A £1.2m project and a 10-week programme of work to renew the track in platform 1 at Glasgow Central Station is running as scheduled.

Engineers have been on site since the beginning of last month, removing the tracks along the length of the platform and breaking out sections of concrete slab underneath.

To minimise the impact on passengers, the platform has been closed at the same time as the West Coast Main Line (WCML) at Carstairs Junction.

Network Rail expects to complete the work and reopen the platform on Friday, 12th May.

So far, more than 100 timber sleepers have been replaced, and the focus is now on hanging and installing all 723 of the baseplates that sit under the rail that help to keep it stable.

At the same time, teams also plan to renew signalling cables, clean the buffers, and upgrade the tactile paving along the platform.

Other recent improvement works at Glasgow Central have been the opening of a dedicated multi-faith area and an underground museum at the station.

Last week, Liam Sumpter, Scotland‘s Railway Route Director, visited the team working on site and said: “These essential works at Glasgow Central station will ensure we continue to run a safe and reliable railway.

“Had we used normal access arrangements this work would be spread over a period of approximately four years’ worth of Saturday nights and would be considerably more costly. Instead, we’ve planned this 10-week programme to run at the same time as the closure of Carstairs Junction so that disruption to passengers is kept to a minimum.

“We have made some efficiencies in costs and timescales and have used this to allow for a deep clean of Platform 1 and removal of overgrown vegetation which is difficult to access during normal circumstances.

“We continue to thank passengers for their patience and understanding while we undertake these essential works.”