Glasgow Central Station will partially reopen on Wednesday following a devastating fire that tore through a neighbouring building.
The main part of Scotland‘s busiest railway station has been closed since 8 March due to the huge blaze, which spread from a nearby vape shop on Union Street and destroyed the B-listed Victorian building.
Network Rail said the station’s high level will partially reopen on Wednesday, allowing a return of some ScotRail and cross-border train services.
Due to the ongoing demolition work, a cordon remains in place on the Union Street, Gordon Street and Hope Street entrances. Access will instead be provided via the low level entrances and the Hope Street carriage driveway.
Network Rail said the station will “look different” due to facilities and shops being closed, with barriers and signage marking the exclusion zone.
Passengers are also being urged to check their journeys, with timetable changes expected due to the reduced capacity of the station.
Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “We’re grateful for the patience and understanding shown by passengers, businesses and the wider community over this past week.
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“This has been an exceptionally challenging situation for everyone affected, and I want to thank all those involved who have worked tirelessly to get us to the point where we can safely welcome people back to the station.
“While temporary arrangements will remain in place for a little while longer, we want to reassure customers that our focus is on keeping them moving safely as services return.
“We’ll carry on working closely with all operators and partners to restore full access as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Glasgow City Council previously said it is in the interests of public safety to demolish what remains of the “very unstable” building which was ravaged by the fire.
Demolition experts have been working to safely tear down parts of the remaining structure.
At the weekend, First Minister John Swinney announced £11m in funding in response to the blaze.
A £10m support package will aim to help the council, businesses and agencies rebuild, while up to £1m will go towards the cost of demolition.
ScotRail said comprehensive safety checks had been carried out ahead of Glasgow Central’s partial reopening.
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David Ross, ScotRail chief operating officer, said: “We realise the closure is causing significant disruption for our customers, and we’re very sorry for the impact it is still having on journeys.
“Resuming services on more than half the high level platforms in the station is a big step forward and will ensure as many people as possible can travel into Glasgow city centre.
“The safety of our customers and staff remains our absolute priority, and while we have limited platforms and access points to the station available, we will operate as many services as we can.
“We will keep the timetable under regular review and when it is safe to add more services we will do so.”
