Network Rail has launched a public consultation regarding the proposed £104m redevelopment of Glasgow Queen Street Station.

The company wants to hear passengers' views on the ambitious plans and has unveiled its designs for how the new station would look.

Glasgow Queen Street is Scotland's third busiest station with 20 million passengers a year, and expansion work is needed in order to meet a predicted growth in passenger numbers as well as to accommodate the longer trains that will be running on key routes in the future. As part of the project, Queen Street's rail infrastructure and operational capabilities will be overhauled, while the redevelopment will transform passenger facilities and improve how the station interacts with the surrounding city.

The initiative is part of the £650m Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), which will deliver a rolling programme of electrification across the Central Belt over the next five years and beyond. Funded by the Scottish Government, EGIP will reduce journey times and increase capacity on key routes including the main Edinburgh Waverley-Glasgow Queen Street line.

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Construction work is expected to begin this year, with an expected completion date of 2019.

The work will:

• Create a landmark, modern station

• Redevelop the east side of the building to extend the Buchanan Galleries and create new passengers facilities over two levels

• Redesign the concourse to double public floor space, extend platform lengths, improve passenger circulation and enhance waiting areas, entrances and catering/retail space

• Replace the current 1960s entrance, and the hotel extension above, with a 500m2 modern glass frontage.

Welcoming the plans, Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "Queen Street station is at the heart of Glasgow's railway network and passengers using the station should enjoy an experience befitting of that role.

"The EGIP scheme will result in 30 percent more seats and around 20 percent faster journey times on our flagship route. It's already delivered the stunning new-look £25 million Haymarket station in Edinburgh and this complete transformation of Queen Street means passengers will benefit at both ends and at all points in between."

David Dickson, Network Rail's acting route managing director for Scotland, added: "We want to hear what passengers think of this exciting new vision for the future Queen Street – a vision of a station which better serves passengers and Glasgow and creates a landmark development in this iconic location.

"The new-look Queen Street will greatly enhance the city centre and we want the public to help inform the final design of a station that will serve their needs for years to come."

The first part of the public consultation begins today (25 February) and will last until 31 May 2014.

A second consultation period will open in September and run until December 2014.

(JP/MH)