PLANS have been unveiled for the new rail link to Glasgow Airport, due to be complete in 2025.

The £144 m project will see new trams run from central station on the current rail tracks to Paisley Gilmour Street Station then on a new tram line through the streets to the airport building.

Council leaders and airport and business bosses launched the new plan today.

It is expected to carry one million passengers a year and take 16.5minutes form the city centre to the airport terminal.

The Glasgow Airport Access Project replaces the previous Glasgow Airport Rail Link which was controversially scraped by the Scottish Government in 2009.

The new plan is developed by Glasgow and Renfrewshire councils and the airport and has the backing of both the UK and Scottish governments who provided the cash through the £1.1bn City Deal.

Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “We’ve long argued that a new rail link between the airport and the city centre is essential for the thousands of tourists and business travellers who fly into and out of Glasgow every day.”

Ross Nimmo, Head of planning and development for Glasgow Airport, said: “We welcome the identification of tram train as the preferred option.

“It has a very strong business case, with conservative estimates suggesting the airport is set to become one of the busiest train stations in Scotland.”

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: "The Scottish Government is committed to working with our partners in the two councils and Glasgow Airport to support their plans for improving surface access to the airport and we have already shown our support for the planned infrastructure improvements that are part of the City Deal through our commitment to provide £500 million funding.

"I recently chaired the inaugural meeting of the high level steering group which provided a good opportunity to discuss the challenges around capacity of the existing rail network on approach to and within Glasgow Central station and the potential implications that a fixed link could have on future service enhancements in the west of Scotland.

"I look forward to continuing to work with the project team in order to assist them produce a robust and transparent business case which clearly sets out the impacts and a realistic and well informed assessment of all costs of any proposals to ensure informed decisions are made."