the high level are open. An exclusion zone around the area worst affected by the fire is still in place.

The entrances to the station on Gordon Street and Union Street will remain closed until further notice, ScotRail said.

Customers will be able to enter and exit the station via:

Upper Hope Street (adjacent to Waterloo Street), which reopened to customers on Sunday.
The access point known as the carriage driveway, which is used during special events.
The low level areas on both Hope Street and Argyle Street.

David Ross, ScotRail Chief Operating Officer, said: “This is excellent news for our customers, and I am very pleased we will be able to resume our normal timetable when Glasgow Central High Level reopens for business on Wednesday.

“We understand how frustrating the closure has been for customers whose journeys have been disrupted, and we’re very sorry for the impact it has had.

“The safety of our customers and staff is our priority, and the decision to reopen the high level has only been taken following comprehensive safety checks by Glasgow City Council and Network Rail.

“We know some people will be travelling by rail for the first time since the fire, so we will have staff on hand at Glasgow Central and across the network to support customers and answer any questions.”