21 June 2005

Glasgow Airport Rail Link Could Bring 700 Jobs to Paisley, Says SPT

Glasgow Airport Rail Link could bring 700 jobs to Paisley town centre by 2012, according to research carried out by consultants working on the project.

Economic development consultant Roger Tym & Partners estimates that Glasgow Airport Rail Link would support the development of 135,000 sq ft of office accommodation and could bring between 675 and 700 jobs to Paisley town centre three to four years after the link starts operating. These figures are on top of the 650 jobs already predicted to be created by the link in Glasgow and Renfrewshire.

In addition, it is estimated that Glasgow Airport Rail Link will create £84m of economic benefits in Renfrewshire alone during its first 10 years of operation.

Cllr Alistair Watson, chair of SPT, commented: "This is great news for Paisley and shows how important the Glasgow Airport Rail Link could be for both the town's future. The benefits of improved rail connections will also open up more opportunities for those living in Ayrshire and Inverclyde.

"If the link is given the go ahead, trains running between Glasgow Airport and Glasgow Central will make just one stop, at Paisley Gilmour Street. This not only provides easy access to people living in Paisley and working at the airport but also means Paisley could be the first stop for the 8.2 million-and-rising people who travel from and to Glasgow Airport every year."

SPT sent its draft of the Bill to the Scottish Parliament on 10 June 2005. Following the Bill's introduction objectors have 60 days to register their concerns. If the Bill is given the green light by MSPs, it is estimated that the link could be operational by the end of 2008.

The proposal is to upgrade 9 km (5.4 miles) of existing track between Shields Junction and Paisley Gilmour Street Station and to lay 2 km (1.2 miles) of new track between Paisley St James Station and Glasgow Airport. The new track will cross St James Park and the M8.

SPT's formal public consultation into the Glasgow Airport Rail Link ran from November 1 2004 to February 28 2005 - there was a total of 1638 formal responses. In addition, 284 people attended public meetings and focus groups and 917 people visited the exhibition stands at various locations in Glasgow and Renfrewshire.

The consultation has seen more than 20,000 information leaflets distributed to homes and businesses along the route of the proposed link. A further 15,000 leaflets were distributed on local train services. A series of public exhibitions and meetings have been held and a website has also been established.

Consultants have been investigating the feasibility of building a direct rail link to Glasgow Airport for some 15 years and a preferred route has been identified, which mainly follows existing rail lines.

Passenger numbers at Glasgow Airport are predicted to virtually double, from 8.2 million passengers a year in 2003, to over 15 million passengers a year in 2030. At the moment, 95% of these passengers travel to the airport by road.

The rail link will help to contribute to the continued growth of Glasgow Airport, which is a major employer and is one of the biggest wealth generators in the west of Scotland. The link will also benefit the tourist industry. According to Roger Tym & Partners, Glasgow Airport Rail Link could help bring 52,500 additional UK and overseas visitors and contribute towards £10m in additional visitor expenditure every year to Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde. In addition, the link would support Glasgow's estimated £115m conference sector.

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