COMMUNITY leaders have welcomed multi-billion pound plans that would create a ‘metro link’ between Renfrewshire and Glasgow.
The ambitious blueprint proposes a new public transport system running from Paisley Gilmour Street train station, through Glasgow Airport and on to Renfrew, Braehead and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) before reaching the city centre.
It has been drawn up by the Glasgow Connectivity Commission, which is calling for a £10billion investment to create a comprehensive network that will reconnect “left-behind areas” to the city and beyond.
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The Commission was set up by Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken to investigate ways to improve transport and reduce congestion, as well as enabling people to get from communities to where public services and jobs are.
It recommends creating a link, known as the ‘south Clyde growth corridor,’ between the airport and Paisley Gilmour Street as the first leg of the project, before extending the line to connect Renfrew, Braehead and the QEUH with the city centre.
Callum Reid, chair of Renfrew Community Council, hopes the proposals come to fruition, as he is keen to see the town’s “abysmal” transport links improved.
He told The Gazette: “Anything that could improve connectivity between Renfrew and other areas, I would welcome.
“Renfrew does feel a bit disconnected. It’s quite strange, considering how close the town is to Glasgow.
“I think a metro link would be a good thing.”
It is hoped the first leg of the ‘Metro’ network could be completed by 2025, with the Commission’s report noting that the importance of the south Clyde corridor means “it is no longer appropriate to conceive a rail link to the airport as a freestanding project.”
Earlier this year, it was announced that small automated vehicles – known as the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) scheme – were being considered as a preferred option for a Glasgow Airport rail link as part of the Glasgow City Region Deal.
According to the report published by the Glasgow Connectivity Commission, these plans should be scrapped.
Instead, the Commission proposes an investment of around £500million each year over the course of two decades to transform connectivity across Glasgow and beyond on a much larger scale.
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has welcomed the “long awaited” report.
He said: “I am glad the waiting is finally over and Renfrewshire can now look at these proposals in detail.
“The potential for our communities and economy is enormous and shows exactly the kind of long-term thinking and planning that SNP councils and the Scottish Government have made a priority.
“With the airport, Paisley and the new Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District at the White Cart all potentially served by the new Metro, tens of thousands of residents and workers would benefit directly – and the potential of our towns and employment hubs would be unlocked on a huge scale.
“The challenge is to ensure that the momentum to make these plans a reality carries on and that progress is made quickly in securing a fixed link for the airport and the whole of Renfrewshire.
“I am particularly pleased the Commission stated unequivocally that the route between Paisley and the airport should be the very first to be built.”
Mr Newlands also welcomed the potential benefits the massive project would bring to Renfrew.
He said: “Renfrew is one of the largest towns in Scotland without a fixed public transport link and these transformative plans are a quantum leap in connectivity and the broader needs of infrastructure investment to support and boost our local economy.
“Modern Scotland needs modern infrastructure and once again Renfrewshire is leading the way.”
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Councillor John Shaw, who represents Renfrew North and Braehead, believes the new transport network would be “massively useful” to the local area.
He said: “Renfrew is one of the biggest towns in Scotland without a rail link and it’s great to see that finally coming into the equation. It makes sense.
“It has been a long time coming but, hopefully, we are starting to move in the right direction.”
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