The route will start from Glasgow Central Station, making one stop only at Paisley Gilmour Street before reach the new station at Glasgow International Airport. The journey will take 16 minutes.
Paisley Gilmour Street
There will be no major structural changes to Paisley Gilmour Street station, however this station will act as the hub for the airport rail link by providing access for passengers from the south and west. All trains will make a brief stop here which provides Paisley with an extra four trains per hour to and from Glasgow.
Glasgow Central Station
At Central station a new platform will be built to provide capacity for the new GARL service. The existing in-station car parking will be removed but parking will remain available on existing on-street and surrounding multi-storey car parks. Alternative set-down and pick-up will be provided for on the surrounding streets, including the existing Union Street facility.
Authorised mobility impaired vehicles will be able to set down at the station main entrance off Gordon Street and dedicated mobility-impaired parking bays will be provided in the Oswald Street multi-storey car park.
St James Playing Fields
Great care has been taken to ensure that there is minimal disruption to people using the St James playing fields, where the new 1.9km track linking St James Station, near Paisley, to the airport. The viaduct on which the new track will be laid across St James Playing Fields will be up to nine metres above existing ground level.
After construction full access will be maintained across the playing fields and people will be able to walk underneath the viaduct, subject to the appropriate safety and railway operational requirements. During construction the east side of the playing fields will be used as a construction compound and will not be available for use.
The following commitments have been made:
- 20 pitches will be available at St James Playing Fields after the link is constructed
- Two upgraded pitches and an expansion of existing changing facilities will be provided at Ferguslie Park
- All pitches will meet league standards
- New changing facilities will be built at St James Playing Fields, replacing the existing ones
- During construction, 11 football pitches will be provided at St James Playing Fields. Eleven further temporary pitches will be provided at nearby locations. All of these pitches will be ready for use by October 2008.
