Fire at Glasgow Central (08/03/26)

[Warrior2852]

I'd be very surprised if Glasgow Central was closed for a long period of time, the way people are going on, you'd think the station itself caught fire and will never reopen ever again!

It'll take a bit of time to ensure that the building is structurally sound - even if there isn't much in the way of visible damage to the main station, things could have been weakened and that'll all need checking.

 

[zwk500]

Is the fire even fully out yet? The railway won't know what the state of play is until the Fire Brigade hand back the site.

 

[Strathclyder]

Union St all the way down to Four Corners has needed attention for ages. I guess this forces the point but the demolition of what's left followed by the planning of whatever will replace it and then the building phase - it'll be a mess for years to come.

More of a mess than it has been in recent years. It'll come to symbolize the state of the city has been allowed to get into since the pandemic. One sincerely hopes this incident gives Glasgow City Council and Holyrood (given that FM Swinney has commented on it) the roundhouse kick up the backside that's been needed to actually commit to and actually follow through on sorting Union St out.

 

[syorksdeano]

I once stayed at a hotel called Grasshoppers, which has since closed. It was on the top floor of a building connected to the train station.

If I remember rightly various offices for Avanti and ScotRail were on the floors below.

I'm assuming that wasn't the building involved.

 

[realemil]

Is the fire even fully out yet? The railway won't know what the state of play is until the Fire Brigade hand back the site.

Im pretty sure it’s all out but the fire brigade continue to drown the scene with water (with other chemicals possibly?), from the Clyde nonetheless.

I imagine they’ll continue doing it until they’re positive that nothing can reignite and everything is cooled significantly, and obviously to ensure that nothing else comes collapsing down.


Images attached show various parts of Glasgow with a fire hose running from the Clyde towards Central Station. Source, https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/s/hypE9dnEbo

 

[godfreycomplex]

I once stayed at a hotel called Grasshoppers, which has since closed. It was on the top floor of a building connected to the train station.

If I remember rightly various offices for Avanti and ScotRail were on the floors below.

I'm assuming that wasn't the building involved.

It was not but that building will have had smoke damage at the very least

 

[Buzby]

I'm assuming that wasn't the building involved.

Correct. This was further down the street, not affecting the corner building.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The incident was deemed worthy of being a major item of note on the very early morning BBC TV news this morning.

 

[Strathclyder]

Is the fire even fully out yet? The railway won't know what the state of play is until the Fire Brigade hand back the site.

Seems to be out. Still smoldering from what I can see on BBC News with water still being pumped up from the Clyde to drown the site; obviously not taking any chances given what was at the epicenter of this fire. As you say and I said above, until it's fully quelled and the site is handed back to NR, we won't know how badly the station has really been affected. Smoke, heat, water and any other related damage that we can't see for most of the surrounding structures are a certainty though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Should it be rebuilt exactly as it was or a new glass fronted building?

Speculative thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...to-glasgow-central-station-be-rebuilt.299558/

 

[realemil]

Apparently only two hoses are spraying water now onto the site, according to a TikTok live

John Swinney is also at the site talking to reporters.

 

[QueensCurve]

Not that I could see and hear. They are being reasonably neutral on the matter.


No

The below the line comments are.

 

[Warrior2852]

The incident was deemed worthy of being a major item of note on the very early morning BBC TV news this morning.

Not surprised, significant fire at major transport interchange in Scotland's largest city.

 

[DesDobramento]

I once stayed at a hotel called Grasshoppers, which has since closed. It was on the top floor of a building connected to the train station.

If I remember rightly various offices for Avanti and ScotRail were on the floors below.

I'm assuming that wasn't the building involved.

Quirky hotel in the building known as Caledonian Chambers, immediately south of the burnt-out block.

 

[CarrotPie]

They are being reasonably neutral on the matter.

That would be a first!

The incident was deemed worthy of being a major item of note on the very early morning BBC TV news this morning.

And on the homepage of the BBC website, even the international version.

 

[Strathclyder]

That would be a first!

And on the homepage of the BBC website, even the international version.

Just saw a short on YT from CNN on it come up in my search results as well.

 

[Beebman]

The incident was deemed worthy of being a major item of note on the very early morning BBC TV news this morning.

Germany's main TV channel ARD is running the story on its 'Tagesschau' site:

https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/grossbritannien-glasgow-bahnhof-grossbrand-100.html

 

[DarloRich]

And on the homepage of the BBC website, even the international version.

because there are some dramatic pictures and video to share.

 

[Bikeman78]

Any chance they might consider re-opening a couple of the western platforms, and using the Argyle St and or Hope St entrances while keeping most of the station concourse closed? I guess the first signs of life is probably going to be re-opening the lower level platforms.

According to Google maps, Argyle Street is shut where it passes under Central station. When that reopens, I expect the low level station will too. It's easy to block off the escalators leading to the main concourse. For the time being, Argyle Street station is a short walk from Central so its an easy alternative for passengers on that line.

 

[nlogax]

More of a mess than it has been in recent years. It'll come to symbolize the state of the city has been allowed to get into since the pandemic. One sincerely hopes this incident gives Glasgow City Council and Holyrood (given that FM Swinney has commented on it) the roundhouse kick up the backside that's been needed to actually commit to and actually follow through on sorting Union St out.

I'm reminded that Egyptian Halls literally across the street has been under a 'temporary hoarding' for fifteen - sixteen years now. Meanwhile the old RBS building opposite Queen St station has been planned as a new Bloc hotel since before the pandemic and the temporary hoarding on that is as grotty as the building it hides. As for the GSA we all know how long that project has taken (so far). In recent decades the city centre really doesn't have a great reputation for rebuilding anything. I am not exactly confident that the station side of Union St is going to be any different.

 

[Falcon1200]

I think they will need to close one side of the station and completely rebuild it.

Which parts of the station itself, and to what extent, have been so badly damaged to require rebuilding?

The unused land they did not require was sold to commercial interests on the east side, but it would be wrong to suggest the station was built ‘after’.

The BBC News report which I linked and quoted states that the building on fire was constructed 28 years before Central station. Is that factually incorrect?

 

[mmh]

According to Google maps, Argyle Street is shut where it passes under Central station. When that reopens, I expect the low level station will too. It's easy to block off the escalators leading to the main concourse. For the time being, Argyle Street station is a short walk from Central so its an easy alternative for passengers on that line.

There've been roadworks there for a long time, Google maps may be reporting on that. The current roadworks are these, which are overrunning - work to make Argyle Street "friendlier", this is a report from the Glasgow Times: https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/25709888.argyle-street-glasgow-close-one-month/

I don't think roadworks would prevent them reopening low level using just the Hope and Argyle Street entrances.

 

[bramling]

You will be unsurprised to find, if you do, that there is indeed a liberal sprinkling (!) of racism going on there regarding this incident. Plus some wilder conspiracy theories about it being an insurance job, which might well be applicable to some other fires but this one is well enough documented to be clear that that wasn't what went on.

I don’t see the race connection. What I do see from my own town centre is some level of dislike directed towards vape shops (and excessive numbers of barber shops), on the basis that people seem to find they detract rather than add to town centres. As someone who has never smoked personally I’d be quite happy if they didn’t exist, especially if the retail space they occupy could be occupied by something more useful.

However if there’s an issue surrounding fire safety then that clearly needs attention, one way or other. It does *seem* in this case that what would initially have been a small fire was unable to be effectively contained for whatever reason.

 

[Taunton]

All credit to that fireman up at the top of the highest elevated hose unit, in the forefront of many images, who must have been up there for hours.

 

[hexagon789]

The BBC News report which I linked and quoted states that the building on fire was constructed 28 years before Central station. Is that factually incorrect?

Building on fire was 1851 and the original Central was 1879 (before the 1900s rebuilt), so seems accurate.

 

[Buzby]

Meanwhile the old RBS building opposite Queen St station

I’m sure it was a Clydesdale Bank - their vaults were in the basement!

 

[nlogax]

I’m sure it was a Clydesdale Bank - their vaults were in the basement!

Ahh right! Streetview doesn't quite go back far enough or at least there was no visible branding on what was Dale House

 

[Strathclyder]

because there are some dramatic pictures and video to share.

That, while very true, is the cynical view to take (should be right up my alley then lol).

I more subscribe to the fact it's making international headlines due to the fact it's closed Scotland's largest/busiest station in it's largest city, has caused travel disruption extending south of the border, put several dozen people out of work through destruction of businesses and has destroyed a long-standing landmark at a key junction in the city.

 

[QueensCurve]

Noting that nearby residents were advised to keep windows closed:​

​

Toxic fluoride gas emissions from lithium-ion battery fires​

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-09784-z

Abstract​

Lithium-ion battery fires generate intense heat and considerable amounts of gas and smoke. Although the emission of toxic gases can be a larger threat than the heat, the knowledge of such emissions is limited. This paper presents quantitative measurements of heat release and fluoride gas emissions during battery fires for seven different types of commercial lithium-ion batteries. The results have been validated using two independent measurement techniques and show that large amounts of hydrogen fluoride (HF) may be generated, ranging between 20 and 200 mg/Wh of nominal battery energy capacity. In addition, 15–22 mg/Wh of another potentially toxic gas, phosphoryl fluoride (POF3), was measured in some of the fire tests. Gas emissions when using water mist as extinguishing agent were also investigated. Fluoride gas emission can pose a serious toxic threat and the results are crucial findings for risk assessment and management, especially for large Li-ion battery packs.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don’t see the race connection.

It's just that vape shops (and other small convenience shops) are often run by Asian people. Anything for the X racists to drag it up again of course!