Glasgow Central station remains closed after major fire and building collapse | Glasgow

Glasgow Central is to remain closed until at least Tuesday after a building next door to Scotland’s busiest railway station collapsed during a major fire.

National Rail said the station would remain closed with no estimate on when it would reopen after the fire, believed to have started in a vape shop in Union Street on Sunday afternoon.

The blaze gutted the mid-Victorian Forsyth building that surrounds one corner of the station in Glasgow city centre, destroying shops and businesses including a well-known fish and chip shop, the Blue Lagoon, a salon and a cafe.

On Monday morning, nine fire appliances and three high-reach Scottish Fire and Rescue Service vehicles were still at the scene, working to douse the remaining flames. There were no reported casualties.

There is no significant damage to the station but Network Rail said it would remain closed all day while the fire was being dealt with, as would surrounding streets, causing major disruption to transport services and commuters.

Paul Sweeney, a Scottish Labour MSP who is an expert in Glasgow’s architectural heritage, urged the fire service and the authorities to weigh up tougher inspections and regulations of vape shops.

After the fire began, witnesses reported hearing explosions inside the building, believed to have been caused by the lithium batteries used by some vape devices that were stored onsite, with flames seen shooting from the B-listed structure. By late evening on Sunday, the fire had torn through much of the block, causing its dome to collapse.

“To see the entire building completely consumed in an inferno was truly 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 significant concerns that essentially Scotland’s busiest station can be wiped out by this kind of situation. It’s been completely wiped out, destroyed. I mean, the building is a gutted shell. It looks like something out of the Blitz.”

Network Rail said west coast intercity services due to terminate at Glasgow Central would run instead to Preston, Carlisle or Motherwell, with travellers helped to find alternative train connections northwards.

ScotRail, Scotland’s national train operator, said both the station’s high-level platforms would be shut, while trains using the low-level platforms would continue running without stopping at the station. In a statement late on Sunday night, it warned there would be “limited” rail replacement buses.

“Unfortunately, we will not be able to operate train services in or out of Glasgow Central high level tomorrow following the impact of the major fire near to the station. Our trains which operate via Glasgow Central low level will continue to run, but will not stop at the station.

“We are sorry to customers for the impact this will cause, and we would urge them to check their journey options before they travel, and we aware 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 to celebrate the closing film, the directorial debut by the Glasgow-born actor James McAvoy, was due to be held in the Central hotel inside the station. The gala event was moved to Sauchiehall Street after the fire led to the closure of the station and hotel.

The SFRS said that at the fire’s height, it had 18 appliances and specialist vehicles at the scene.

John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, said on Sunday: “I am deeply concerned about the fire near Glasgow Central station tonight and very grateful to all of the emergency services who are responding.

“Please continue to follow travel guidance, avoid the area and stay safe.”