One of the main exits at Glasgow Central station will reopen on Sunday, two weeks after a fire in a nearby building forced the station to close for several days. The exit on to Hope Street will operate as a route out of the station only, while the central concourse remains cordoned off as demolition work progresses on the fire-damaged building outside.
The main part of the station partially reopened on Wednesday, with low-level entrances and the Hope Street carriage driveway coming back into use. However, the Gordon Street and Union Street entrances remain shut. The fire began in a vape shop on Union Street on 8 March and spread through the building, leaving only the facade of the Victorian building at the junction with Gordon Street standing.
Demolition of the facade began on Wednesday and is expected to be completed by the end of Friday, according to Glasgow City Council. Network Rail Scotland said train services will continue to arrive and depart from platforms seven to 15 only, with platforms one to six remaining unavailable as demolition work continues.
Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail, thanked passengers for their patience and said: “Reopening the Hope Street exit is a positive step forward, but there’s still vital work under way. We’re asking passengers to keep bearing with us while these safety measures are in place.” Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken also expressed gratitude to teams working around the clock, noting that public safety remains the first priority.
The council said the next phase of demolition will involve removing rubble from the site, and the safety cordon around the area will not be reduced at the moment due to large vehicles still being present. Services in the lower level of the station resumed on Wednesday last week.
