The Glasgow Clyde Metro plan has moved closer to becoming reality after it was included in the Scottish Government’s list of priority transport projects.
Transport Secretary, Michael Matheson said the plan would benefit communities in and around Glasgow.
He said it was a multi-year multi-billion-pound investment that would benefit more than one million people from “Clydebank to Cambuslang and from Easterhouse to East Kilbride”.
The plan is for a first phase light rail/tram link from Glasgow Airport to Paisley Gilmour Street and then further phases along the Clyde via the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the SEC into Glasgow city centre.
Other routes in the south, east, west and north of the city and further afield are envisaged in further phases.
Matheson said it would “Reduce car-based trips and emissions.
He said: “The difference it can make is huge.”
It is included as one of the key schemes of the 45 projects in the second stage Strategic Transport Projects Review to be delivered over the next 20 years.
Opposition MSPs called for clarity on funding and timescales.
Labour's Transport spokesman' Colin Smyth said: “After cancelling two airport rail links why should people believe that they will get this?"
Pauline McNeill, Glasgow Labour MSP, said: “There is no timescale and no funding.
“When is this project likely to start, five years, ten years? The people of Glasgow have a right to know.”
While Graham Simpson, Conservative Transport spokesman, asked how and when will it be delivered?
Matheson said the delivery plan would be published after the 12-week consultation period.
He said: “We will now look to build on that to develop the whole programme over a number of years.
“I can’t give timescale other than within the SPTR period. But I can assure, I believe this can be transformational for communities in Glasgow and we are determined to take it forward.”
Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “Today’s announcement marks a major step forward in our commitment to creating a modern, sustainable, integrated public transport system for the city of Glasgow and its surrounding metropolitan region.
“Clyde Metro’s inclusion in the STPR2 report is a huge vote of confidence in the work done to date by Transport Scotland and the City Council in advancing the concept and the compelling case for it.
“Metro will be transformational - reducing social and economic inequalities, delivering on economic growth, better connecting outlying and poorly served communities and incentivising large-scale modal shift from private car to public transport.
“Over the past several decades, modern rapid transit systems like Metro are what Glasgow’s comparator cities across the globe have been busy constructing. We cannot continue to be left behind. More than arguably any other single intervention, Clyde Metro can help deliver a vibrant, prosperous, inclusive and sustainable city region, a transport system fit for our international standing and ambitions.”
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