Bishopbriggs included in "fabulous" new light rail plan to city centre

Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer said the new line is a strategic priority for Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government’s transport agency.

The expansion comes as part of major proposals for a ‘Clyde Metro’ rail service reaching everyone up to 15km from Glasgow city centre.

The proposal is contained in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review, which was published for consultation this week.

The new light rail line would be estbalished to the west of the existing line at Bishopbriggs.

Mr Greer, who lives in East Dunbartonshire, said: “This strategy really is fantastic news for Bishopbriggs. It will open up new options for local commuters, improve the frequency and reliability of existing local rail services and help reduce the number of cars on the road by giving people attractive alternatives.

"That in turn will improve local air quality and make our roads safer.

"And of course, it will create thousands of quality jobs through the planning, construction and operation of all these new rail lines.

“The devil will now be in the detail, and I look forward to enthusiastically making the case for the improvements to be designed to best serve residents in Bishopbriggs.

"I’m proud that with Greens in government, public transport improvements are being given the focus they deserve.”

He pointed to the significant shift in focus in the strategy as evidence of the Scottish Greens’ impact since joining the Scottish Government, highlighting the importance placed on major public transport improvements, as well as walking, wheeling and cycling projects to reduce traffic volumes.

The light metro line will also connect Glasgow city centre to Bearsden and the overall strategy will see changes to the existing Milngavie line, redesignating it as a ‘heavy metro’ line and rerouting it from Hyndland via a new route into Glasgow Central Station which would see the Botanics station reopen.