Glasgow Queen Street refurbishment and remodelling

[InOban]

Having travelled today on the 08.57 from Oban, and talked to others, the long wait at Cowlairs is normal. Essentially a path inwards through Dalmuir/Westerton doesn't match a gap at Cowlairs.

 

[Class 170101]

I must have had a stroke or something because I cannot understand either the question or the response.

Paul1609 wants to know if the West Highland Train he was travelling on last Monday was delayed or has a 'planned' delay somewhere around Maryhill but he hasn't said what train he was on hence we need a bit more information then we can see if it was delayed or has pathing time?

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Thank you - it’s all crystal clear now that you have explained it I can see how all that can be extracted from the two posts.
Appreciated!

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Progress behind the partitions at platforms 4 and 5, courtesy of NetworkRailGQS on Twitter:



Saved me a trip in to Queen Street today

 

[PaxVobiscum]

My seagull had a chance encounter with an eagle (a very rare sight in George Square) the other day, and since eagles are used to flying at much higher altitudes, the latter was able to give us a new perspective on the works:

No birds or CAA regulations were harmed during the making of this image.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Platforms 4 & 5 now closed, and work started very like when 2 & 3 were done. Open fencing round the non hazardous bits of the site this time - looks a lot less intrusive. Twitter video, no commentary .

 

[Bald Rick]

I was up there recently, and now part of the new concourse space is available (but not finished) it makes quite a difference to the feel of the station.

 

[adrock1976]

According to the local rag the Evening Times, it seems that the Maryhill Park services are curtailed to run Anniesland - Ashfield on a 60 minute frequency, and the Edinburgh Waverley via Cumbernauld is curtailed to run to and from Springburn (with not very good connections to and from the Dumbarton Central trains).

I do recall reading a report a few years ago somewhere (I had saved the webpage on my previous hard drive that died back in 2017) that along the route of the Maryhill Park line, this is (or was) the part of the city that has the least amount of access to a private car, and that the train service acts as a community link across the north west of the city. The bus service in the Kelvindale area finishes early, and to my knowledge, there is no Sunday service or a very limited shopping hours service.

This is the second time this has happened. Being as the platform extensions at Queen Street do not directly benefit users on the Maryhill Park line, should the direct Dunblane services been suspended instead? Bridge of Allan and Dunblane passengers could change at Stirling or Larbert.

 

[alangla]

3rd time really- during the 2016 blockade, the Anniesland service was diverted to Cumbernauld or Falkirk. It’s been curtailed at Ashfield because of knackered pointwork, abandoned entirely for weeks because of bad weather and is the first thing to get cancelled if there’s a delay anywhere south of Aberdeen. One might suspect that both Abellio & First regard it as an inconvenience. Oh, when it doesn’t run there’s no bus replacement. Latterly there’s been acceptance on First Glasgow services but before that it was make your own arrangements!

 

[Stopper]

According to the local rag the Evening Times, it seems that the Maryhill Park services are curtailed to run Anniesland - Ashfield on a 60 minute frequency, and the Edinburgh Waverley via Cumbernauld is curtailed to run to and from Springburn (with not very good connections to and from the Dumbarton Central trains).

I do recall reading a report a few years ago somewhere (I had saved the webpage on my previous hard drive that died back in 2017) that along the route of the Maryhill Park line, this is (or was) the part of the city that has the least amount of access to a private car, and that the train service acts as a community link across the north west of the city. The bus service in the Kelvindale area finishes early, and to my knowledge, there is no Sunday service or a very limited shopping hours service.

This is the second time this has happened. Being as the platform extensions at Queen Street do not directly benefit users on the Maryhill Park line, should the direct Dunblane services been suspended instead? Bridge of Allan and Dunblane passengers could change at Stirling or Larbert.

Suspending Dunblane to Glasgow services wouldn’t work as there’s not that many of them, Dunblane and Bridge of Allan passengers have to use the odd Inverness/Dundee service to get to Glasgow without changing. I’d guess you’re meaning suspend the Alloa services with then changing at Stirling, but these services are quite busy.

 

[alangla]

Here’s a daft thought. Given the current basically useless Ashfield to Anniesland and Edinburgh to Springburn service, would there be paths available to run a circular GLQ LL - Springburn- Ashfield- Kelvindale - GLQ LL service, maybe 1TPH in either direction? Alternatively, how about 1 TPH going Edinburgh- Springburn- GLQ LL - Hyndland loop?

I know last time out some Argyle line services were chopped to allow the various diversions, but that was 2 x Edinburgh one side, 2 x Stirling the other plus West Highland trains added into the mix.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Vaguely on topic, here’s a short (But not short enough – Ed.) video featuring the two 56s that were hanging about Queen Street on Friday.

Perhaps I’ll have something a little more interesting next week (forlorn hope ).

EDIT: I suppose it might help if I included the link, but I probably did everyone a favour by forgetting to include it...

 

[NotATrainspott]

Here’s a daft thought. Given the current basically useless Ashfield to Anniesland and Edinburgh to Springburn service, would there be paths available to run a circular GLQ LL - Springburn- Ashfield- Kelvindale - GLQ LL service, maybe 1TPH in either direction? Alternatively, how about 1 TPH going Edinburgh- Springburn- GLQ LL - Hyndland loop?

I know last time out some Argyle line services were chopped to allow the various diversions, but that was 2 x Edinburgh one side, 2 x Stirling the other plus West Highland trains added into the mix.

That involves crossing over the E&G mainline at Cowlairs so it's not going to happen. During the blockade, no service trains were heading down towards Queen Street HL so there wasn't a capacity problem.

ScotRail have presumably found that cutting out the Queen Street HL bit of this service is enough to make it not worth running, but they're not easily able to just cancel the service completely. If you're dependent on running via Partick to get into Queen Street you may as well just switch to one of the frequent electric services there rather than running an infrequent diesel service.

I'm firmly of the opinion that the Maryhill line stations wouldn't open today if they hadn't been opened before. The 2tph service is largely a waste of time now given that those 2tph could serve a lot more people on other important routes. Back when the service started up in the 90s there wasn't the same demand on Queen Street HL. Closing the stations isn't an option now. By far and away the best plan for the future would be to subsume the service into the Glasgow Metro system which is now very seriously being discussed at a high level. Then it can get a higher frequency service which would be more useful for passengers while also freeing up those paths into the HL station.

 

[route101]

That involves crossing over the E&G mainline at Cowlairs so it's not going to happen. During the blockade, no service trains were heading down towards Queen Street HL so there wasn't a capacity problem.

ScotRail have presumably found that cutting out the Queen Street HL bit of this service is enough to make it not worth running, but they're not easily able to just cancel the service completely. If you're dependent on running via Partick to get into Queen Street you may as well just switch to one of the frequent electric services there rather than running an infrequent diesel service.

I'm firmly of the opinion that the Maryhill line stations wouldn't open today if they hadn't been opened before. The 2tph service is largely a waste of time now given that those 2tph could serve a lot more people on other important routes. Back when the service started up in the 90s there wasn't the same demand on Queen Street HL. Closing the stations isn't an option now. By far and away the best plan for the future would be to subsume the service into the Glasgow Metro system which is now very seriously being discussed at a high level. Then it can get a higher frequency service which would be more useful for passengers while also freeing up those paths into the HL station.

Do notice the Maryhill line being one of the quietest ,

 

[InOban]

A half-hourly train service doesn't compete with buses every few minutes.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

World exclusive! You saw it here first!
The new gentlemen’s toilet in the basement level of Queen Street station. What other wonders will be revealed in Update 41...

 

[Zanahoria]

World exclusive! You saw it here first!
The new gentlemen’s toilet in the basement level of Queen Street station. What other wonders will be revealed in Update 41...

View attachment 68711

Thank you very much for posting these updates - really appreciate being able to see the progress at Queen Street from Bristol. Looking forward to seeing the finished result when I go to Glasgow next year.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Update 41 now available - usual rubbish plus a wobbly tour behind the scenes at the site, courtesy of Joe Mulvenna, Project Manager for Network Rail.

It took a while to cobble it together - best part an hour's worth of 4K footage shot, (most of it mercifully not included ) and my phone was overheated and running out of memory, just like me. There may still be some glitches I haven't spotted.
WARNING: nearly 10 minutes you won't ever get back.

 

[InOban]

Excellent, thanks. I take it that the white bits on the glazing are spacers which will eventually be removed?

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Excellent, thanks. I take it that the white bits on the glazing are spacers which will eventually be removed?

And there was I thinking that when I retired I would finally be free of having to help other people with their questions about Windows .

I am sure that the white bits will not feature on the finished fenestration. I don’t actually know what their function is just now but they might be the mountings for finishing bars.

Now I’m going to have to actually watch some bits of these boring videos myself if I can’t find anyone to ask.

 

[och aye]

Update 41 now available - usual rubbish plus a wobbly tour behind the scenes at the site, courtesy of Joe Mulvenna, Project Manager for Network Rail.

It took a while to cobble it together - best part an hour's worth of 4K footage shot, (most of it mercifully not included ) and my phone was overheated and running out of memory, just like me. There may still be some glitches I haven't spotted.
WARNING: nearly 10 minutes you won't ever get back.

Thanks again for the updates and exclusive behind the scenes work @PaxVobiscum

 

[385001]

Update 41 now available - usual rubbish plus a wobbly tour behind the scenes at the site, courtesy of Joe Mulvenna, Project Manager for Network Rail.

It took a while to cobble it together - best part an hour's worth of 4K footage shot, (most of it mercifully not included ) and my phone was overheated and running out of memory, just like me. There may still be some glitches I haven't spotted.
WARNING: nearly 10 minutes you won't ever get back.

Thank you again for the update @PaxVobiscum. Very impressive the access you and your seagull have!

 

[385001]

Network Rail celebrating the completion of the glass panels installation.

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/first-glass-finish-for-queen-street

First glass finish for Queen Street
Engineers have completed work to install the 310 glass panels on Glasgow Queen Street station’s new frontage.

Covering an area of 734m2, the 21m-high floor-to-ceiling glazing will bring to life the striking design of the new exterior of Queen Street, from both inside and outside the station.

Completion of the glazing marks another milestone in the £120m transformation of Scotland’s third busiest station.

Inside Queen Street, engineers are also continuing with work to lengthen platforms 4 and 5 by 26m to allow new eight-carriage electric trains to use them.

Network Rail project manager Joe Mulvenna said: “The redevelopment of Queen Street will deliver a new landmark building for the city and with the completion of the front glazing passengers can really begin to see just how much their station has been transformed.

“Our engineers are working hard around-the-clock to complete this project for Scotland’s Railway.”

Once complete in spring 2020, the redevelopment will revitalise the station, delivering a contemporary building with an expanded concourse almost double the size of the old station, with fully-accessible entrances on Dundas Street and George Square.

The redevelopment is part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) – a Scottish Government-funded investment in the railway infrastructure across central Scotland delivered by Network Rail Scotland.

Glasgow Queen Street station opened in 1842 with the Victorian glass roof, which is now a category A listed structure, constructed three decades later and completed in 1878.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Network Rail celebrating the completion of the glass panels installation.

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/first-glass-finish-for-queen-street

Snap! At least it was sunny when I took mine.

[Establishing shot (track R to L):
GQS from George Square] 09232019_153529

 

[Meerkat]

It’s a bit bland. Is there going to be some fancy lighting or massive lettering??

 

[takno]

It’s a bit bland. Is there going to be some fancy lighting or massive lettering??

There is going to be a sign on it, but yeah I've got to admit I don't really love it from the outside. I mean it's better than what was there, it's fantastic on the inside, and I can't think of what would look better, but I can't quite escape the feeling that *something* should have been better

 

[Speed43125]

I'm just worried they'll platser one of those pink 'People Make Glasgow' banners all over the damn thing. Then again, a big Nation rail red emblem is probably not the best thing to have right off George Square, given it's connotations.
Does this look a bit out of place to others as well? you've got all this 19th century architecture, then just this particular 19th century building that happens to have glass all over it.

 

[Voyager lad]

I totally agree, I personally think it could’ve done with adding some form of colour or different material at some point. The facade of Newcastle Central incorporates glass with stone and I think it could’ve worked well here at Queen St if designed carefully. Similarly a non railway building, but the Sage in Newcastle also has a large glass front yet a clever use of materials makes it less stark. As someone who studies graphic design I can see a lot of low cost yet simple ways to add contrast through materials that would’ve still kept the modern look but made it a more appealing design. Of course the inside on the other hand is going to be a lot nicer!

 

[laseandre]

Then again, a big Nation rail red emblem is probably not the best thing to have right off George Square, given it's connotations.

Am I missing something? A big BR/NR logo would be pretty nice, and a good sign of what the building does - what connotations do you mean?

 

[edwin_m]

I wonder if projecting the curved profile of the trainshed roof through to the façade would have looked better - a bit like Liverpool Lime Street although there is it the end of the "genuine" trainshed that we see from the street. At most historic stations with arched trainsheds, the end buildings don't really tie in to it visually, but I don't see any reason to perpetuate that.