THE redevelopment of Glasgow’s Queen Street station has entered its final phase, Network Rail has announced.
October marks three years since Balfour Beatty began the £120 million refurbishment of Scotland’s third-busiest station, which allowed for the creation of a new concourse, entrances and facilities without closing it to passengers during the project.
The final phase of work commenced this week (October 26), which will see the repainting of ten cast-iron pillars that support the A-listed, 142-year-old, barrel shaped glass roof. Each pillar is over five metres tall and will be sandblasted before being repainted with a blue base, white column and gold top.
Kevin McClelland, Network Rail route delivery director for infrastructure projects, said, “The redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street has been a remarkable project to be involved with in every sense.
“While externally the striking new look of the station has been in place for some time, recent months have seen much of the interior elements being completed during a period when the team also adapted to a new way of working.
“We are now in the final phase of the redevelopment work, with our focus over the remaining weeks on completion of the high level foyer area to platforms eight and nine, and also painting several of the Victorian pillars within the station, which have been unveiled for the first time in decades.
“The team is hard at work on these elements as we push towards the station’s relaunch at the end of this year, having delivered a modern transport hub for the 21st century and beyond.”
Margaret Hoey, ScotRail station manager for Queen Street, added, “The redeveloped station, coupled with our investment in new longer, greener electric trains is transforming what we can offer our customers at Glasgow Queen Street. The new station also provides an impressive gateway for visitors arriving into Glasgow and for tourists heading north.”
