A £1.2 million project to renew track at Glasgow Central’s platform 1 is progressing well, Network Rail has said.
Engineers have been on site at Scotland’s busiest station since early March removing rail along the length of the platform and breaking out sections of concrete slab beneath.
More than 100 timber sleepers have been replaced with focus now turning to hanging and installing all 723 baseplates which sit under the rail and help keep it simple. The team also plans to renew signalling cables, clean the buffers, and upgrade the tactile paving along the platform.
The platform has been closed during the works, with the project running alongside the existing closure of the West Coast Main Line at Carstairs Junction to minimise the impact on passengers and is expected to open on time on May 12, Network Rail said.
During a visit to Glasgow Central to see the progress made, Liam Sumpter, Scotland’s railway route director, said, “These essential works at Glasgow Central station will ensure we continue to run a safe and reliable railway. Had we used normal access arrangements this work would be spread over a period of approximately four years’ worth of Saturday nights and would be considerably more costly. Instead, we’ve planned this 10-week programme to run at the same time as the closure of Carstairs Junction so that disruption to passengers is kept to a minimum.
“We have made some efficiencies in costs and timescales and have used this to allow for a deep clean of Platform 1 and removal of overgrown vegetation which is difficult to access during normal circumstances. We continue to thank passengers for their patience and understanding while we undertake these essential works.”
