A TRAM-train link could carry travellers between Glasgow Airport and the city centre in just 16 minutes by 2025, it is claimed.
Renfrewshire and Glasgow councils say the rail plan has today taken a “major step forward” as they prepare to put the business case for two options before elected members next month.
Alongside the tram-train option – which would see carriages operate on the existing line between Glasgow Central and Paisley Gilmour Street stations before moving onto new tram rails to the front door of the airport – plans have been put forward for a light rail personal rapid transit system.
That option would see passengers use standard ScotRail services to Paisley before taking a new light-rail shuttle to the nearby airport.
Billed as the flagship project in the £1.13 billion Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal, the scheme will go before cabinet in the coming weeks and, if approved, the preferred option will be set next year.
The plans come six years after the Scottish Government scrapped the controversial Glasgow Airport Rail Link plan over escalating costs.
A report released by the Scottish Government earlier this year suggested the plans would offer little improvement on the existing bus link service and would be affected by ScotRail capacity issues, as well as potential opposition from regulators and legal issues.
However, Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety said: “We’ve long argued that a new rail link between the airport and the city centre is essential.”
The estimated cost of a tram-train link is £144.3 million, including construction, rolling stock, inflation, contingency and land purchase and it could be operational by 2025.
The personal rapid transit option, meanwhile, would cost £102 million.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here