Idea for moving walkway instead of Glasgow Airport tram link

Glasgow AirportGlasgow Airport
Glasgow Airport
An architect has proposed building the world's longest moving walkway as an alternative to the planned train-tram link between Glasgow city centre and Glasgow Airport.

Maurice Rodger, writing in the Herald, said a sky-travelator, around a mile long, combined with a new train station on one of the country’s busiest lines, would drastically reduce the cost.

Mr Rodger’s rough plan involves creating a new train station in Paisley on the Glasgow to Wemyss Bay line, and combining it with a covered moving walkway which he estimates could take pedestrians to Glasgow Airport’s main terminal in just eight minutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Read More
Plans for direct rail link to Glasgow Airport

A recent report found that Glasgow City Council’s plans for a tram-train link from the city centre to the airport would struggle to justify the expected £144million cost.

The tram-train link was mooted after the Scottish Government controversially cancelled plans for a direct rail link in 2009 as a result of the economic crisis.

As a result of Glasgow’s City Deal, the idea was resurrected with a specially designed tram and a relocated Paisley St James station planned to reduce journey times.

Mr Rodger says his plan would reduce the cost of the link from £144m to just £10m, creating the longest pedestrian travelator in the process.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The architect said: “The idea came about because of the latest news that the latest study to take a tram to the airport was deemed to be uneconomic and possibly damaging to Ayrshire and parts south and west of the airport.

“My colleague and I were chatting away and when you think of it a train station and walkway would be considerably less expensive than a train or tram link.”

Dare to be Honest
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice