SPT publications
Interchange Issue 14, published January 2007
SPT opens Scotland's biggest Park and Ride
SPT has unveiled the biggest Park and Ride car park in Scotland.
The new multi-storey car park at Shields Road Subway station provides commuters with 800 parking spaces and a five-minute Subway journey into the city centre.
Costing £4.6 million, the car park was developed by SPT in partnership with Glasgow City Council. Funding was provided by the Scottish Executive.
The idea behind the project is to encourage commuters to Park and Ride on the Subway, rather than drive their cars into the city.
A new four-storey car park was built, after the existing ground level car park was redesigned. In total, there are now double the number of parking spaces that were previously available. And brand new cycle racks have also been added.
Facilities at the car park have been significantly improved. They now include dedicated disabled and parent and child spaces, a toilet and a lift to the upper floors. The car park also has full CCTV coverage and improved lighting.
Chair of SPT, Councillor Alistair Watson, said, "Parking and Riding is becoming more popular but there are still people out there who haven't even considered it. To those people, I would say give it a go. It's like the reverse of the Guiness advert from years ago - try it because you might just like it!"
"Car parks like this are crucial in helping to reduce traffic congestion in the city centre. This project was a real team effort and I am delighted with the finished product."
The car park was designed by Keppie Design and built by contractor Barr Construction.
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MSPs give GARL the green light
MSPs gave SPT's plans to build a fast, direct rail link between Glasgow city centre and Glasgow Airport their overwhelming support as the Private Bill reached the final stage debate at Holyrood.
SPT Chair Councillor Alistair Watson welcomed the decision saying: "This is an historic day and the culmination of two-and-a-half years of careful planning and hard work. We are delighted that the Scottish Parliament has decided to give us the backing to make this scheme a reality.
"Now we have approval, we will do everything in our power to turn the Glasgow Airport Rail Link from plan to reality. I would like to thank MSPs for their interest in the bill and, in particular, the GARL Private Bill Committee members for their patience and detailed scrutiny as this bill proceeded through the parliamentary stages.
"I would also pay tribute to the officers, Vice Chairs and previous Chairs of SPT for working so hard to make this scheme a reality."
John Gordon, Transport Scotland's GARL Project Manager said: "The challenge is now to deliver the rail link that meets the aspirations of the travelling public and the rail industry, while ensuring that we stay within the agreed cost and schedule."
BAA Scotland Managing Director Stephen Baxter welcomed the MSPs' decisive vote, saying: "It is a good decision for Glasgow and for Scotland. This is an ambitious, exciting project and we look forward to working with SPT over the coming months to turn the long- held ambition of a Glasgow Airport rail link into a firm reality."
In the days leading up to the final stage debate, agreement was reached with Renfrewshire Council over the future of St James Playing Fields. This decision was ratified at a meeting of Renfrewshire councillors on 14 December.
End of story.
SPT's key role in new hospital visitor service
A partnership including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow City Council, SPT and Community Transport Glasgow (CTG) has launched a unique scheme designed to ease transport difficulties faced by relatives and friends of hospital patients.
The Free Evening Hospital Visitor Service was launched in October, and covers Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Gartnavel General, Western and Victoria lnfirmaries, and Southern General and Stobhill Hospital.
Using community transport, hospital visitors are taken door to door from their homes to the hospital and back again. All residents in the Glasgow City Council area are eligible to use the service.
Health and Communities Minister Andy Kerr praised the new service: "This is a great scheme which will make getting to hospital to see loved ones much easier and safer. It is a great example of partnership working."
SPT's role is to provide the expertise needed to manage the booking and despatch system.
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New proposal for late night services
Plans are now in the final stages for SPT to provide an overnight passenger service run by bus operators on the present route of the Subway. The proposal is for a trial period of a year to test how popular the service will be with the travelling public.
The plan is that the Subway Nightrider will run every ten minutes after midnight - clockwise and anti clockwise just like the Subway - stopping as close to current Subway stations as possible.
SPT sought preliminary approval from the Partnership Board to pursue these plans. The final proposals were approved by the Partnership on Friday 15 December.
In the initial study looking at extending the hours of the Subway beyond the present service, costs proved a major stumbling block. These include the maintenance and staff costs incurred in any expansion of services beyond the current closing time of 11.30pm. So the Nightrider - with buses providing the late night services on the Subway route - is being proposed as an alternative.
SPT had originally hoped to have the Nightrider introduced before Christmas. In the event, this was not possible because it took some time to make sure that such a service could be delivered.
SPT is also bound by the standing rules and regulations of the Traffic Commissioner which include a statutory period of 70 days for public consultation.
Arrangements are in place to roll out a tendering process to bus operators. It should be possible to award contracts early in the New Year with the service in place by March 2007.
Gordon Maclennan, SPT's Assistant Chief Executive for Customer Services says:
"This is good news for all those who are part of the nightime economy in Glasgow. This service will run at weekends all year round, Friday to Sunday. And it isn't just for the folk who go to the clubs or shift workers in Glasgow. The Subway Nightrider will benefit all those from beyond the city because it will make getting into and out of the city after midnight much easier. SPT is listening to its customers and trying to serve their needs."
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SPT commissions Crossrail economic appraisal
Transport Consultancy Faber Maunsell has been appointed to develop an economic case for Crossrail and to undertake a STAG (Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance) study of the project. This will build on the recent Crossrail Statement of Case and last year's feasibility study.
If Faber Maunsell do produce a successful economic case, they will then start working on a number of other projects for Crossrail including a communications strategy and an environmental assessment.
SPT's ultimate aim is to produce a cast iron case for Crossrail, which can be presented to the Scottish parliament.
Crossrail would link up the lines running out of Glasgow Queen Street and Central stations. Three new stations would be created at West Street, Glasgow Cross and the Gorbals.SPT estimates that Crossrail could be built for between £115 million and £187 million.
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Engineering award for Subway
SPT emerged as the 2006 winners of the prestigious Fleming Award at a gathering of experts held at the Institution of Civil Engineers headquarters in Westminster, London recently.
The team, led by Civil Engineer Neil Gatenby and accompanied by Charles McAnally, Project Director of Keller Ground Engineering were one of three finalists, selected from entries to a nationwide competition.
The Fleming Award is an annual British Geotechnical Association award set up in honour of Ken Fleming's contribution to excellence in geotechnical design and construction.
SPT's project to reduce and maintain groundwater levels below a 150m section of tunnel was designed to prevent water-borne sand entering the tunnel. Due to meticulous planning and risk assessment, the project team successfully completed the work without any disruption to train services.
Neil Gatenby said: "It was quite a nerve-racking experience to make a presentation to an audience of some 200 of your peers and so we were absolutely delighted when the judges completed their deliberations and announced we had won.
"The success of the project was largely down to the teamwork we enjoyed with the contractor, Keller Ground Engineering and we have all agreed that the £3,000 cash should be put back into geotechnical engineering via student sponsorship at one of Glasgow's universities."
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SPT funds new Paisley bus service
SPT is funding a new bus service to run between Paisley Town Centre and Foxbar, to the delight of local residents.
The recently-introduced service 63 is operated by Lippen Coaches, using a low-floor bus which makes it fully accessible to wheelchair users and passengers with buggies.
The new route operates from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, and the service runs from Smithhills Street, Paisley to Morar Drive, Foxbar.
In October, Paisley South MSP Hugh Henry launched the service alongside
SPT Chair, Councillor Alistair Watson and Brediland councillor, John McDowell.
Councillor Watson said: "I am delighted that we are able to fund
this service as I know there were many people involved in the campaign
for its introduction. I hope the service will be well used and that it
will be of great benefit to the residents of Paisley and Foxbar."
Hugh Henry said: "It's fantastic that the local people now have a local bus service. Councillor McDowell and I, along with campaigners in the area, have fought hard for this and I am happy that Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is funding this new service. Local people clearly said they wanted a service and I hope it will be well used."
Councillor McDowell added: "As the local councillor in this area I was very much aware of the need for a bus service. I am also a member of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Board so I was able to get the voice of my constituents across to them. I am delighted that all our hard work has paid off."
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Integrated ticketing - the smart way forward
One of the aims SPT has set for itself is to promote integrated public transport ticketing.
At the moment, most travel passes, including the SPT ZoneCard, work on the show-and-go method. However, time marches on and there is now a new generation of smart travel cards which can be read by machines like the Octopus Card reader, pictured right, in Hong Kong.
With this in mind SPT invited Paul Chan, an expert on Hong Kong's Octopus Card, and John Stout from Transport for London's (TfL) Oyster Card scheme to Glasgow to talk about how they developed smart ticketing. Transport Scotland's Head of Concessionary Travel, Gordon Hanning, also spoke about Scotland's plans for this new technology.
Listening to the speakers, it is clear smart cards would mean huge benefits for public transport users in Scotland. They would simplify paying for travel, and with such rapid transaction times they could help move commuters quickly through busy stations - an important point to consider as public transport passenger numbers continue to rise.
Smart cards, unlike traditional travel passes, can be registered to a particular user and hot-listed if stolen, helping protect users against theft.
The starting point for any Scottish smart ticket is the National Entitlement Card. All these cards have been implanted with a readable chip, and a pilot scheme where users pass their card over a reader is already underway. The Executive hopes to have readers installed in most of Scotland's buses by the end of 2007. At the moment the technology is confined to Entitlement Cardholders, but there is scope to expand the technology to cover paying customers.
Although the potential benefits are huge, SPT Chief Executive Ron Culley acknowledged there are challenges ahead for smart ticketing: "The Octopus and Oyster card systems are successfully operating in two densely populated cities, so we know the technology is well and truly tried and tested. I am under no illusions that the successful introduction of such a scheme depends on all transport providers being willing to participate."
There is a real danger without strong leadership from the Scottish Executive, some of the larger companies will simply develop their own smart tickets. It would be a great pity if we failed to have the vision to build on the National Entitlement Card and allowed ourselves to slip further behind cities like London and Hong Kong.
End of story
SPT wins top transport award
SPT has been recognised at the Scottish Transport Awards for its commitment to making public transport more accessible to passengers with disabilities.
At a ceremony in Edinburgh on 16 November, SPT won the award for Improved Access for Disabled People after introducing new technology and making important modifications to both Buchanan and East Kilbride bus stations.
SPT has invested £200,000 in improving access for disabled people over the past three years, following a series of accessibility audits at bus stations and Travel Centres.
SPT has put in place a raft of measures to help customers who are visually impaired. These include REACT - an audio way-finding system developed in partnership with the Royal National Institute for the Blind - that guides passengers around the bus stations.
Another piece of technology, the Terminal for the Visually Impaired (TVI), gives on-screen and audio access to timetable and stance information.
And bus stances now feature audio systems that announce the next three departures.
Following SPT's success at the Transport Awards, Chief Executive Ron Culley said, "SPT staff have worked tirelessly on improving accessibility for passengers with disabilities for a number of years so I am delighted with this award as it is thoroughly deserved."
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Larkhall one year on - a resounding success
The first new branch line in Scotland for 25 years was hailed a resounding success on its first anniversary.
Latest figures from First ScotRail suggest more than 325,000 trips have been made on the strategic rail link, built to reconnect Larkhall to Glasgow and to increase capacity on the rail network.
The project not only included new stations at Larkhall, Merryton and Chatelherault in Lanarkshire, but an extension of the Northern Suburban Line in Glasgow from Maryhill to Anniesland with a new station at Kelvindale.
SPT took the lead role in the £35 million construction project which was funded by the Scottish Executive and involved rail industry partners and support from South Lanarkshire Council.
The line, connecting Larkhall to Glasgow Central via Hamilton Central, was opened on 9 December 2005 by First Minister, Jack McConnell MSP.
It has already increased employment and educational opportunities for Lanarkshire residents by providing easier access to Glasgow.
Tavish Scott MSP, Minister for Transport at the Scottish Parliament, said that the line has helped ensure railways play a full part in a sustainable, effective and integrated transport system, and that it helped support economic development, meet social needs, and provide a better environment.
He continued: "325,000 passenger journeys is well above predicted levels. The figures go to show our commitment to improving access to public transport to all areas of Scotland is really paying off.
"This rail line has already improved access to jobs, education and health services for the local communities involved and brought economic, social and environmental benefits. One year on, this is great news for Scotland."
Councillor Alistair Watson, chair of SPT, said: "These strong patronage figures for the first year of operation come as no surprise because we always believed the case to re-open the Larkhall branch line was compelling.
"It has been proven time and again, where investment is made to provide quality transport infrastructure, people will use it. The re-opening of the Larkhall branch line is already making a significant contribution to the economic regeneration of Lanarkshire and this progress looks set to continue.
"It is also testimony to SPT's successful stewardship of the rail network in west central Scotland during the last 30 years."
End of story.
Transport minister visits SPT
Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP visited SPT's headquarters in Glasgow in November.
During the course of his visit, he talked with senior staff and key politicians on a range of matters concerning transport policy and the implementation of projects in the west of Scotland.
The meeting was deemed to be very positive and most productive.
End of story.
Executive Team members now in post
Gordon Maclellan, Assistant Chief Executive Customer Services joined SPT in October and is Chief Executive Ron Culley's formal deputy.
Gordon brings to SPT a wealth of experience gained from working in engineering, business development and human resources management.
His brief covers all front line customer services including Subway, bus and ferry operations and involves delivering improvements in the quality of service. He is a passionate supporter of innovative technology solutions and sees the introduction of smartcard technology as key to achieving greater shift to public transport.
A well-kent face joined SPT as the new Director of Communications. Bob Wylie, BBC's former Investigative Reporter, took up his new role on 5 December. He is already is using his considerable skills, tuned to perfection at Queen Margaret Drive, to get to grips with his new brief at Consort House.
SPT's new Director of Bus Operations, Eric Stewart took up his post on 4 December and is no stranger to the organisation. He joins at a time when calls for a review of the current arrangements for bus service provision are increasing, 20 years after deregulation.
Eric's association with SPT goes back a number of years as a business partner when he was Managing Director of First Glasgow and more recently, as a non-elected member of the partnership.
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Headline: Fraud clampdown nets results
For one week in October, SPT joined forces with public transport operators, British Transport Police and Strathclyde Police in an exercise to clamp down on ticket fraud which is estimated to cost public transport users around £5 million annually.
Bus operators First, Arriva Scotland West, Stagecoach Western Buses and McKindless Bus Company Ltd took part in the joint ticket inspection exercise, along with rail operators First ScotRail and SPT Subway. This exercise was planned in conjunction with operators and Police to expose passengers travelling with fake, out of date, altered or inappropriate tickets.
Over 20,000 tickets were inspected during the exercise and around one per cent of passengers were found to be travelling without a valid ticket. In addition, there were 156 minor instances where ticket inspectors had cause to query the validity of tickets, but these instances were resolved at source and no further action taken.
Once again, SPT and public transport operators clearly demonstrated that ticket fraud will not be tolerated and when caught, action will be taken to prosecute offenders.
End of story.
Inaugural Freight Quality Partnership meeting
The newly-formed Strathclyde Freight Quality Partnership met for the first time in October at a meeting chaired jointly by SPT and the Freight Transport Association.
Establishment of the Partnership reflects SPT's responsibilities under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 and its aim is to develop a closer working relationship between regional and local government, the freight industry and its customers.
Among the issues to be looked at by the new Partnership will be preferred routes for freight delivery, relaxing delivery curfews where appropriate, identifying sites that can be used as freight access terminals and facilitating the movement of freight by rail to reduce the impact of road freight on communities.
End of story.
Partick Interchange setback
Complexities involved in the design of Partick Interchange have resulted in work on the project being temporarily halted over the festive season.
The project has always been regarded as technically ambitious, involving as it does construction work over the existing 106-year old Subway tunnels, and at the same time keeping the busy Subway and suburban rail station at the high level operational.
With over 160 different work elements requiring a three-stage approval system before building work on site can begin, contractor C Spencer Ltd will be using the temporary festive closure to reach agreement on specialist technical matters with Network Rail and Subway engineers.
The completion date for the project is now estimated to be February 2008.
End of story.
End of Issue 14.
Note: you can send feedback to Interchange, Communications Team, SPT, Consort House, 12 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 1HN.
email: interchange@spt.co.uk