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Glasgow Central returns to normal timetable after fire

News imageGetty Images Passengers on a busy station platformGetty Images
Some passenger services restarted last week

Glasgow Central station will reopen all platforms and operate a full timetable on Wednesday for the first time since a major fire engulfed a nearby building.

The main entrance remains closed and there is a small exclusion zone within the station but facilities including the shops, ticket office and toilets will reopen.

The fire on Sunday 8 March, which began in a vape shop on Union Street, destroyed a Victorian building at the junction with Gordon Street, with only the façade left standing.

Network Rail said that substantial progress had been made on demolishing the historic building and making it safe to open all the platforms in the station.

News imageGlasgow Central station will boards around its main entrance
The main entrance to Glasgow Central Station remains closed

Rail services did not operate at all from Glasgow Central's high-level platforms for 10 days after the fire.

But last week, platforms seven to 15 were reopened and operators began a reduced timetable.

Network Rail has now reopened platforms one to six, meaning a normal timetable can resume.

News imagegraphic showing the entrances to Glasgow central station
Entrances on the west and south of the station are open but the main Gordon Street entrance remains closed

The main Gordon Street entrance and the Union Street entrance will remain closed as part of the small remaining exclusion zone.

Passengers can use the upper Hope Street entrance, the Hope Street driveway and the low-level entrances to enter and leave the station.

Network Rail said the reopening follows detailed inspections, cleaning, repairs and operational checks.

Which services are returning?

A limited timetable returned to several routes last week, but ScotRail services that have not run since the fire will now return to:

  • Edinburgh - Glasgow Central via Shotts/Carstairs
  • Cathcart Circle - Glasgow Central
  • Paisley Canal - Glasgow Central
  • Newton - Glasgow Central
  • Barrhead - Glasgow Central
  • Neilston - Glasgow Central
  • Ardrossan South Beach/Harbour - Glasgow Central

Altered routes will also return to normal:

  • Glasgow – Largs
  • Glasgow – Dumfries/Carlisle
  • Glasgow – Stranraer

Avanti West Coast will go back to running its full timetable of two trains per hour.

Passengers are still advised to check their journey before travelling.

What about around the station?

The disruption caused by the fire affected many businesses in the area as well as bus travel down Union Street, a major route for public transport.

Glasgow City Council, which is responsible for the safety of the fire site and nearby area, said that the exclusion zone remained in place.

This means that some businesses around Gordon Street, Union Street and Renfield Street - such as branches of Sainsbury, Tesco and the Yorkshire Building Society - are still closed.

Buses are still unable to travel down Union Street so diversions remain in place.

Why was Glasgow Central Station closed?

News imageGetty Images A dome of a Victorian building on fire. There is a crane with a firefighter spraying water on the flames and other buildings surrounding it in darkness.Getty Images
A fire originating in a ground-level vape shop engulfed the Victorian building and led to the nearby Glasgow Central station being closed

The fire started in a vape shop on Union Street at about 15:45 on Sunday 8 March, with firefighters called soon after.

The blaze later engulfed the entire building which occupied the corner of Union Street and Gordon Street, next to Glasgow Central Station.

The building known as Union Corner, dates back to 1851, pre-dating the station which opened in 1879.

The structure collapse with only part of the façade left standing.

This has been demolished by Glasgow City Council with work continuing to remove the rubble.