First in a six-part series following the staff in Glasgow Central Station. Thousands of Ed Sheeran fans push the events team to their limit as the station copes with the heat.
In this second episode, John and Colette cope with the Scottish Cup final crowds trying to smuggle alcohol on dry trains, and the station staff cope with angry customers as the summer heat causes havoc on the tracks. Tour guide Paul uncovers a Victorian platform deep in the bowels of the building, and we hear how the famous bridge that takes the trains into central got its name. Tricia in the Blue Lagoon chippy gives her Syrian colleague a lesson in Glaswegian, and Craig takes us on a musical journey on the Transpennine Express. Sniffer dog Floyd discovers a suspect package, and Drew puts his security team to the test. What does station manager Susan have to do to rank as number one UK station? And will the ticket office staff get the bank holiday revellers to their destinations on time?
A special festive peek behind the scenes at Glasgow Central. The tree is up, the Christmas shoppers are out and there is a very special visitor to the station concourse.
First in a six-part series following the staff and passengers of Glasgow Central station. In this episode, heavy rainfall causes travel chaos for passengers attempting to travel south, and staff across the station pull together to help passengers reach their final destinations. It is the first week on the job for new station tour guide Jackie, and she is trying to get to grips with the long history of Central station in time for a test run of her new tour. Meanwhile, the Blue Lagoon chip shop serves hundreds of station passengers every day, but it is a race against the clock to get the refurbished shop open in time for rush hour. Station manager Drew is on night shift as he watches over passengers heading off for a day at the races, and author Gordon Webster explains the legacy of the infamous Beeching Cuts as veterans of Central station discuss the impact of railway privatisation.
In this episode, staff and passengers of Glasgow Central station celebrate the station’s 140th birthday with a special party on the concourse. Station manager Susan is pulling out all the stops to make sure it’s a party to remember. Tour guide Paul takes us back to the creation and growth of the station. Supervisor Allison helps rescue a young owl found injured on the railway tracks and reunites an elderly passenger with her relatives, while the maintenance team get to grips with a leaky roof. A new train, the first of its kind, arrives in Central station much to the excitement of young railway enthusiasts, while historians Bill and Jill explore the history of Grand Central Hotel.
This episode sees new recruit Kirsten in the running for a big promotion, we meet the cleaners who work through the night to keep Central station spick and span and spend time with the street pastors who watch out for late-night vulnerable passengers. A daily commute offers the perfect excuse to form close friendships, and families gather on the concourse to say goodbye to loved ones. The maintenance team have to work through the night to fix a leak, while duty manager Richard has to think on his feet to solve a train delay. The staff at Central station celebrate Glasgow Pride together, while in the Grand Central Hotel there is an art competition celebrating some of the hotel’s most famous guests.
In this episode, customer service assistant Josie shows off her new information desk and gives an insight into the challenges of working at Central station. Meanwhile, tour guide Paul goes behind the scenes to explain how the railways helped standardise time across the whole of the country. Some long-time station regulars take a day trip to Largs, while Derek handles a train delay caused by a four-line blockage. Seven-year-old piano maestro Nathan entertains passengers at Central station, while across the concourse at the Grand Central Hotel, Dr Emily Munro reveals how the hotel played a fundamental role in the history of television. Tour guide Jackie uncovers some vintage station clocks and recruits engineer Frank to get them working again. Around the station, new staff are learning the ropes, with trainee dispatcher Lauren hoping to go solo after her exams and trainee train driver Kevin preparing for his final assessments - will they both pass?
In this episode, customer service assistant Denise is getting lessons behind the wheel of the mobility buggies. Meanwhile, a station visitor takes centre stage on the concourse with a Lego masterpiece, and a team of engineers work day and night to repair the station’s stunning Victorian bridge. Tour guide Jackie uncovers more hidden gems for the planned for station museum, while shift station supervisor Alison deals with a railway accident. And 16-year-old visually impaired Summer must learn how to navigate the station, while visitors to the Grand Central Hotel reminisce on their memories of the station.
In this episode, there is chaos on the concourse when the staff at Central station deal with a huge influx of football fans on match day and face disruption on the tracks. Tour guide Paul explores the historic relationship between the home of Scottish football Hampden Park and the station. Meanwhile, the concourse becomes a stage for performers and protestors alike and sees the arrival of an unlikely celebrity in the form of Instagram sensation Lucy the samoyed dog. Elsewhere in the station, hen parties and excited Proclaimers fans arrive en masse, entertaining us with their favourite tunes from the famous brothers.
A chance to enter Glasgow Central Station for a Christmas getaway with a difference. Jolly station staff prove that even in the toughest of times, there is still festive cheer to be found. With both passenger stories and familiar faces, we go behind the scenes at one of Britain’s busiest train stations as they battle to keep the country moving in the run-up to Christmas. Responding and adapting, as it has done during crises in the past, this age-old institution and its team demonstrate fortitude, fun and festive cheer at a time when staying connected is more important than ever.
The Euros football tournament is here, providing the first big match-day crowds Central has seen in over a year - but how will the team cope when the Tartan Army hits the concourse? At the rail depot, a whole fleet of electric trains is getting a major overhaul, while two rail-signalling colleagues take a step into the past. And Central's Paul and Jackie can't wait to find out if their historical station tours can reopen.
Love is in the air on the concourse as the team help to arrange a proposal under the station's famous clock. The Caledonian Sleeper is taking one brave young passenger to London, while a writer explores the golden age of the service. At the rail depot, the engineering team are hard at work making sure passengers enjoy the smoothest possible ride, and the station's hotel is celebrating couples in love - both past and present.
A heatwave causes thousands of passengers to head for the beach, and a busy shift for Scotrail's CCTV staff throws up some dangerous challenges. We explore Central's role in the vital Kindertransport project during the Second World War, and some keen young apprentices wait to discover their railway futures.
Central's team is always adapting to modern times, and the ongoing electrification of the railways is a big part of that mission. Out on the tracks, the engineering team are racing to erect a huge new structure, while one of the rail network's ecologists is monitoring how the work is affecting local wildlife. Meanwhile, station tour guide Paul explores the history of Glasgow's tram network, and on the West Coast Mainline, the Avanti team are going all-out in an attempt to break a long-standing speed record.
A breakdown on the West Coast Mainline means the team must deal with serious disruption on the concourse, and one Central staff member goes above and beyond in his mission to help with mental health challenges. Meanwhile, out on the tracks, the team race to complete an urgent Saturday night repair, and the news tour guides Paul and Jackie have been waiting for is finally here.
Festivals are back as the TRNSMT crowds hit the concourse, and one young staff member is thrown in at the deep end. At the depot, a pioneering driver must fix a problem against the clock, while tour guide Jackie and the maintenance team investigate a mystery in the station's basements. Meanwhile, British Transport Police officers respond to a worrying report of a trespasser on the tracks.
Change is happening at Glasgow Central, with the beginning of a huge multi-million pound renovation across the Argyll line – bringing with it challenges for passengers and staff alike. A Scotland game at Hampden sees the concourse flooded by football fans, but there’s not enough trains. Outside the station, the Network Rail helicopter takes to the skies to survey the lines around Central for faults. Drew calls in the emergency services to help with a pigeon trapped in the station.
Easter weekend is here, bringing with it rival football fans and bank holiday revellers who put the station staff to the test, and a there’s a new police dog in training.
The station tours are a man down, putting extra pressure on tour guide Jackie. Outside the station, the engineers at Polmadie depot are working against the clock.
