SCOTLAND’S busiest railway station could be closed for days after a catastrophic fire caused a neighbouring building to collapse on Sunday evening.

The fire is believed to have started in a vape shop on Glasgow’s Union Street on Sunday afternoon, but despite the best efforts of firefighters, it soon escalated into an inferno which engulfed the entire structure.

Within minutes, Glasgow Central Station was evacuated and its Union Street and Gordon Street entrances were closed amid fears the fire could enter the station.

Working all night, firefighters pumped water from the Clyde as they battled to control the fire, but while they succeeded in preventing it spreading to the station, by the early hours of Monday morning the 170-year-old building had collapsed.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) spokesperson assured “operations remain ongoing and there have been no reports of casualties,” while a Network Rail spokesperson warned: “The station will remain closed today and likely tomorrow. Timescales for reopening will only be confirmed once we are able to safely gain access and carry out the necessary checks.”

As crews continued to damp down the site into Monday afternoon, Glaswegians not only faced transport disruption, but the loss of a landmark.

Glasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney told BBC Radio Scotland: “The building is a gutted shell. It looks like something out of the Blitz.”

Questioning if vape shops should be near “critical national infrastructure,” he warned: “Scotland’s busiest station could be wiped out by this.”

Paying tribute to fire crews as well as her members working in that station, TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “Without doubt this terrible fire again shows the vital importance of safety across our rail network and all associated infrastructure.  

“Investigations into what caused the blaze must be thorough, so this never happens again.”

The incident further heightened concerns over cuts at SFRS for FBU Scottish regional secretary, John McKenzie, who said: “The professionalism of those firefighters involved in tackling this incident will have undoubtedly prevented further fire spread and endangerment to life.

“With reports of other large scale incidents taking place at the same time, a major incident like this highlights public concerns over proposed job cuts and station closures planned for SFRS and confirms the need for a fully resourced and properly funded fire and rescue service.”