Metro Feasibility Study (Clyde Metro)

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Due to developments within the transport landscape, and a recommendation from the Connectivity Commission that a metro proposal should be progressed, Glasgow City Region Cabinet paused the City Deal funded Airport Access Project to develop a feasibility study on a wider regional metro opportunity.

To deliver this work on behalf of Glasgow City Region, a Metro Feasibility Study project team was mobilised in 2020.

Led by Glasgow City Council, this holistic appraisal set out to tie-in with other work ongoing in respect of transport planning.

The work of this multi-disciplinary project team was boosted in February 2021 with the inclusion of a metro concept as a recommendation within Phase 1 of the Scottish Government's second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

STPR2 as a strategic review, considers transport needs in Scotland and informs investment priorities for the next 20 years by providing recommendations on which Scottish Ministers can base future investment decisions.

The inclusion of a metro concept at this stage of STPR2 meant that the Metro Feasibility Study could full align with, and provide collaborative support for the review process.

The Metro Feasibility Study project team also worked with Invest Glasgow to include within their Greenprint for Investment Prospectus details of how a Metro could attract inward investment and business growth.

STPR2 Outcomes: Clyde Metro

January 2022

The Scottish Government published the STPR2 Phase 2 Draft Reports.

These reports outlined 45 medium to long-term, national and regional transport investment recommendations, of which Clyde Metro was one.

The STPR2 Phase 2 Draft Reports described Clyde Metro as a multi-billion investment, which when complete could better connect over 1.5 million people to employment, education, and health services in and around the Glasgow City Region:

A metro transport system that transforms connectivity in the Glasgow City Region up to around 15km from the city centre. It would target areas where connections are currently poor, including places where there is deprivation.
Metro transport systems include one of or a combination of bus rapid transit, light rail and metro rail. These options would complement the service provided by traditional railways and may include the conversion from existing railways to light rail or metro rail.
Improving access across the city region supports Scottish Government policies aimed at tackling deprivation and health issues. Connecting Clyde Metro with active travel and existing transport networks would remove shorter distance trips from the heavy rail network and free up additional rail capacity for longer journeys.
The system would help to deliver environmental benefits and improve public transport journey times and journey time reliability, making sustainable travel options more attractive.

All of the investment recommendations contained in the STPR2 Phase 2 Draft Reports were consulted upon in early 2022 to help inform the STPR2 Final Reports.

December 2022

The Scottish Government published the STPR2 Final Reports, in which Clyde Metro was confirmed as a key priority for future transport investment.

See pdf icon STPR2 Appraisal Summary Table – Recommendation 11: Clyde Metro [605kb]

About Clyde Metro, the STPR2 Final Summary Report says:

Road congestion in Glasgow City Region makes public transport less attractive, contributing to more car journeys.
Metro transport systems include one of, or a combination of, bus rapid transit (BRT), tram, light rail and metro rail. These options would complement the service provided by traditional railways.
Clyde Metro is aimed to improve connectivity within the Glasgow conurbation by providing high quality public transport links to key hubs and unserved or underserved areas.
Clyde Metro would help tackle social exclusion; provide significant capacity to encourage switch from car use; reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality; and free rail capacity for longer-distance journeys

The STPR2 Final Technical Report includes a map, highlighting the indicative extent of Clyde Metro:

pdf icon View Map as PDF [338kb]

Next Steps:

STPR2 recommends that Transport Scotland continues to work with Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and other regional partners in the development of Clyde Metro including the business case, design and governance.

A Delivery Plan from the Scottish Government that will provide further insight on the prioritisation of the STPR2 recommendations will follow in Spring 2023, when there is more clarity and greater certainty on the available capital budget and fiscal policy for the coming years.