AN SNP politician has urged parliament not to "rush into" support for a proposed Glasgow Airport tram-train, saying alternatives including a monorail should also be considered.
John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, questioned whether the existing airport link plans would deliver improved journey times to and from Glasgow city centre and stressed that the route omitted other potential passenger hubs such as Renfrew, Braehead shopping centre and the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Govan, none of which are currently served by rail.
In a motion tabled at the Scottish Parliament, Mr Mason said such a link "might struggle to significantly improve on the journey times that are currently provided by the shuttle bus service" and added that he "hopes that any transport links considered between the airport and city will include other destinations that would benefit from a rail link".
It comes amid calls from Glasgow and Renfrewshire councils and Labour MSP Anas Sarwar for the Scottish Government to "fast-track" the infrastructure project, which would be paid for using City Deal funding from Westminster and Holyrood.
The preferred option would see a £144 million tram-train run non-stop from the airport terminal to Paisley Gilmour Street on a newly-constructed light rail line, before joining the existing heavy rail network and continuing direct to Glasgow Central. A second proposal for Personal Rapid Transit "pods" is also being considered.
However, Mr Mason said plans drawn up by retired engineers and brothers, Jim and John Beckett, for a £300m monorail connecting the airport to Renfrew, Braehead, the QEU hospital, SECC and Riverside transport museum before stopping outside Glasgow Central were "an interesting idea".
The Clyde Monorail vision was revealed by the Herald in May.
Mr Mason said: "I'm not putting my neck on the line for the monorail but I would like it to be considered.
"I think it's doubtful how many passengers the tram-train would have and it doesn't seem that it is going to be much faster than the bus service we already have, which would be the whole attraction of a rail link.
"I would really want to be convinced that we can't do something to serve all these other places - I just don't want us to rush into anything."
A Scottish Government-commissioned feasibility study previously warned that the average tram-train journey time would be 20.5 minutes - just 90 seconds faster than the existing shuttle bus.
The Becketts estimate the monorail would take 18 minutes.
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