Media centre

Wednesday 11 Sep 2024

New ticket office and first-class lounge to be created at Glasgow Central as part of £5m upgrade

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail and Avanti West Coast will create a new ticket office and first-class lounge within Glasgow Central station this autumn.

It's part of a £5m upgrade of the station, which will involve the current Avanti West Coast ticket office, on Gordon Street, being converted into two retail units.

Avanti West Coast will relocate to the new facility, which will be at Caledonian Chambers, next to platforms 1 and 2 later in the year.

The new ticket office will include two welcome desks, more ticket machines and user-friendly information screens.

Work will also see the creation of a new step-free station reception which will significantly improve the experience for passengers using the facility.

Staff will be equipped with handheld devices to assist customer queries and will provide a more visible presence.

Some retail units on the concourse have been closed since the end of 2023 to allow for the remodelling work to take place.

Conor Mclaughlin, scheme project manager, Network Rail, said: “We are excited to be working in collaboration with Avanti West Coast to deliver an improved passenger experience as part of our wider property upgrade at Glasgow Central station.

“Not only will passengers benefit from Avanti West Coast relocating to a new and improved ticket office and first-class lounge, a new step-free station reception will also open.

“We would like to thank passengers for their patience as we carry out work to allow these exciting upgrades to happen.”

Mark Green, Avanti West Coast Station Manager at Glasgow Central, said: “We’re looking forward to working with Network Rail Scotland on this exciting joint project. 

“The relocation of both the ticket office and first-class lounge means we’ll be closer to our customers on platforms 1 and 2. The new facilities will also provide a better experience by improving accessibility, making it easier to buy tickets and find journey information.

“Our current ticket office and first-class lounge will continue to operate as normal, and will only transfer when the new premises are ready - ensuring continuity of service for our customers.”

The £5m investment will see the layout of several existing retail units on the station concourse changing.

As part of the programme, existing tenants will relocate, new retail units will be created, and office accommodation will be refurbished.