February 3 2021

Plans to implement a tram link between Glasgow Airport and Paisley Gilmour Street Station are back in play after the infrastructure project was included as part of Transport Scotland's Strategic Project Review.

Combining a mix of new routes and repurposed rail lines the link could ultimately offer onward connections t the city but as yet no funding nor detailed routes have been agreed.

Options to be considered by the Scottish Government include a line along the River Clyde connecting the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the SECC although this would only come after the airport link is in place.

Council leader Susan Aitken said: “Today’s report accepts the pressing economic, environmental and social case for a much better-connected city and region.

“The truth is that, in Glasgow, too many of the people who rely on public transport for employment, education and social opportunities live in communities that are poorly served by our existing networks. Equally, many of those who contribute least to greenhouse gases are at the greatest risk of being worst affected by the climate crisis.”

Championed by Glasgow's Connectivity Commission the link is proposed to be delivered by 2025, with subsequent eastern extensions taking the line through Renfrew, Braehead, Govan and Pacific Quay. 

15 Comments

#1 Posted by Pigs Might Fly on 4 Feb 2021 at 00:02 AM

Pigs might fly.

#2 Posted by ArchTJW on 4 Feb 2021 at 08:51 AM

Does anyone know if the people behind the rail link have considered building a new station complex on Barnsford Road (A726) on land adjacent to the end of the runway?
Station would be on the other side of the M8 (on the Greenock line between Bishoptwon & Paisley St James) with a shuttle bus park/ turning area on Barnsford Road. Access between the two would be via pedestrian bridge with lifts.
Shuttle bus journey would be just under 2.5km from station to airport front door.
Seems a single station, bridge and 2-4 shuttle buses following the railway timetable would be cheaper than trying to build a tram system and/or a completely new railway line?

#3 Posted by Lesley on 4 Feb 2021 at 09:22 AM

Why? What a waste of money. Vanity project. The last thing Scotland needs is another tram who's primary purpose is shipping people to the airport.

Make Edinburgh trams for local people. DO something with the Glasgow Underground. Maybe speed up the Glasgow to Edinburgh Train service high speed and allow people to live and work in both places. Continue to re-attach the borders and isolated areas back to the country. These are the challenges not a 15 minute tram ride for tourists.

#4 Posted by Dancing Architect on 4 Feb 2021 at 09:36 AM

They could dig a 2km tunnel from the Airport Terminal to Paisley Gilmour street and have some kind of personal rapid transit in it to take people that final distance. Or a 1.5km tunnel to Paisley St James.

There seems to be a real phobia of tunnels in Scotland, you look at other countries like Norway and they have loads of tunnels that were constructed for quite low prices per kilometre despite being geologically similar to Scotland have having much higher wages.

#5 Posted by Fush And Chups on 4 Feb 2021 at 10:28 AM

#3 It is not a waste of money. The idea would be to integrate with a wider metro network throughout the city. This is for local people.

I actively choose Edinburgh airport for my international and domestic flights because I can get there without using a bus, which is expensive and a poor service.

These things are needed for growth.
As for the rest of the suggestions you make, they are in the process of upgrading the subway. If you mean expand it, then a more cost effective option is the tram metro network into which the aforementioned airport link would fit.
Reattaching the borders and other isolated areas, agreed. That also happens to be in the report. There are proposals to do this,, as well as many other projects.

#6 Posted by Spike on 4 Feb 2021 at 14:23 PM

Providing a more comprehensive public transit system such as trams/ extending the subway should have happened decades ago in the conurbation

#7 Posted by Whispering Andy on 4 Feb 2021 at 14:45 PM

Whisper it.......but any sign of an indy ref 2 will kill projects like this stone dead. Expect zero public sector capital projects for at least 20 years.

#8 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 4 Feb 2021 at 16:31 PM

Is this the future -- every 13 months a new article is written about connecting Glasgow Airport to something but nothing is ever done?

Surely as a first step a proper bus link to PGS should be set up.

Then would come the really interesting stuff -- the Glasgow Crossrail and direct connections to Stirling / Edinburgh / Aberdeen.

#9 Posted by Robert Muir on 5 Feb 2021 at 18:26 PM

Been hearing this since I was a boy. At 70 I'll never see any of this for sure! More Bulls#!+

#10 Posted by Billy on 6 Feb 2021 at 11:35 AM

They really need to decide once and for all yes or no. Can the powers that be, be more inefficient? Too much dead wood at the city chambers. Any other business would clear them out for their performance. Other projects like Candleriggs still not off the ground after 2o years, the East end car park of St Enoch still an eyesore and as far as I am aware that other monstrosity in India st has yet to see a bulldozer. What do they get to do all day ? Extended tea breaks? The rail link was supposed to have been finished in time for the games. Was that not part of the deal when they got the City fund?

#11 Posted by Dave Starsky on 8 Feb 2021 at 06:43 AM

#9 disappointed you never put more of a moan effort in the 70's as it would have been built by now.
And dismantled for the white elephant it would be....

#12 Posted by Tony on 9 Feb 2021 at 13:26 PM

Best idea I've heard on this was a monorail solution, which would link Glasgow Central with SECC, Transport Museum, Glasgow Harbour, Clyde hop to Govan, Hospital, Braehead, Renfrew, New Business Park at Airport, Glasgow Airport. Then onto a new rail station with monorail interlink with park and ride at the other side of M8. That would be more than a tourist route, taking significant traffic off the M8 and linking several communities which are cut off from rail solutions. Also cheaper than a heavy rail solution.

#13 Posted by Lyle Lanley on 9 Feb 2021 at 14:46 PM

Tony, I've sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and by gum, it put them on the map.

#14 Posted by Rem Koolbag on 10 Feb 2021 at 09:00 AM

I hear those things are awfully loud?

#15 Posted by Ben on 15 Aug 2022 at 11:31 AM

We need to seriously get on and action this rail link and make it a fast one not something that goes via Paisley. We are away behind other major European cities and Edinburgh and miles ahead on this front. We need to get on with it and encourage people back into the city incl tourists.

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