• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Glasgow Subway: £245m from Scottish gov't, "new trains"

Status
Not open for further replies.

jamesontheroad

Established Member
Joined
24 Jan 2009
Messages
2,032
Via the BBC, the paperwork for more cash has been inked by the Scottish Government, with confirmation of fully accessible stations and new trains:

Plans to completely revamp Glasgow's ageing subway system are to be backed by £246m from the Scottish government.

The funding will provide the majority of the estimated £287.5m cost, which will see all 15 stations redeveloped and new trains brought in.

...

"This money will enable SPT to deliver new bespoke trains, to refurbish stations, to upgrade signals and improve accessibility for passengers

So who would be in the running for the new trains? Metro Cammell worked with students in product design (?) at the Glasgow School of Art to design the current fleet.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,543
Location
Redcar
I don't know much about transport in and around Glasgow but is the system really worth spending £246m of Scottish Government money (and the better part of £300m overall) to modernise? Is it actually that valuable to the transport infrastructure of Glasgow that this is a good use of what is a lot of money?
 

Failed Unit

Established Member
Joined
26 Jan 2009
Messages
8,857
Location
Central Belt
I don't know much about transport in and around Glasgow but is the system really worth spending £246m of Scottish Government money (and the better part of £300m overall) to modernise? Is it actually that valuable to the transport infrastructure of Glasgow that this is a good use of what is a lot of money?

Surely you can argue that about any transport investment? HS2 for example?

Yes it is not a big system, but it is keeping cars and buses off the roads which will be the alternative. There are a couple of park and rides for example Shields Road, which if there was no subway would put a few more buses onto the already congested M8
 

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,543
Location
Redcar
Surely you can argue that about any transport investment? HS2 for example?

I'd like to point out that I'm not arguing that the money shouldn't be spent simply asking whether it is a good use of the money (bearing in mind there are plenty of other transport projects that could happily use £240m)! I don't know Glasgow at all hence why I'm asking people that do for their opinions!

Yes it is not a big system, but it is keeping cars and buses off the roads which will be the alternative. There are a couple of park and rides for example Shields Road, which if there was no subway would put a few more buses onto the already congested M8

You see this is why I asked as I don't know anything about the state of the M8 ;)
 

142094

Established Member
Joined
7 Nov 2009
Messages
8,789
Location
Newcastle
Weren't there some extension plans a few years ago (unless I've been dreaming)? I seem to remember a figure of 8 shape. I like the quirkiness of the system so probably will have to go back up before they get replaced. Plus, the training video that is on You Tube is funny as hell.
 

PaxVobiscum

Established Member
Joined
4 Feb 2012
Messages
2,395
Location
Glasgow
My first reaction on hearing about this recently was along the lines of "What, so soon? It's hardly any time since the last refurb! Surely it can't be knackered already?"

However, now that I think about it, the current Subway has been running since 1979, so that's 33 years it has lasted compared with the 42 years (1935 - 1977) of the previous system that I briefly worked on (standard punishment in Glasgow Corporation Transport for trainee bus drivers who failed their PSV driving test - the GCT version of the salt mines in Siberia). It was a very interesting experience being part of what was still basically a Victorian railway, with its Frankenstein electrics (big open knife blade switches in the station master's cabins) and simple signalling system. Oh the panic that ensued when a (circuit) "breaker" unexpectedly tripped and the horn went off.

Coming from the buses where there were a large number of routes across the city, I remember being amused by each Subway train being identified by a "route number" despite the fact that there was no variation of route possible (other than Inner or Outer Circle). Those who used the Subway before it closed for renovation in 1977 will remember the distinctive smell.
 

jamesontheroad

Established Member
Joined
24 Jan 2009
Messages
2,032
I don't know much about transport in and around Glasgow but is the system really worth spending £246m of Scottish Government money (and the better part of £300m overall) to modernise? Is it actually that valuable to the transport infrastructure of Glasgow that this is a good use of what is a lot of money?

Think how much it would cost to build a new Subway :D I reckon it's a bargain, as it will sustain a lot of employment during the refurbishment period and will continue to ensure that WorstBus doesn't strangle the city with its near monopoly on many bus routes. A single on the bus is now £1.80, compared with £1.20 on the Subway, so as long as there is some public (i.e. not privatised) transport in Glasgow, I'm happy.

Weren't there some extension plans a few years ago (unless I've been dreaming)? I seem to remember a figure of 8 shape. I like the quirkiness of the system so probably will have to go back up before they get replaced.

I think it was the Commonwealth Games that brought up that idea, but it would have cost billions. The idea was, I think, for a second circular route that would run through / parallel / beneath the core Buchanan Street section before branching off to serve the East End (because as it stands, the Subway only really serves Govan, Ibrox and the West End). Trains would either have done each loop or a figure of eight. However, given just how good the east-west connectivity of the city already is with the two low level railway lines, there really wasn't much need.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top