Work to redevelop Glasgow Queen Street is gathering pace following start of efforts by engineers last week to break up and remove track through the station’s 918m long tunnel.

Over 10,000t of ageing slab track will be removed from the tunnel as part of a 20 week improvement scheme, which started in March.

ScotRail Alliance managing director Phil Verster said: “The renewal of the track through Queen Street tunnel is a very complex and technically challenging project and our engineers are working around the clock to complete this vital work as quickly as possible.”

Special engineering trains are being used to remove old material from the site and deliver the new slab track sections.

Mr Verster added: “The work we are doing in the tunnel combined with the electrification of key routes and the wider redevelopment of Queen Street station will deliver significant and ongoing benefits for our customers for decades to come.”

Queen Street station’s ‘high level’ has been closed to trains since 20 March to allow the works to take place. The project team has so far been working to renew track and key junctions to the north of the tunnel and to begin improving platforms and track layouts within the station.

Queen Street high level is due to reopen in early August, when the team will have renewed 1800m of concrete slab track and install more than 4000m of new rails. The project is being delivered by engineers working on the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme, which will see the main Edinburgh to Glasgow line, via Falkirk High, electrified by the end of 2016.

(Photo: Network Rail)