Glasgow City Council set out plans to build a direct rail link between Glasgow Airport, Paisley and the city centre.
The £144m (€168m) Glasgow Airport Access Project involves a specially designed tram-train system using both the existing railway network and a new light rail spur from Paisley to the airport.
The plans are set to be endorsed by the Glasgow City Region Cabinet in December after being discussed by Renfrewshire and Glasgow City councils in the coming weeks. If approved the system would be operational by 2025, with construction due to begin three years earlier.
According to the proposal, four tram-trains per hour will run in each direction taking passengers between Glasgow Central Station, Paisley Gilmour Street and the airport.
The interchange point at Paisley Gilmour Street would enable passengers from the Paisley area and from destinations on the Ayrshire and Inverclyde train lines to access the service to the airport without having to travel via the city centre.
The tram-train model was chosen as the preferred option after an appraisal established it offered the greatest opportunity of encouraging people to travel to and from the airport via public transport.
It would reduce the required time for all trips travelling through Glasgow City Centre and Paisley Gilmour Street to the airport, and minimises the need for journeys to include a change of trains.
“This is a vital transport development that will bring huge benefits to Renfrewshire and the rest of the Glasgow City Region. Glasgow Airport is key to the success of our local and regional economies. It supports more than 7,300 jobs – 5,200 of which are in Renfrewshire – and this project will help increase annual passenger numbers from eight to 13 million by 2030,” Councillor Mark Macmillan said.
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