Three arrested in Glasgow bus station evacuation

Police bikes and a car blocking the road close to the bus station with flats in the background. It is nighttime. Officers stand around wearing hi vis.
Buchanan Bus Station was evacuated by police [PA Media]

Three men have been arrested over possession of offensive weapons after the evacuation of Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow.

Police said the bomb squad was called to reports of a suspicious package at 13:10. However, after a controlled explosion was carried out nothing suspicious was found.

The alert brought a day of disruption to the city centre and public transport in and out of Glasgow.

The bus station and nearby Killermont Street remained closed on Wednesday night, with train services at nearby Queen Street Station also affected.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "As a precaution the bus station and surrounding buildings were evacuated.

"Three men were arrested in connection with possession of offensive weapons and inquiries are ongoing."

Students and staff at Glasgow Caledonian University, situated across the road from the bus station, were also evacuated as a precaution.

A bomb squad van and fire engine blocks the road close to the bus station.   It is night and the vans have their lights on. Fire figheters walk arounf the vehicles.
The bomb squad was called out to a suspicious package [PA Media]

At about 20:30 ScotRail stopped trains at Glasgow Queen Street.

It said: “Until the police deem it safe to run trains again, no trains will run into and out of Glasgow Queen Street High Level.”

Trains from Queen Street run through a tunnel under Killermont Street and the bus station. Services resumed after 21:00.

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, also on Killermont Street, said it had cancelled performances due to "circumstances beyond our control".

Bus station operator Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) apologised for the lengthy disruption at Scotland's busiest bus station.

Stagecoach, First Bus, McGill's and several other bus firms use the station.

First said that "multiple services are diverting" and bus operators were using other city centre streets for drop offs and pick ups.

Citylink, which runs longer distance buses, said its services were departing from North Hanover Street.

Passengers were urged to check with operators on how services have been affected.