RAIL passengers face major disruption as the latest phase of redevelopment work at Queen Street Station is about to begin.

Work to upgrade the station, part of a £100m improvement plan, will start next weekend.

It will involve moving the station ticket office, closing a station entrance, moving bus stops and closing a taxi rank outside the station.

Yesterday the Evening Times revealed the Camperdown Place pub outside the station had shut for the last time to make way for the works and also Sainsbury’s store on the corner of the station building was also closing down.

The work involves the demolition of the old SPT office block, Consort House, the pub and supermarket.

It will allow construction of the new station concourse and striking glass frontage of the station facing George Square.

The current ticket office inside the station will be shut from next week and moved into the former Vale pub outside on Dundas Street.

Inside the station platforms will be lengthened to accommodate longer trains to increase capacity on Glasgow to Edinburgh services.

The lines will be electrified with new overhead lines installed above the platforms.

From Sunday August 6, a number of changes will be put in place in and around the station.

Passengers will still be able to enter the station via Dundas Street to the west and Hanover Street to the east but there will be specific instructions and certain times throughout the work which is expected to be complete by 2020.

The bus stops outside on West George Street will be closed and moved further back to the west and to the east on to George Square.

The taxi rank on West George Street will close but the rank on George Square will remain open.

The station will be surrounded by hoardings to allow the work to take place away from public areas.

Network Rail said the work should not affect services but there may have to be some changes at trimness throughout the work.

Rodger Querns, Network Rail programme director for Queen Street redevelopment, said:

“We are fully committed to carrying out these enhancements as quickly as possible and with the minimum of inconvenience for the city.

“We thank station users for their patience and co-operation as we deliver this important investment in their station.”

Network Rail said there will be some closures however for up to 19 hours or 54 hours but that it would be done over weekends and public holidays to minimise disruption.