Engineers have begun the demolition of redundant buildings in front of Glasgow Queen Street make way for the new-look station in Scotland.
Consort House and the adjoining Millennium Hotel extension need to be removed to make way for the new station frontage, expanded concourse and entrances and new longer platforms as part of the station’s redevelopment.
The new station is being delivered as part of the Scottish Government-funded Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme.
Work is expected to be complete in 2020, creating a contemporary, distinctive building.
Lightweight excavators, which have been craned over 30m onto the roof, have now begun the process of breaking up Consort House’s reinforced concrete and steel frame floor-by-floor.
Progress also continues inside Queen Street, with work now underway to extend platform one. With the demolition of the former ticket office and staff accommodation block on platform two now complete, engineers are extending platform one by 50m.
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Over the coming months, undertrack drainage will be created and foundations for overhead power masts installed before 100 tonnes of ballast and 50 metres of new sleepers and rails are laid to create the longer space needed for four-car trains to use the platform.
ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes said: “We are transforming Glasgow Queen Street and using a unique method to demolish these redundant buildings to create the space we need to construct a new landmark for Glasgow.
“Extending platform one and increasing its capacity from three to four carriage trains is also an important step in our plan to introduce more electric trains to Queen Street.
“The station redevelopment, and the recently completed electrification of the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line, are all part of our plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had – delivering longer, faster trains with more seats.”
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