Glasgow Queen Street reopens after ‘stunning’ £120m refurbishment
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday reopened Glasgow Queen Street train station after a £120 million refurbishment.
The station, one of the busiest in Scotland, has undergone improvements over the course of the past four years, with platform lengths increased and new frontage added to the station which first opened in 1842.
The First Minister said the changes to the station were a "shining example" of how Scotland's older stations can be modernised and made greener.
Ms Sturgeon said: "Visually, it's stunning – some of the old features have been uncovered, it's transforming the George Square, city centre view.
"But this is also about improving the services for the travelling public and it's also part of that bigger, long-term journey towards a decarbonised railway system in Scotland."
But outside, about two dozen trade unionists gathered to call on the First Minister to intervene in potential service cuts and "save" Scotrail, making so much noise during speeches to staff, including Ms Sturgeon, that a piper was deployed to drown them out.
Following the release of an internal Scotrail report, by Professor Iain Docherty, which suggested a permanent 10 per cent cut to services - which unions say could cost up to 1,000 jobs - workers have threatened further industrial action.
Addressing the already running dispute between unions and Scotrail, the First Minister said: "I hope we can get that dispute resolved. I know that parties are keen to continue talks, to get back round the table.”