Moving with the times?

The vow came as it emerged the Subway nightrider service - a compromise pilot scheme which sees buses following the route of the underground - is on the verge of being scrapped because of mounting losses of tens of thousands of pounds. Timetable of the Nightrider

FEBRUARY 2007 After repeated calls for longer opening hours on the Subway, SPT agrees to run a fleet of all-night buses to follow the route of the underground and award a contract worth £296,303 to First Glasgow.

APRIL 2007 Nightrider takes to the road at the start of a 15-month pilot project with SPT claiming the first weekend had seen "an encouraging start" with almost 100 passengers.

MAY 2007 SPT reveal numbers almost doubled on the second weekend of operation to 195.

JULY 2007 The first hint of trouble when transport chiefs warn clubbers to use or lose nightrider. Although numbers have risen to almost 300 the SPT is running up weekend losses of more than £4000.

MARCH 2008 Nightrider is on the brink of being axed due to losses running into tens of thousands of pounds with SPT admitting disappointment at the "poor customer numbers".

As the ill-fated scheme nears the end of the road, Strathclyde Partnership For Transport chairman Alistair Watson said talks would now be restarted on opening the underground later at night.

But he warned it would take major investment and a deal to be thrashed out with train drivers and station workers.

The first extension of hours could take place on a Sunday, when the Subway currently closes at 6pm, to reflect lifestyle changes which have led to a more vibrant city centre night life.

Mr Watson said: "The purpose of the Nightrider was to test the market. People would expect us to do so and we have always kept it under review.

"I now want to meet with the trade unions and explore the possibility of extending the hours at least on a Sunday.

"There have been continuing calls for the Subway to have longer operating hours.

"We actually agree with that and we have been looking at ways to do that. But it can really only be delivered properly if we get more investment into the Subway.

"That would improve the tunnels and tracks and modernise the maintenance system. Then it would be possible to look at much longer hours. But we can't complete miracles without new investment."

Transport chiefs are dismayed at how few revellers have used the Nightrider service.

They are expected to axe the service when the 15-month pilot project ends in the summer. A review is under way and a final decision is likely in August.

Scrapping it will re-ignite calls to extend the underground's opening hours to reflect Glasgow's status as a major European city not least of all as Glasgow prepares to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Mr Watson readily admits the underground is out of pace with 21st century Glasgow and said: "You have only to go back 25 years to look at life in the city on a Sunday. Back then the shops did not open."

Today the city centre is bustling. The shops are open and the pubs and clubs are usually packed with revellers. But still the Subway in Britain's fourth biggest city shuts down at 6pm on a Sunday and at 11.30pm on other nights.

Essential maintenance has always been blamed for not operating a 24-hour Subway.

Crews spend almost five hours every day carrying out essential routine and safety work during the night. But it is understood investment in the system would reduce the maintenance time required.

Growing calls to extend the opening hours of the city's Subway network prompted SPT to launch the nightrider scheme last April.

Transport chiefs said it was far too costly to run the the city's underground day and night. They claimed annual running costs just for a late night operation on Sundays would be £540,000.

Instead they awarded a £296,303 contract to First Bus to run a 15-month trial due to end in July. A fleet of six buses follow the route of the Subway by making clockwise and anti-clockwise journeys every 20 minutes.

The Nightrider service runs from 11.40pm every Friday and Saturday through to 6.30am the next day. On Sunday the buses operate between 6pm and 11.30pm.

A flat fare of £2 is charged but it's understood the service runs at a loss on most nights and is having to be heavily subsidised by taxpayers' money. SPT chiefs refuse to divulge figures but it's known that losses amounting to tens of thousands of pounds have been incurred since Nightrider was launched almost a year ago.

Transport bosses have also refused to make public the latest passenger figures but it's thought numbers have fluctuated repeatedly but rarely risen above 300 in a weekend.

The last figures were issued last summer when clubbers were warned they had to start using Nightrider or lose it.

The warning was issued when it was revealed the service was taking in £600 in fares but making a weekly loss of around £4400. It meant SPT, funded through the taxpayer, was subsidising £20 for every passenger.

Officials refuse to be drawn publicly but an SPT spokeswoman said: "We are keeping a close eye on usage and are planning a thorough review at the end of the trial period.

"Nightrider has been very well promoted by SPT but to date we have been disappointed with the extremely poor customer numbers."

Councillor Steven Purcell, leader of Glasgow City Council, added: "Although it's disappointing the Nightrider trial hasn't worked out, I'm pleased SPT is talking to the unions about developing the service.