Uncovering history at Glasgow Queen Street

Last updated: Friday, 4 August 2023

The redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street was completed in October 2021 and we’re sure you’ll agree, the station now looks amazing!

The front of the station, overlooking George Square was transformed with over 300 glass panels to let light flood into the station, and the results inside are incredible. The huge bright, airy concourse, new departure boards, longer platforms and refurbished low level entrances give the feeling of a very grand station - the perfect place to start any journey. So many of you have been sharing your incredible photos of the station on our Twitter channel. We love seeing them, so thank you.

During the refurbishment a lot of hidden gems were uncovered, giving an insight into rail travel and the station of the past. Here’s a little look at some of the items we rediscovered.

10 Victorian pillars

In content - Glasgow Queen Street Victorian pillars

After seeing how incredible the first few pillars look after being stripped down and repainted, it’s sad to think that they were hidden away for decades. They are stunning! It’s so good to see them back in the heart of the station, looking wonderful.

There are 10 of the five-metre-tall columns in the station, all supporting the A-listed 142-year-old barrel shaped, glass roof. So far, four of the pillars have been stripped down and repainted with a blue base, white column and striking gold top. The rest of them are being worked on and are due to be completed and unveiled in the next month or so.

Scales

In content - Glasgow Queen Street scales

During the reconstruction we found these wonderfully decorative scales in the arches underneath the station. Maggie, Queen Street’s station manager was delighted to donate them to Jackie who works at Glasgow Central Station Tours, to display in their new museum.

Plaque commemorating electrification

In content - Electrification suburban sign

Did you know that electric trains have been running on Glasgow’s suburban rail network for over sixty years? This plaque dates back to 5 November 1960 to commemorate the occasion. It was a true revolution in Scotland’s passenger transport.

Milepost pillar

In content - Milepost pillar

Dating back to 1842, when the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened, this milepost played an important part in letting drivers know their distances. It now stands proudly between platforms six and seven. Some of you may have spotted it in the past, before the renovations started, if you travelled into or out of platform two and three.

If you want to keep up to date with the progress of Queen Street's redevelopment and discover more about the fascinating items being discovered, make sure that you're following @ScotRail and @NetworkRailGQS on Twitter.