Glasgow Queen Street refurbishment and remodelling

[Clansman]

Does anyone have a diagram of the proposed platform extensions vs original layout?

 

[adrock1976]

Going by the above image, I take the assumption that Platforms 6 and 7 are not being extended towards George Square?

 

[Clansman]

Going by the above image, I take the assumption that Platforms 6 and 7 are not being extended towards George Square?

Correct. This has also been shown on the visualisations that Network Rail released a while back.

 

[Altnabreac]

Going by the above image, I take the assumption that Platforms 6 and 7 are not being extended towards George Square?

Correct. Platform 7 can take the 8 x 23m trains without any extension. Platform 6 will be limited to 7 coach trains but with 5 platforms able to take the 8 coach trains (2,3,4,5,7) they don’t need to extend Platform 6.

 

[Clansman]

Correct. Platform 7 can take the 8 x 23m trains without any extension. Platform 6 will be limited to 7 coach trains but with 5 platforms able to take the 8 coach trains (2,3,4,5,7) they don’t need to extend Platform 6.

I thought 6 could only take 6 x 23m?

 

[kilonewton]

Correct. Platform 7 can take the 8 x 23m trains without any extension. Platform 6 will be limited to 7 coach trains but with 5 platforms able to take the 8 coach trains (2,3,4,5,7) they don’t need to extend Platform 6.

Platforms 2 & 5 will be 7x23m coach maximum. They are 6 coaches currently.

 

[railjock]

I assume that re-instating the lost platforms at the high level station is either impossible or wouldn’t resolve the capacity issues?

 

[Carntyne]

It's not necessary at the moment, but passive provision in the plan for a "Platform 9".

 

[RLBH]

It's not necessary at the moment, but passive provision in the plan for a "Platform 9".

Platform 10, surely, as 8 and 9 are currently in the low level station?

Can't help but wonder if there is anything prohibiting the extension of 6 & 7 in a similar manner at a future date, should an additional 8-car platform be required. It would also leave Platform 7 as a 9-car platform, which is an interesting thought even if it's largely useless.

 

[najaB]

I assume that re-instating the lost platforms at the high level station is either impossible or wouldn’t resolve the capacity issues?

Are there really capacity issues at Queen Street - as in number of platforms? It never seems that they're struggling to get services to fit. If anything the capacity issue is the tunnel.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

As if never ending Brexit wasn’t boring enough, Update 33 (filmed on 9th April) is now uploaded:


There’s a couple of spotters (sorry, enthusiasts) at Queen Street briefly featured and we see an Aberdeen HST leaving without breaking down

My thanks to young Damien and his granny who came up for the day all the way from Ayrshire to trainspot. He is doing well with the 385s.

 

[najaB]

As if never ending Brexit wasn’t boring enough, Update 33 (filmed on 9th April) is now uploaded...

Thanks for the good work. Hopefully Brian (that is the seagull's name, right?) has been fed.

 

[InOban]

Wouldn't creating a route into a platform 10 involve shortening 7 at its outer end? So you would need to extend it at the concourse end.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Thanks for the good work. Hopefully Brian (that is the seagull's name, right?) has been fed.

Thank you for your concern, najaB. The seagull’s name is Jonathan, and he came from Livingston. (I know it’s not near the sea, but it is a bit of a dump.)
He is allowed to fly there if he keeps his transponder on and squawks 1200 although some of the workers have said “Guano nae dae that!” when he flies overhead.

 

[Macwomble]

Thanks for the good work. Hopefully Brian (that is the seagull's name, right?) has been fed.

+1

 

[kilonewton]

Wouldn't creating a route into a platform 10 involve shortening 7 at its outer end? So you would need to extend it at the concourse end.

To extend 6&7 you’d probably need to demolish part of the Millennium Hotel. The hotel extension won’t be missed by anyone, think the main hotel is somewhat more problematic to remove, politically wise.

 

[och aye]

Thank you for your concern, najaB. The seagull’s name is Jonathan, and he came from Livingston. (I know it’s not near the sea, but it is a bit of a dump.)
He is allowed to fly there if he keeps his transponder on and squawks 1200 although some of the workers have said “Guano nae dae that!” when he flies overhead.

Excellent work once again PaxVobiscum & Jonathan the seagull.

 

[385001]

As if never ending Brexit wasn’t boring enough, Update 33 (filmed on 9th April) is now uploaded:

Thanks for the update @PaxVobiscum and Jonathan.

 

[385001]

The Network Rail GQS twitter account posted this image earlier this afternoon.

Looks fantastic and so much space!

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailGQS/status/1116705927552483329

 

[PaxVobiscum]

This is where it will be happening from Monday 15th April - the previously excavated area in front of platforms 2 - 6:



Here’s what it looked like in 2016 (a couple of screenshots from Update 10)

 

[mcmad]

Will be interesting to see what happens with the gate line while this is going on. It can get busy enough with the current set up without reducing it further. Also how will access to Platform 1 (and the low level) be maintained while Platforms 2 and 3 are OOU? Put the old entrance to the low level back in with an additional door to P1?

 

[PaxVobiscum]

An interesting post yesterday on the Glasgow Queen St Station Redevelopment thread on the skyscrapercity forum which cites a new Glasgow City Council report about the business case for the North Hanover Street/Buchanan Galleries redevelopment TIF.

Some info about the North Hanover Street development and Buchanan Galleries in this council report.

Confirms that the proposal is for an office block up to 300k sq ft on top of the development deck with three storeys of station retail below. Network Rail will deliver the podium deck and in tandem procure a developer to progress the office development.

The TIF will be reconfigured so that NDR from the office and retail could fund £30 million of new borrowing to spend on public realm improvements. George Square will be one of the options considered.

Land Securities still intends to build the southern extension to BG and refurbish the existing centre. The larger extension won’t be happening and the car park will remain where it is.

The report which is to be discussed on 18th April is here

 

[InOban]

I'm slightly surprised by the idea of three storeys of station retail...

 

[PaxVobiscum]

This is where it will be happening from Monday 15th April - the previously excavated area in front of platforms 2 - 6:

View attachment 61476

From NetworkRailGQS on Twitter today (slightly tweaked):

 

[mcmad]

I'm confused now as that isn't around the previously excavated area in front of platforms 2/3.

 

[gsnedders]

I'm confused now as that isn't around the previously excavated area in front of platforms 2/3.

This is beyond it, where the new buffer stops (and excavated overrun beyond) and OHLE attachment points will be.

 

[kilonewton]

The platform extensions between the current end of the platforms and the area that is now hoarded off cannot be commenced until the new concourse is far enough along to be able to be used. Otherwise there’d be no useable concourse, and the station would be closed.

 

[mcmad]

That's not what the twitter quoted above says, platforms 2 and 3 to be extended before the festival and 4 & 5 after but I can't see how that will work in practise unless they are going to deck over the extensions temporarily but that would just be double work for little gain.

 

[Altnabreac]

That's not what the twitter quoted above says, platforms 2 and 3 to be extended before the festival and 4 & 5 after but I can't see how that will work in practise unless they are going to deck over the extensions temporarily but that would just be double work for little gain.

The twitter clearly said the hoardings would move slightly into the concourse to allow the work.

As there aren’t any hoardings on the platform side of the concourse it is obvious with hindsight that this work was always intended to be isolated sections on the new platform ends and not a digging out of the frangible sections which will need to remain as concourse for now.

I’ll admit I didn’t understand what it meant at first but re-reading the tweets it becomes clear.

 

[takno]

That's not what the twitter quoted above says, platforms 2 and 3 to be extended before the festival and 4 & 5 after but I can't see how that will work in practise unless they are going to deck over the extensions temporarily but that would just be double work for little gain.

Given that the bays are already excavated, and may very well be lined and ready to use, they may only need a weekend to dig them out. It's the buffer stops and electrification posts at the end that will need the work. In any case, are they planning on having part on the new concourse open by then? The greenhouse looks like it's mostly up