A MASSIVE £7million upgrade at Govan's Subway and bus station will help link passengers with the new South Glasgow Hospital.

 

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) will seek approval on Friday to carry out a refurbishment of the busy travel hub.

If it gets the go-ahead, Govan Interchange will undergo an overhaul, which will include new passenger lifts on each circle between concourse and platform level.

These will be in addition to lifts installed in the course of refurbishment works at St Enoch Subway.

It is hoped the work will improve access in and out of the city centre and to the new South Glasgow Hospitals complex.

Other improvements to be delivered at Govan will include a new modern ticket office, new flooring, wall and ceiling finishes, signage and enhancements including hearing loops, tactile maps, tactile paving and colour contrast flooring.

Four new escalators have already been installed in advance.

As the construction work involves both Subway and bus improvements, a modern entrance with glazed bi-parting doors will be installed on Golspie street to assist with easier passenger flow and a quicker connection to the Fastlink bus services nearby.

New doors will provide an enhanced entrance area to the concourse on Govan Road.

Glass canopies will cover both entrances.

Perimeter fencing and CCTV will increase passenger safety.

If approval is given the interchange refurbishment will be completed by the end of 2016.

SPT wants to award the contract - worth a total of £7,164,382 - to Graham Construction

SPT Chief Executive Gordon Maclennan said: "Govan will be the seventh of 15 stations to be refurbished and customers have told us they love the modern design and bright open spaces.

"The Interchange is particularly important as it connects directly with the new Fastlink services and access to the new South Glasgow University Hospitals complex.

"SPT aims to make public transport as accessible and seamless as possible and this work will transform not only the appearance of the station but I'm sure will encourage more people to leave their car behind.

"A key consideration with all the building work we are undertaking is to keep disruption to a minimum for our customers. If this contract is approved, we will keep passengers up-to-date on works using signage in stations, on our website and through our popular twitter account @GLASubwayTravel."