A radical £10billion plan to revolutionise transport in Scotland’s biggest city can be revealed today.
The ambitious proposals for Glasgow include a driverless train line, a rail link to the city’s airport and a tunnel for trains between Central and Queen Street stations.
The 20-year scheme includes a new eastern circle line for the Subway, the only established underground in the world that has not been extended.
The Glasgow Connectivity Commission said its £500million-a-year plans were “affordable, deliverable and necessary” and would transform central Scotland.
The report calls for a rail link to be built from Glasgow Airport to Paisley Gilmour Street station as the first stage of a wider strategy to upgrade the public transport network.
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Connections on the route would either be a driverless Metro similar to Copenhagen’s or a hybrid light rail system such as the one in use in Porto.
It would then connect to Renfrew, Braehead, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the city centre.
The Metro would be created using existing heavy rail network lines and reopened lines plus new sections.
Great Western Road to the west of the city centre and Edinburgh Road in the east could see tram-like sections introduced.
An existing unused tunnel under London Road would also be reopened to link with sports venues such as Celtic Park, the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
Other recommendations include a redesign of Central Station, including an extension over the River Clyde, to make it suitable for longer HS2 trains.
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And an underground station would be built close to a tunnel linking the Ayrshire and Inverclyde lines to Central and Queen Street stations. The independent report, commissioned by Glasgow City Council, was praised by council leader Susan Aitken.
She said the proposals “give Glasgow a competitive edge it needs to compete globally and provide the transport networks the citizens of Glasgow and beyond deserve”.
Commission chairman Professor David Begg said the recommendations are “ambitious and achievable”.
