Glasgow is one of the few major cities in the UK that does not have a direct rail link between its airport and its centre.
It's a point raised with some chagrin by Peter Duthie, chairman of the Glasgow Tourism Partnership, in an exclusive interview with The Herald’s Caroline Wilson last week.
Read more: Glasgow Airport rail link failure 'undoubtedly' deters airlines, says tourism boss
The issue has long been a bone of contention, with plans to rectify the situation being mooted half a century ago according to one of our readers, who explains why it is vital Glasgow now pull out all the stops.
Gordon Casely of Crathes writes:
"The fact that Glasgow is without a rail connection to the airport is nothing new.
"Half a century ago, when in November 1973 I joined Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive, one of the projects of then director of planning (later director-general) Andrew McKay was that the modernisation plan for the Subway, begun in May the following year, should include direct connection to the airport.
"I well recall a conversation with him in which he said: 'The Underground can’t exist alone for ever. We have to break out of the circle.'
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"His two visions for the Subway were to branch off at Kelvinbridge and go via Kirklee to the old Maryhill Central Station (shelved because of civil engineering problems at Kelvinbridge), and to break out of the circle at Cessnock, then run overground to Abbotsinch for the airport.
"Mr McKay proved a visionary, at one point leading the creation of 22 new or replacement stations in Glasgow. But no one continued his vision following his death in a car accident in Cheshire in 1979.
"Airports such as Edinburgh, Manchester, Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Birmingham have rail or tram connections inbuilt as part of rational infrastructure.
"Passengers on mainland Europe arriving in, say, Bergen, Berlin or Schipol (to name but three) are able to continue to city centres simply and comfortably.
"If Glasgow aspires to be a European city (does it?) then a railed connection deserves to be as much a part of arriving and departing as boarding an actual aircraft."
To join the debate, email letters@theherald.co.uk
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