Public to help with Queen Street station redesign

The new look designs for the exterior of Glasgow's Queen Street station. Picture: Network Rail

The company has also unveiled updated designs for how the station will look, which reflect changes made to the plans following the first round of consultation with passengers and public.

Scotland’s third busiest station with 20m passengers a year, Glasgow Queen Street needs to expand to meet predicted growth to 28m passengers by 2030 and to accommodate the longer trains that will be running on key routes in the future.

As well as overhauling Queen Street’s rail infrastructure and operational capabilities, the redevelopment will transform passenger facilities and improve how the station interacts with the surrounding city.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “Queen Street is one of Scotland’s most important stations. This consultation is informing plans which will transform the station into a 21st century transport hub.

“It will be an inviting and enjoyable place for people to begin or end their journey on some of Scotland’s busiest rail routes, including the improved Glasgow-Edinburgh via Falkirk line through the EGIP scheme, which will result in 30% more seats and around 20% faster journey times on our flagship route.

“The redevelopment of Queen Street station will be another huge benefit of EGIP, which has already delivered the stunning new-look £25m Haymarket Station in Edinburgh, as well as improving journeys and facilities for passengers at all points in between.”

David Dickson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, added: “The proposals unveiled for the second phase of consultation demonstrate that we have listened to, and acted on, what people are telling us they want to see at the station.

“Listening to what passengers, and those who live near the station, think of this exciting new vision for the future Queen Street, and enabling them to contribute to creating that vision, has enriched the proposals.

“The feedback we receive in this second phase will be just as important in shaping a station which better serves passengers, serves Glasgow and creates a landmark development in this iconic location.”

Changes made to the original plans following the first phase of public feedback include a new design of the facade, a widening of the stairs at the entrance onto George Square, a realignment of the ticket barriers to provide more space and a consultation on maximising provisions of disabled access and of facilities.

With construction work due to begin in 2015 and complete in 2019, the project to redevelop Queen Street will:

• Create a landmark, modern station which reflects Queen Street’s role as a gateway to the city and also as an important departure point for visitors heading north

• Redevelop the east side of the building to extend the Buchanan Galleries and create new passenger facilities over two levels

• Redesign the concourse to double public floor space, extend platform lengths, improve passenger circulation and enhance waiting areas, entrances and catering / retail space

• Replace the current 1970s entrance, and the hotel extension above, with a 500m2 modern glass frontage.

The second part of the public consultation will run from today until Monday, December 22. The report on part one (which took place from February to May) has been published at www.queenstreetredevelopment.com.

• Comments or questions can be sent to [email protected].