Network Rail and their engineers have begun to demolish Consort House, in Glasgow, as redundant buildings in front of Glasgow Queen Street railway station make way for the new-look station.

Lightweight excavators, which have been craned onto the roof, have started the task of breaking up the concrete and steel floor by floor.

Progress has also continued inside Queen Street, with work underway to extend platform one. The demolition of the former ticket office and staff accommodation block on platform two is now complete.

Over the next few months, undertrack drainage will be created and foundations for the new overhead wires will be installed before 100 tonnes of ballast is laid to create the longer space needed for four-car trains to use the platform.

What did the officials say?

Alex Hynes, ScotRail Alliance managing director, said: “We are transforming Glasgow Queen Street and using a unique method to demolish these redundant buildings to create the space we need to construct a new landmark for Glasgow. Extending platform one and increasing its capacity from three to four carriage trains is also an important step in our plan to introduce more electric trains to Queen Street. The station redevelopment, and the recently completed electrification of the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line are all part of our plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had – delivering longer, faster trains with more seats.”

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