Fire at Glasgow Central (08/03/26)

[realemil]

Image from X,
https://x.com/MakMcgarvey/status/2030747864251461646/photo/1

Photo shows the building collapsed with rubble on the floor and flames on the surrounding buildings

 

[scottishtrains]

It looks like 390129 is on platform 1 and 390123 on platform 2. I wonder if there's any plans to rescue them?

no point in my opinion, thats just endangering peoples safety

 

[hexagon789]

It looks like 390129 is on platform 1 and 390123 on platform 2. I wonder if there's any plans to rescue them?

If it comes to it, and hopefully it won't, but the safest thing is surely to let them burn?

Otherwise, you are potentially risking lives sending drivers in to drive them out of the station.

 

[realemil]

If it comes to it, and hopefully it won't, but the safest thing is surely to let them burn?

The fire is spreading to the front of the station, not to the back, so unless some catastrophe takes place, this is unlikely to make a difference to the trains platformed.

 

[Peter0124]

If it comes to it, and hopefully it won't, but the safest thing is surely to let them burn?

Otherwise, you are potentially risking lives sending drivers in to drive them out of the station.

Would it be safe to couple a 390 from Polmadie and tow them back?

 

[ainsworth74]

Otherwise, you are potentially risking lives sending drivers in to drive them out of the station.

I believe the OLE has been isolated so they ain't driving anywhere even if a) it was felt to be worthwhile rescuing them and b) you could find any drivers willing to do it.

 

[Mike395]

Would it be safe to couple a 390 from Polmadie and tow them back?

If there was any real risk of needing them moved at all, no. You'd still have to have someone there to supervise the coupling....

 

[marks87]

Image from X,
https://x.com/MakMcgarvey/status/2030747864251461646/photo/1

Photo shows the building collapsed with rubble on the floor and flames on the surrounding buildings

There’s a video on Reddit showing the collapse, with the large electronic advertising screen giving off a flash before falling:

https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/s/cimUATgClj

 

[hexagon789]

I believe the OLE has been isolated so they ain't driving anywhere even if a) it was felt to be worthwhile rescuing them and b) you could find any drivers willing to do it.

The OLE will very likely have been isolated, so it's really academic anyway as you point out

 

[Russel]

It looks like 390129 is on platform 1 and 390123 on platform 2. I wonder if there's any plans to rescue them?

Are they actually at risk, currently?

 

[JModulo]

Are they actually at risk, currently?

No.

 

[popeter45]

Are they actually at risk, currently?

yes and probably already damaged as the vape shop is right by the buffers

 

[hexagon789]

Are they actually at risk, currently?

Not currently and hopefully not at all.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Mar 2026 ==

yes and probably already damaged as the vape shop is right by the buffers
View attachment 199848

The buffers are a bit further down than that.

 

[realemil]

yes and probably already damaged as the vape shop is right by the buffers

No, this is incorrect. The image you have shown of Prime Vapour is not the one on fire. The one on fire is further up, and is to the right when you exit the station, next to the subway.



edit: this area is on fire:
Images of Google maps highlighting the building on fire

 

[Russel]

yes and probably already damaged as the vape shop is right by the buffers

There is also a large, stone wall between them.

 

[Lewisham2221]

yes and probably already damaged as the vape shop is right by the buffers
View attachment 199848

That's not the bit that's on fire. It's the corner building, where Subway and Shelter are.

 

[greaterwest]

No, this is incorrect. The image you have shown of this vape shop is not the one on fire. The one on fire is further up, and is to the right when you exit the station, next to the subway.

View attachment 199849

The initial explosion came from inside the apparently vacant shop next to Subway. You can see that in this video here.

https://old.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/1rodgvm/explosion/

 

[popeter45]

No, this is incorrect. The image you have shown of this vape shop is not the one on fire. The one on fire is further up, and is to the right when you exit the station, next to the subway.

ah thanks for pointing that out

 

[Russel]

That's not the bit that's on fire. It's the corner building, where Subway and Shelter are.

Is the new Avanti first class lounge in the affected area?

 

[Russel]

The initial explosion came from inside the apparently vacant shop next to Subway. You can see that in this video here.

https://old.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/1rodgvm/explosion/

Fair play for trying, but what was the bloke with the fire extinguisher hoping to achieve?

 

[realemil]

There’s a video on Reddit showing the collapse, with the large electronic advertising screen giving off a flash before falling:

https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/s/cimUATgClj

I downloaded the video in case anyone does not have Reddit and wishes to view it:

Video shows the building collapsing
View attachment rapidsave.com_the_sign_has_gone-aganwv5oxvng1.mp4

 

[Russel]

Another TikTok video lifted from Reddit, the fire has taken hold of the entire building on the corner above Blue Lagoon.

TikTok link

 

[Lewis10104]

Caledonian Sleeper cancelled from Glasgow Central (obviously) and now starting from Edinburgh Waverley, departing 00:00.

Customers advised to use ScotRail services from Queen Street to Waverley, ticket acceptance in place for this.

Travel Updates

Travel Updates | Caledonian Sleeper. View the latest travel updates, service alterations and planned engineering works for Caledonian Sleeper services.

www.sleeper.scot

 

[realemil]

Here is drone footage from the fire that is currently taking place, appears that the station is "unharmed" and just the corner building is on fire,

Source: TikTok URL

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Mar 2026 ==

Another TikTok video lifted from Reddit, the fire has taken hold of the entire building on the corner above Blue Lagoon.

TikTok link

Great minds think alike

 

[styles]

Fair play for trying, but what was the bloke with the fire extinguisher hoping to achieve?

In general I find people have a lot more faith in home/business fire extinguishers than they ought to.

Most places I've done fire training at work the guidance has either been to only bother if it's between you and the exit and small enough, or not bother at all.

A small fire extinguisher, potentially the wrong type, not even aimed at the source of the fire is going to do almost nothing. From the video it potentially looks like it makes have even made it worse.

 

[800001]

On a train upto Glasgow, running late. OK, Motherwell will do as there's the Glasgow suburban service from there, and Motherwell was already planned as a stop.

So instead they've decided to divert the train to Edinburgh and are telling us to get a train from there, which I reckon will be the the 2230, getting into Queen Street for 2318.

I guess running to Motherwell, where the train is supposed to drop passengers off, is too inconvenient for the railway

Irony is I'm only in Glasgow to meet with people from London, Newcastle, and three people from Glasgow, two of whom commute into Glasgow Central.

Think of the bigger picture here!

How many other trains in the Motherwell area (I don't know), what do they do with the train and others that would also be heading toward Motherwell?

If they could send it to Motherwell I'm pretty sure they would do!

A lot of people will be working extremely hard to get people to destinations, but an incident which suddenly knocks out a major terminus for many hours is not an every day occurrence.

 

[43096]

Think of the bigger picture here!

How many other trains in the Motherwell area (I don't know), what do they do with the train and others that would also be heading toward Motherwell?

Empty stock to Polmadie?

 

[Lewisham2221]

Here is drone footage from the fire that is currently taking place, appears that the station is "unharmed" and just the corner building is on fire,

Source: TikTok URL

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Mar 2026 ==


Great minds think alike

Yeah, it looks to be pretty much structurally separate from the station building. There could of course still be heat/smoke/water damage to the station building, and possibly some structural damage as a result of the collapse, but looks like it should be relatively unscathed.

 

[realemil]

Think of the bigger picture here!

How many other trains in the Motherwell area (I don't know), what do they do with the train and others that would also be heading toward Motherwell?

If they could send it to Motherwell I'm damn sure they would do!

A lot of people will be working damn hard to get people to destinations, but an incident which suddenly knocks out a major terminus for many hours is not an every day occurrence.

Not to mention that the trains are well, not going to Glasgow Central, so you would need to go to elsewhere, and get a bus or taxi from wherever into somewhere to Glasgow, but not the surrounding areas of the station as it's all shut... so Queen St probably quicker anyway

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Mar 2026 ==

Yeah, it looks to be pretty much structurally separate from the station building. There could of course still be heat/smoke/water damage to the station building, and possibly some structural damage as a result of the collapse, but looks like it should be relatively unscathed.

Yeah without a doubt some damage to the station and I imagine that it'll be closed for longer and not just tomorrow (Monday). Union St entrance probably be shut the longest, but station itself will probably be ok, one hopes.

 

[Russel]

Yeah, it looks to be pretty much structurally separate from the station building. There could of course still be heat/smoke/water damage to the station building, and possibly some structural damage as a result of the collapse, but looks like it should be relatively unscathed.

Didn't want to be the first to say it, but yeah, my take on it from the video is that the station it's self shouldn't have much to worry about, unless something goes very wrong.