Glasgow Central Station and Union Street will fully reopen on July 17 following a major fire in March that badly damaged a B-listed Victorian building. The fire broke out on March 8 in a vape shop on Union Street, spreading to adjacent structures and causing a collapse. Only the facade of the building at the junction with Gordon Street remained, but it was later demolished for safety.
Stabilisation and Reopening Timeline
Glasgow City Council confirmed that stabilisation work on a gable at the site is complete, and scaffolding has been removed. Union Street will fully reopen to pedestrians and vehicles at 1pm on July 17 after final works. Network Rail Scotland announced that the full station concourse will reopen on July 13, with the Union Street and Gordon Street entrances reopening on July 17.
Liam Sumpter, managing director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “The reopening of the Union Street and Gordon Street entrances is a significant milestone in Glasgow Central’s recovery and means the station will once again be fully open to passengers. Our teams have worked tirelessly over the past few months to prepare for this moment. Thanks to their efforts, we can now welcome passengers back through every entrance and return Scotland’s busiest station to normal operation.” He added: “With the Commonwealth Games just around the corner, it’s fantastic to be able to fully reopen the station and help Glasgow welcome visitors from across the world.”
Impact and Recovery Efforts
The fire caused significant damage, requiring extensive stabilisation works. Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, welcomed the reopening: “Throughout the recovery, our teams worked closely with Network Rail and industry partners to minimise disruption, provide clear travel information, and safely restore services. We’re pleased to see the station fully reopened and thank our customers for their patience and understanding while this vital work was carried out.”
Glasgow City Council has appointed architectural firm O’Donnell Brown to explore “meanwhile use” of the Union Corner site for the next four years before a permanent solution is found. Councillor Angus Millar, convener for city centre recovery, said: “I am pleased that the reopening of Union Street can now be confirmed, following the extensive work undertaken to clear the site after the fire earlier this year. This is a key stage in the recovery of the area around Central Station and will allow people and vehicles to move far more smoothly through this part of the city centre.” He thanked council staff, contractors, and partners for their efforts.
