21 June 2006
Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) Bill Passes to Consideration Stage
MSPs vote in favour of GARL at Preliminary Stage Debate
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has welcomed MSPs' decision today (Wednesday 21 June) to allow the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) Bill to pass to the next Parliamentary stage.
MSPs voted to allow the bill to pass to the Consideration Stage on the recommendation of the GARL bill committee. Previously the committee had produced a report examining the case for the link, which recommended that the bill progress.
Councillor Alistair Watson, Chair, SPT, said: "A fast, efficient and reliable link from the airport to the city centre is essential for the west of Scotland and we welcome the politicians' decision to allow the Glasgow Airport Rail Link Bill to progress to the next stage.
"We will continue to work very hard behind the scenes with remaining objectors to try and find solutions to their individual concerns."
He added: "There is a clear economic case for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, with the link helping to support 1300 jobs in the west of Scotland. In addition, GARL will provide additional travel and accessibility opportunities for the west coast areas of north and south Ayrshire and Inverclyde and provide an alternative, sustainable means of getting increasing numbers of passengers to and from the airport."
The bill now enters the Consideration Stage where it is considered in detail. A report is then produced by the GARL bill committee, after which MSPs vote on whether the bill should progress. It is estimated that this decision will be made towards end 2006.
GARL is estimated to cost up to £210m and could, if there were no delays in the various statutory processes, be complete by end 2009. SPT agrees that operation by 2010 is more likely given the complexity of the project, the approvals required and the project programme that is being continuously developed.
The proposal is to upgrade 9km (5.4 miles) of existing track between Shields Junction and Paisley Gilmour Street station and to lay 1.9km (1.2miles) of new track between Paisley St James station and Glasgow Airport. The new track will cross St James Park and the M8. A new platform will also be built in Central Station and a new track laid at the Elderslie sidings.
The new rail link would provide a dedicated train service every 15 minutes between Glasgow Central Station and a new station at Glasgow Airport. Trains will stop once at Paisley Gilmour Street and the journey time will be 16 minutes.
The Department for Transport estimates that passenger numbers at Glasgow Airport are predicted to almost double, from 8.2million a year in 2003, to over 15 million passengers a year in 2030. Airport owner, BAA Scotland’s latest forecasts are even higher and indicate that passenger numbers could rise as high as 24 million by 2030. At present, 95% of these passengers travelling to Glasgow Airport do so by road.
The rail link will provide more travel choice for airport users and establish a sustainable transport link to Glasgow Airport, which is a major employer and one of the biggest wealth generators in the region. It will increase the rail opportunities for travellers using Paisley Gilmour Street station.
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. The link would also support the Glasgow City region’s conference sector business, worth an estimated £115m annually.
In addition, the link will help support 1300 jobs across Glasgow and Renfrewshire including 650-700 gross new jobs in Paisley town centre.
ends