An invitation to tender for a £112 million redevelopment project in Glasgow has been published by Network Rail.

Plans are in place to expand and upgrade the Glasgow Queen Street station by 2019.

The stations platforms and concourse will be extended to accommodate the faster, longer, greener electric trains being introduced as part of the £742m Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).

Features of the scheme will include:

• Demolition of the Millennium Hotel's 1970s extension above the station.

• Demolition of Consort House.

• Removal of the canopy over the footway in Dundas Street.

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• Redevelopment of the station concourse, south and west façades, including reconstruction and extension of station buildings.

• Improved station entrances at Dundas Street and George Square.

• New lighting and public address systems.

• New ticket office and staff accommodation block.

• Construction of extended platforms to accommodate eight-car trains.

Once the tendering exercise is complete, the contract will be awarded in autumn 2016.

Work to upgrade the track in Queen Street Tunnel will then begin in late March 2016.

MD of the ScotRail Alliance, Phil Verster, said: "This is another tremendously exciting step forward in our plans to transform Scotland's railway. We recently announced our largest ever Train Improvement Plan, which will deliver new trains, thousands of extra seats and great facilities such as at-seat power points and enhanced Wi-Fi across our fleet.

"Today we are confirming that one of our busiest and most important stations will also be transformed, making it larger and with much better facilities for our growing number of customers."

(LM)