Glasgow Central will remain closed until at least Tuesday after a building next to Scotland’s busiest train station collapsed during a major fire.
National Rail said the station would remain closed without estimating when it would reopen after the fire, which is believed to have started at a vape shop on Union Street on Sunday afternoon.
The fire destroyed the Victorian Forsyth building, which surrounds a corner of the station in Glasgow city centre, destroying shops and businesses including a well-known fish and chip shop, Blue Lagoon, a saloon and a cafe.
On Monday morning, nine fire engines and three high-range vehicles from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were still at the scene, working to extinguish the remaining flames. No victims were reported.
There is no significant damage to the station, but Network Rail said it would remain closed all day while the fire was dealt with, as would surrounding streets, causing major disruption to transport services and commuters.
Paul Sweeney, a Scottish Labor MP and expert on Glasgow’s architectural heritage, urged firefighters and authorities to consider stricter inspections and regulations for vape shops.
After the fire started, witnesses reported hearing explosions inside the building, believed to have been caused by lithium batteries used by some vaping devices that were stored at the site, and flames were seen coming from the List B structure. By late Sunday afternoon, the fire had swept through much of the block, causing its dome to collapse.
“To see the whole building completely consumed in an inferno was really shocking,” Sweeney told BBC Radio Scotland on Monday morning. He added: “I think it’s just raised serious questions about the proximity of critical national infrastructure to these vape shops.”
“I think there are huge concerns that essentially Scotland’s busiest station could be wiped out by this kind of situation. It’s been completely wiped out, destroyed. I mean, the building is a destroyed shell. It looks like something out of the Blitz.”
Network Rail said west coast intercity services terminating at Glasgow Central will head to Preston, Carlisle or Motherwell, with commuters helped to find alternative train connections northwards.
ScotRail, Scotland’s national train operator, said both high-level platforms at the station would be closed, while trains using the low-level platforms would continue to run without stopping at the station. In a statement on Sunday evening, it warned there would be “limited” replacement rail buses.
“Unfortunately, we will not be able to operate train services in or out of the Glasgow Central upper level tomorrow due to the impact of the large fire near the station. Our trains operating through the Glasgow Central lower level will continue to run, but will not stop at the station.
“We apologize to customers for the impact this will cause and urge them to check their travel options before travelling, and we are aware that there will be very limited replacement transport.”
TransPennine Express said its services would not run between Glasgow Central and Liverpool Lime Street or Manchester Airport on Monday, while trains between Edinburgh and Newcastle/Manchester Airport would be subject to delays and cancellations in both directions.
The wider disruption also affected the closing night of the Glasgow film festival. A party would be held at the Central Hotel inside the station to celebrate the closing film, the directorial debut of Glasgow-born actor James McAvoy. The gala event was moved to Sauchiehall Street after the fire caused the station and hotel to close.
The SFRS said that at the height of the fire, it had 18 appliances and specialized vehicles on scene.
John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, said on Sunday: “I am deeply concerned about the fire this evening near Glasgow Central station and very grateful to all the emergency services who are responding.
“Please continue to follow travel instructions, avoid the area and stay safe.”
