Glasgow Queen Street refurbishment and remodelling

[scotraildriver]

Will the new lifts at low level entrances replace the existing ones accessed from the high-level platform areas? Or are they additional meaning passengers entering the station from outside will no longer have to pass through the main line barriers for lift access to the platforms below?

Additional, but still behind the gateline.

 

[och aye]

There's still a considerable amount to do, but progress is slow due to limited numbers allowed on site. Work is still in progress at the low level entrances, new lifts and refurbishment of the pillars is ongoing with 5 now complete and looking splendid. This week the big new green arrows/red Xs above the barriers have been commissioned. All the 1970s facade remains at platform 7, the new retail unit there making progress, and the columns slowly bring revealed. New screens, signage and totems have been installed. I'll try and get some photos later this week.

Thanks for the update and it would be great if you are able to take and share some photos of what the station is looking like.

 

[scotraildriver]

A few pictures of progress.

 

[XAM2175]

A few pictures of progress.

1) Thanks for the pictures!
2) Yessss finally somebody's thought of status indicators over the gateline!

 

[edwin_m]

1) Thanks for the pictures!
2) Yessss finally somebody's thought of status indicators over the gateline!

London Bridge has these too.

 

[LocoCycle]

Thanks for the photos ... it looks great and I can't wait to see it in real life.

 

[och aye]

A few pictures of progress.
View attachment 90720View attachment 90721View attachment 90722View attachment 90723View attachment 90724View attachment 90725

That was fast reply!

Thanks for the images.

I'm still wondering is there a panel above the ScotRail sign on the departures board?

 

[XAM2175]

London Bridge has these too.

Let me rephrase:
Yessss finally somebody's thought of put status indicators over the a gateline! I've seen!

 

[ScottDarg]

Couple of updates from the twitter feed recently.

The work on Platform 8's West entrance is almost complete as of 22/02 - should in theory be open by now based on the wording of the tweet:

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailGQS/status/1363788081057435649?s=20

The makeover of platform 8's west entrance is almost complete! We're still doing some work in the foyer area on the upper level, so access is still via platform 2 for the rest of this week.

From Monday 08/03 the focus shifts to the North Hanover Street side which will close until 26/04:

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailGQS/status/1368140549169975300?s=20

On Monday, we'll close the North Hanover Street entrance to the High-Level until 26 April, so we can start working on this area of the station. The next nearest entrance is George Square, which has a lift available for step-free access. #GQS #ItsGonnaeBeGorgeous

 

[scotraildriver]

It's finished now and the doors onto platform 2 are now closed, all access now from the entrance at the gateline, athough can be accessed fom any gateline, not just the low level one and also from the high level platforms without going through a gate. (fare dodgers paradise)

 

[najaB]

fare dodgers paradise

If that's just while the work is being done on the North Hannover Street exit, there aren't going to be *that* many people travelling now so as long as they get the work finished in the next few weeks there shouldn't be a massive loss. If that's the permanent arrangement then somebody needs their head examined!

Edit: Oh, wait - you said access is from the high-level platforms. So, in theory at least, nobody should be on the high level platforms without a ticket.

 

[scotraildriver]

If that's just while the work is being done on the North Hannover Street exit, there aren't going to be *that* many people travelling now so as long as they get the work finished in the next few weeks there shouldn't be a massive loss. If that's the permanent arrangement then somebody needs their head examined!

Edit: Oh, wait - you said access is from the high-level platforms. So, in theory at least, nobody should be on the high level platforms without a ticket.

It is a permanent arrangement. Its always been an issue with people arriving at the High level without a ticket and transferring to the low level via the lifts to an un gated station. Except its now even easier as they can use the stairs too! Sorry if my post wasn't clear. You can't get out of Queen St without a ticket but you can transfer to the low level.

 

[najaB]

Its always been an issue with people arriving at the High level without a ticket and transferring to the low level via the lifts to an un gated station.

Ah, okay. I thought low-level was gated as well, I've not used it more than a couple of times.

 

[47271]

I suppose that those who were deliberate in their fare avoidance in the past would've known about the lift and used it. The addition of the stairs inside the gates will grow the potential for opportunist dodgers, but who knows how fare dodging splits between the intentional and the chancers.

Speaking for myself as a regular transferee between high and low, I was irritated by the excessive barrier checks, and potential for rejected tickets, when I used the stairs- so I'm quite happy with the new layout.

 

[XAM2175]

Ah, okay. I thought low-level was gated as well, I've not used it more than a couple of times.

Low-level is gated. @scotraildriver is saying that people who arrive at the high-level platforms without tickets can transfer to the low-level platforms and then travel onwards to ungated stations to exit the network.

Speaking for myself as a regular transferee between high and low, I was irritated by the excessive barrier checks, and potential for rejected tickets, when I used the stairs- so I'm quite happy with the new layout.

I agree - having to leave one gated paid area and then enter another one to change trains within the same station is a bit of a poor showing for people who've actually bought tickets.

 

[scotraildriver]

It's a tricky one. For people who have valid tickets going through the barriers is an unnecessary inconvenience, balanced against fare dodgers.

 

[och aye]

I wonder if ScotRail/Transport Scotland had a rough estimate as to how much revenue is lost due to people dodging fares between high and low street levels to justify the costs/potential congestion that having additional barriers during the station redesign?

 

[route101]

Noticed the toilets say for ticket holders only, does that mean the toilet barriers take tickets? They were open when I used them last week .

 

[themiller]

Noticed the toilets say for ticket holders only, does that mean the toilet barriers take tickets? They were open when I used them last week .

Not to be used by staff, then!

 

[christopherrfc]

scotrail are advertising leasing of retail units there seem to be 8 units but units 2 and 6 are not listed

Glasgow Queen Street Retail Opportunities | ScotRail

Glasgow Queen Street Retail Opportunities​

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• Tweet
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Glasgow Queen Street station has been undergoing an incredible transformation over the past couple of years.
We’re delighted the project is almost complete, and we now have six commercial opportunities available to rent of varying sizes within the station.
Situated in a prime location within Scotland's biggest city, the station enjoyed 16.68 million passenger entries and exits between 2019/20.
We are now open to all enquiries. If you would like to find out more, please contact:
Scott Morrison on 07701 376 144 or via email at [email protected]

What retail units are available?​

Unit 1​

Unit 3​

Unit 4​

Unit 5​

Unit 7​

Unit 8​

 

[scotraildriver]

Noticed the toilets say for ticket holders only, does that mean the toilet barriers take tickets? They were open when I used them last week .

The toilets at Queen St have become a nightmare recently as they are virtually the only toilets in the City Centre open. They have been heavily vandalised during recent events and multiple unconscious drug users pulled out so a customer only policy is now in place. It has become necessary to completely close them on occasion due to anti social behaviour, any customers directed to use the on train facilities. If you've got a ticket the train has a toilet. The days of charging to use the toilet helped with these problems but everyone moaned about that too.

 

[route101]

The toilets at Queen St have become a nightmare recently as they are virtually the only toilets in the City Centre open. They have been heavily vandalised during recent events and multiple unconscious drug users pulled out so a customer only policy is now in place. It has become necessary to completely close them on occasion due to anti social behaviour, any customers directed to use the on train facilities. If you've got a ticket the train has a toilet. The days of charging to use the toilet helped with these problems but everyone moaned about that too.

I often use the Glasgow Central ones, only other one open. The Queen St ones were quite nice, just opened when I used them.

Will be interesting to see what retail goes into Queen St.

 

[Blindtraveler]

That didn't take them long to vandalise the new Queen Street toilets. Very disappointing as I suspect the budget has now all been completely spent and they won't be refurbished for at least another decade. Bring back the charges and in my opinion they should never have been scrapped. They should have been raised in my view to a pound of time which might seem steep but would certainly keep out undesirables and ensure that facilities are nice and clean and modern and well cared for for those of us who do want to use them. The reality is I very rarely used station toilets for this reason and would much prefer to go on the train

Suspect that at least one of the retail units now being offered has been promised to boots and it's associated pharmacy who were drummed out of the old site prior to refurbishment and probably staying some kind of long-term framework agreement with ScotRail and network Rail to reopen a site there

 

[InOban]

I thought that the lack of charging at QS was a covid matter. NR don't charge at their stations (Central and Waverley in Scotland) but ScotRail were still charging at theirs, but not at the moment.

 

[najaB]

I thought that the lack of charging at QS was a covid matter. NR don't charge at their stations (Central and Waverley in Scotland) but ScotRail were still charging at theirs, but not at the moment.

That's my understanding too. Except, naturally, where the toilet is beyond the ticket barriers.

 

[Blindtraveler]

As there are still chargeable toilets operating regardless of the pandemic I think this is a bit of an own goal on ScotRail part and that whoever made the decision to do this should find some money in his budget for repairs to damage caused by their utter stupidity. Sorry if I'm sounding harsh here but this sort of thing really gets on my nerves

 

[najaB]

whoever made the decision to do this should find some money in his budget for repairs to damage caused by their utter stupidity

I can't agree that minimising cash handling in the context of a global pandemic can be described as "utter stupidity".

 

[47271]

The toilets at Queen St have become a nightmare recently as they are virtually the only toilets in the City Centre open. They have been heavily vandalised during recent events and multiple unconscious drug users pulled out so a customer only policy is now in place. It has become necessary to completely close them on occasion due to anti social behaviour, any customers directed to use the on train facilities. If you've got a ticket the train has a toilet. The days of charging to use the toilet helped with these problems but everyone moaned about that too.

Did one of those 'events' occur on Sunday 7 March by any chance?

 

[mde]

scotrail are advertising leasing of retail units there seem to be 8 units but units 2 and 6 are not listed

Interesting that Unit 7 is clearly listed on the specification as being the "First Class Lounge" - I'd guess a bar/restaurant was seen as a more viable option?

 

[route101]

I thought the barriers at the QS toilets could accept train tickets, so only for ticket holders.