Since January, the demolition team has worked more than 26,000 hours to safely remove over 14,000 tonnes of redundant material from the station site – the equivalent of 700 skips.

With 94% of demolition material now recycled and avoiding landfill, it is being given a new lease of life, becoming new products such as aggregate for the construction trade or wood chippings for equestrian centres.

Network Rail programme manager Tommy McPake said: “Demolishing redundant buildings in the heart of Glasgow and in a live station environment has been extremely challenging, with over 47,000 customers passing through the station each week day.

“By completing this stage in the project, we now have the additional space required to progress with transforming Glasgow Queen Street station. We are proud that our planned demolition method has ensured nearly all of the material removed from the site has been recycled for future use.

“I’d like to thank customers and the surrounding community for their patience as we build a bigger and brighter station for the city.”

The project team is now undertaking piling work to support the future expanded station concourse and work is progressing to build the new station basement.

Once completed, in 2020, the redeveloped Glasgow Queen Street station will provide extended platforms for longer trains of up to eight carriages – meaning more seats for passengers – and an expanded concourse with more circulation space in a contemporary and distinctive building.

The new station is being delivered as part of the Scottish Government-funded Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme.