Media centre

Thursday 16 Dec 2004

HERITAGE AWARD FOR ON-GOING EXCELLENCE AT GLASGOW CENTRAL

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Judges of the prestigious National Railway Heritage Awards have voted Glasgow Central station as the UK’s Principal Station of the last 25 years at a special anniversary awards ceremony. The Awards have been presented on an annual basis since 1979 and recognise high standards of structural restoration, environmental care and effective use of internal space for railway buildings and structures in the UK and Ireland. Glasgow Central first scooped the top award in 1988 and was commended again in 1999, for the Argyle Street frontage. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Awards, judges revisited more than 90 stations in the UK to assess how standards had been maintained and developed.  After whittling all the stations down to a shortlist of three, the judges decided that Glasgow Central station was the worthy winner. Station Manager, Colin Weir, was on hand to receive the award from HRH The Duke of Gloucester.  He said: “This is a very special accolade for the station.  We have committed staff who work hard everyday to ensure that passengers using our station have the very best experience possible.  The award recognises this hard work.  We aim to continue our efforts and build on this achievement to deliver another 25 years of excellent facilities for the travelling public.” The judges were especially impressed with the successful blending of restoration and modernisation.  They commended the new Customer Information Screens, for the clarity of information, as well as the overall cleanliness of the station and its toilets.  Special mention was also made of the Caledonian Centre, the name given to the retail outlets in the station, for effective layout and use of space, enhancing the character of the surroundings.  National Railway Heritage Awards Manager, Richard Tinker, said: “The standard of all the stations we viewed was very high, and that is encouraging for passengers. We were, however, especially impressed with Glasgow Central station for the effort that has been put into its upkeep and for the integration of new facilities. It manages to mix the modern facilities that passengers expect while still retaining the classic architecture and charm of a magnificent Victorian building.”