1 November 2004

25th anniversary of Subway re-opening

Councillor Alistair Watson today welcomed the news that over 322 million passengers have used the Subway since the Queen re-opened Glasgow's underground network exactly 25 years ago today, following a massive refurbishment which took two and a half years and cost £43 million.

The modernisation programme included replacing the track, the signalling and the power supply. Platforms were lengthened to take three-carriage trains and all new rolling stock was introduced. Stations were rebuilt and many of them were provided with escalators. Closed circuit TV was also installed along with new fire escapes.

On 1 November 1979 the Queen travelled in the driver's cab of a Subway train for the third of a mile journey between Buchanan Street and St Enoch. She then travelled to Argyle Street Station to open the, then new, £34 million Argyle Line.

Councillor Alistair Watson, Chair of SPT, said: "By the early 1970s the number of people using the Subway had fallen to 7 million a year and serious consideration was given to closing it down. But the decision was taken to virtually rebuild the entire system at a cost of £43 million, around £150 million in today's terms.

"The Glasgow Herald, published on 1 November 1979, described measures to tackle the growing traffic congestion of the fifties and sixties. It said: Work on new highways gathered momentum but public transport plans hung fire - simply because there was no single operator or body with the finance and authority to carry them out. This was remedied by the creation in 1972 of the Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive. The PTE quickly decided an updated Underground and an Argyle Line were essential.

"Now over 13 million passengers a year use the Subway. It plays a major role in cutting congestion in Glasgow and joining up journeys. Twenty five years ago the Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Authority took a bold decision to invest in joining up journeys. Strathclyde Passenger Transport is still investing in public transport, still developing the rail network and, in the words of Councillor John Reid speaking 25 years ago: still delivering on the goal of a co-ordinated and integrated network of public transport services."

ends