Glasgow Central station's high-level concourse will remain closed for the rest of the week following a devastating fire at a neighbouring building on Sunday night. Network Rail confirmed the closure is due to the instability of the mid-Victorian block on the corner of Union Street and Gordon Street, much of which collapsed during the blaze.
The low-level part of the station, used for local services, is set to reopen on Wednesday. No casualties were reported in the fire, but only the facade of the Gordon Street building remains after the inferno gutted the interior, which housed shops, offices, and retail space.
More than £160,000 has been raised via GoFundMe to assist affected business owners, many of whom lost stock and tools. Network Rail's route director, Ross Moran, stated: “Our priority is to make sure that we can reopen Glasgow Central as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reported that as of Tuesday afternoon, four fire appliances and one high-reach vehicle remained at the scene. The vape shop where the fire is believed to have started had not paid business rates and does not appear registered to sell tobacco or vaping products, according to an investigation by the Ferret news site.
Colin Borland, Scotland director of the Federation of Small Businesses, urged the Scottish government to replicate the support package provided after the 2018 Glasgow School of Art fire, which included a £5m recovery fund and business rates relief. He noted the economic impact of closing Scotland's busiest station for days could be significant.
