Brangelina show rolls into town ... in their own train

The star is in the city to shoot scenes for the upcoming blockbuster World War Z, with filming takling place in George Square during the next two weeks.

Amid a level of security befitting a head of state, he and his family got off at 2.30pm yesterday afternoon onto a platform that had been sealed off to allow a fleet of luxury cars to park alongside the train.

Hundreds of fans had flocked to catch a glimpse of the couple, but were kept well away by a small army of security men, station staff and Strathclyde police officers.

Many onlookers had been waiting for several hours after getting word that the star would be coming to town yesterday, and the crowd was swelled by commuters as word spread his arrival was imminent.

But with practised ease Mr Pitt and his family gave the crowd the slip by getting into a waiting car while his fans and the media were distracted by a body double, also thought to be appearing in the film.

Surrounded by heavy security, who held up screens to block the media’s long lenses, Mr and Mrs Pitt and their six children -- Vivienne, Shiloh, Maddox, Knox, Zahara and Pax -- were whisked away by one of the waiting vehicles and driven out of the station surrounded by police officers on motor bikes.

And despite the massed ranks of photographers and the number of phone cameras held aloft, few appeared to have caught a glimpse of the star.

Robyn Campbell was one of many teenagers who had crammed into the station in the hope of seeing her idol in the flesh. The 17-year-old said: “Everyone cheered when they caught sight of the body double -- he really looked like Brad Pitt. But as he got closer you could see he was younger and smaller, and it was a real let-down. It would have been really great if he had just posed for a photograph or stopped to wave to the crowd, but it didn’t happen.

“Me and my friends heard he was coming from someone at the station, and waited for hours, so it was disappointing they just left so fast.”

The actor and his family are now expected to stay in Scotland for around two weeks while he films scenes from the horror movie, based on a novel by Max Brooks and set around the aftermath of war between humans and zombies.

Glasgow’s George Square has been transformed into the US city Philadelphia for the duration of the shoot and it is thought that it will feature prominently in the film, with a major battle between soldiers and the undead set to take place.

Around 1200 extras have been recruited for the Glasgow scenes, while street signs have been replaced with ones from the US.

The city council expect that the production will be worth more than £2 million to the city’s economy, and will also elevate Glasgow’s profile as a filmaking destination.

Last night there was speculation Pitt and his family were in a city centre hotel, although most luxury venues denied he was their guest.

One source at the Mar Hall resort near Bishopton said that no-one had been informed that the A-list celebrity would be arriving, while an insider at the Cameron House Hotel, on the Banks of Loch Lomond, said they had no notice of his whereabouts.

Only the upmarket One Devonshire Gardens Hotel refused to deny rumours the Hollywood family were staying.

• Can you tell the difference between the Glasgow set and the real Philadelphia? Try our 'spot the difference' photo quiz  (or go straight to the answers).