Glasgow Crossrail
Encyclopedia
Crossrail Glasgow is a proposed railway development in Central
Scotland
.
Since the 1970s, it has been widely recognised that one of the main weaknesses of the railway network in Greater
Glasgow
is that rail services from the South (which would normally terminate at Central main line station) cannot bypass Glasgow city centre and join the northern railway network which terminates at Glasgow Queen Street station
- and vice-versa for trains coming from the North. At present rail users who wish to travel across Glasgow have to disembark at either Central or Queen Street and traverse the city centre by foot, or by road.
for regular passenger use in conjunction with new filler sections of track which will connect the North Clyde
, Ayrshire
, and Kilmarnock and East Kilbride
suburban routes together, therefore allowing through running of services through the centre of Glasgow in a North-South axis. The Glasgow Airport Rail Link that was to have directly connected Glasgow International Airport to the rest of the Scottish rail network (including the Airdrie to Bathgate Link to Edinburgh
) was cancelled in 2009.
The scheme has been heavily pushed by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
(SPT) for many years and a £500,000 study was commissioned by the Scottish Executive
in 2003 to investigate the feasibility and costs of the link. The outcome of this was published in 2005, with funding and Government approval pending. However, the scheme was once again omitted from a review published by Network Rail and Transport Scotland
in the summer of 2006, suggesting that any chances of the scheme becoming a reality still largely uncertain.
The Route Utilisation Strategy for Scotland, published in March 2007, again omitted the Glasgow Crossrail scheme from its recommendations.
The Scottish Government's Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), published in December 2008, included a Glasgow Crossrail-type solution as part of its wider West of Scotland Strategic Rail Enhancement project, one in a list of 29 projects to be taken forward as a priority in the following 20 years.
Central Scotland
Central Scotland may refer to:* Central Belt, the area of highest population density in Scotland, also known as the "Midlands" or "Scottish Midlands"* Central Lowlands, a geologically-defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland...
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Since the 1970s, it has been widely recognised that one of the main weaknesses of the railway network in Greater
Greater Glasgow
Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area...
Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
is that rail services from the South (which would normally terminate at Central main line station) cannot bypass Glasgow city centre and join the northern railway network which terminates at Glasgow Queen Street station
Glasgow Queen Street railway station
Glasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini and the third-busiest station in Scotland. It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to...
- and vice-versa for trains coming from the North. At present rail users who wish to travel across Glasgow have to disembark at either Central or Queen Street and traverse the city centre by foot, or by road.
Proposal
The proposed Crossrail initiative involves electrifying and reopening the City Union LineCity Union Line
The City of Glasgow Union Railway - City Union Line , is a railway line in Glasgow, Scotland. The line is still open, with the section north of Bellgrove still open to passenger trains.-Description of the route:...
for regular passenger use in conjunction with new filler sections of track which will connect the North Clyde
North Clyde Line
The North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire Coast Line
The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow...
, and Kilmarnock and East Kilbride
Glasgow South Western Line
The Glasgow South Western Line is a mainline railway in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, and then either via Dumfries, or Stranraer via Ayr, with a branch to East Kilbride.- History :...
suburban routes together, therefore allowing through running of services through the centre of Glasgow in a North-South axis. The Glasgow Airport Rail Link that was to have directly connected Glasgow International Airport to the rest of the Scottish rail network (including the Airdrie to Bathgate Link to Edinburgh
Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link
The Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link is a railway in central Scotland.Instigated as part of a round of transport improvement projects proposed by the then Scottish Executive in 2003, the plan was to open up a fourth direct railway link between the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The project was...
) was cancelled in 2009.
New and reopened stations
The development would also include a number of new (or redeveloped) stations:- High Street Station on the North Clyde Line would be demolished and relocated.
- A new station will be built at Glasgow CrossGlasgow CrossGlasgow Cross is a major junction in the city centre of Glasgow, which has, at its centre, five streets running from it: the High Street, Gallowgate, London Road, the Saltmarket and the Trongate ....
, behind the Mercat Building, potentially providing an interchange with the Argyle LineArgyle LineThe Argyle Line is a suburban railway located in West Central Scotland. It connects the Lanarkshire towns of Lanark, Larkhall and Motherwell to West Dunbartonshire via central Glasgow using sub-surface running...
services that run under the street below. - The reopening of Cumberland Street railway stationCumberland Street railway stationCumberland Street railway station, Glasgow, Scotland, was developed by the Glasgow and South Western Railway in 1900, as a replacement for Main Street station, Gorbals, following the doubling of the track from Port Eglinton to St Enoch station. It was in operation until 1966, when passenger...
been proposed in the GorbalsGorbalsThe Gorbals is an area on the south bank of the River Clyde in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. By the late 19th century, it had become over-populated and adversely affected by local industrialisation. Many people lived here because their jobs provided this home and they could not afford their own...
, opening the area up to the passenger railway network for the first time since the 1960s. - West Street subway stationWest Street subway stationWest Street subway station serves the Tradeston area of Glasgow, Scotland. The station will become a major interchange if the Glasgow Crossrail is given the green light....
would be expanded and remodelled so as to provide a major interchange between the railway network and the Glasgow SubwayGlasgow SubwayThe Glasgow Subway is an underground metro line in Glasgow, Scotland. Opened on 14 December 1896, it is the third-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground and the Budapest Metro. Formerly a cable railway, the Subway was later electrified, but its twin circular lines...
, similar to the current Partick stationPartick stationPartick station is a combined railway station and underground station in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland. It, along with an adjacent bus station, forms one of the main transport hubs in Glasgow with regular services to many locations in Greater Glasgow and wider Strathclyde...
upgrade.
Other developments
In conjunction with the core proposals, other possible developments of Crossrail may include:- The construction of a chord over the former Gushetfaulds railfreight terminal to link Crossrail with the West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
(WCML), therefore creating an new path for WCML express services to access the north of Scotland network. An overbridge was provided as part of the M74 Extension to allow this in the future. - The re-opening of Glasgow CrossGlasgow Cross railway stationGlasgow Cross was a railway station in the city centre of Glasgow.-History:This station was opened on 1 November 1895 by the Glasgow Central Railway.It was closed, with the line through Glasgow Central , on 5 October 1964.-Argyle Line:...
Low Level station to provide interchange to the Argyle LineArgyle LineThe Argyle Line is a suburban railway located in West Central Scotland. It connects the Lanarkshire towns of Lanark, Larkhall and Motherwell to West Dunbartonshire via central Glasgow using sub-surface running...
. - Turnback facility in the Yorkhill/Kelvinhaugh area for trains on the North Clyde lineNorth Clyde LineThe North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
from the east, before reaching the already overloaded Finnieston Junction and congested tracks to the west.
The scheme has been heavily pushed by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is a public body which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating regional transport, and especially the public transport system, in the Strathclyde area of western Scotland...
(SPT) for many years and a £500,000 study was commissioned by the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
in 2003 to investigate the feasibility and costs of the link. The outcome of this was published in 2005, with funding and Government approval pending. However, the scheme was once again omitted from a review published by Network Rail and Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland was created on 1 January 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. It is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department and accountable to Scottish Ministers...
in the summer of 2006, suggesting that any chances of the scheme becoming a reality still largely uncertain.
The Route Utilisation Strategy for Scotland, published in March 2007, again omitted the Glasgow Crossrail scheme from its recommendations.
The Scottish Government's Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), published in December 2008, included a Glasgow Crossrail-type solution as part of its wider West of Scotland Strategic Rail Enhancement project, one in a list of 29 projects to be taken forward as a priority in the following 20 years.