Glasgow station to get make-over

The transformation of one of Scotland’s most important railway stations, Glasgow Queen Street, has moved a step closer after a £112M tender was issued for its rebuild.

Scotland’s third busiest station, with 20M passengers a year, Glasgow Queen Street needs to expand to meet predicted growth to 28M passengers by 2030.

The station’s platforms and concourse also need to be extended to accommodate the faster, longer, greener electric trains being introduced to Scotland’s railway as part of the £742M Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).

Due for completion in 2019, the redevelopment will create a landmark, modern station which reflects Queen Street’s role as a gateway to the city and as an important departure point for visitors heading north and east.

The scope of the project will include:

• Demolition of the Millennium Hotel’s 1970s extension above the station
• Demolition of Consort House
• Removal of the canopy over the footway in Dundas Street
• Redevelopment of the station concourse, south and west façades, including reconstruction and extension of station buildings
• Improved station entrances at Dundas Street and George Square
• New lighting and public address systems
• New ticket office and staff accommodation block
• Construction of extended platforms to accommodate eight-car trains.

ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Phil Verster said: “This is another tremendously exciting step forward in our plans to transform Scotland’s railway. We recently announced our largest ever Train Improvement Plan, which will deliver new trains, thousands of extra seats and great facilities such as at-seat power points and enhanced Wi-Fi across our fleet.”