GLASGOW'S MISSING LINK

Strathclyde Regional Council's 500m pound public transport scheme includes a new metro scheme, a monorail for Glasgow Airport and the opening up of further strategic railway stations and routes. Missing however is a line to link north and south side rail networks currently half a mile apart. The history of plans to link the two systems is outlined beginning with the Clyderail improvement plan in 1974. Reasons for dropping the idea of a link are listed and include lack of demand, inhibition of development of the metro and lack of vehicles. A large body of public opinion believes there is a need for the link and that the PTE's (Public Transport Executive's) data has been wrongly interpreted. Details are given of both sides of the argument. Remaining problems are mostly technical involving curves and the avoidance of demolition work. Local pressure groups insist that the link would be cheap using existing freight lines with only 200m of new track. Also described are plans for the new light metro system linking Glasgow's suburbs to the city centre. A partially segregated light rail system has been chosen costing around 350m pounds, and taking between 10-15 years to build. (TRRL)