Demolition work has begun on a Victorian building severely damaged by a fire near Glasgow Central station, an incident that forced the closure of Scotland’s busiest railway hub earlier this week.
Glasgow City Council initiated the action, citing public safety concerns as the structure continued to collapse since the blaze erupted on Sunday afternoon.
The blaze originated in a vape shop on Union Street, rapidly spreading through the premises and around the corner, leaving only the facade at the junction with Gordon Street intact.
The incident led to the complete shutdown of Glasgow Central, though services on its lower level resumed on Wednesday.
The main section of the station is expected to remain closed for the remainder of the week.
Control of the site was formally transferred from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to Glasgow City Council on Thursday.
In a statement that day, the council said: “We are now in control of the Union Street site, and after a full and final assessment of the remaining structure our Building Standards team have decided that demolition must happen in the interests of public safety.”
On Friday, demolition vehicles arrived at the site and began the slow process of demolishing the building.
Workers could be seen in a cage suspended from a crane dismantling the remains of a chimney stack on a neighbouring building.
Network Rail said all available options for safely reopening the station were being explored, including whether a partial or phased reopening of some platforms might be possible.
It said engineers have so far not identified any significant structural issues with the station and that damage, mainly due to water ingress, appears to have been contained to a small office on the Union Street side of the station and a small part of the glazed area directly above it.
Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland said: “Our teams are prepared to carry out the detailed inspections, cleaning, repairs and operational checks that may be required, depending on the findings of the local authority’s assessment.
“We’re committed to completing this work as quickly and safely as possible once the station is returned to us.”
At the height of the incident, 18 fire appliances and specialist resources were at the scene.
Assistant chief officer Jon Henderson, SFRS director of prevention, said: “This was an incredibly challenging and complex incident which called upon resources and expertise from across the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“We are extremely proud of our staff and incredibly thankful to our partners for helping to bring this incident to a safe conclusion.
“Despite the scale and intensity of this fire, no firefighters or members of the public were hurt and some of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings were saved from further damage.”
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