Games blow for fastlink

The scheme, which has always been claimed will be ready for the sporting contest, will be only part completed by the time thousands of athletes, officials and spectators arrive in the city.

Instead, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Glasgow City Council, who are jointly delivering the project, say they are working towards a completion date of 2015.

The scheme is intended to have specially designed buses using segregated roadways beside the River Clyde from the city centre to the Southern General Hospital.

Some segregated roadways may be ready for use in 2014, but sources stressed what will be available for use that year will not be Fastlink. The new Fastlink buses will also not be on the road in time for the Games.

When Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney cancelled the Glasgow Airport Rail Link in 2009, he said the Scottish Government would contribute to Fastlink for the Games.

It took another two years before the Scottish Government stated how much cash it would give after warnings that unless work started it would not be ready for 2014.

Last year it was finally confirmed the Government would meet the £40m cost of the first stage to the SECC and the new Southern General Hospital.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said then that Fastlink would be a "key component of the Commonwealth Games transport system".

Although some of the roadways alongside the Clyde have been taking shape for years, the project is still officially at the design stage.

While work on the Games venues is progressing at pace it is not known exactly when key elements of Fastlink will be in place.

SPT said some infrastructure would be in place but the full completion date is 2015.

With two years and two weeks to go before the Games start, and previous estimates of 2½-3 years to build, it is not certain what will be ready and able to be used for the Games.

SPT said the project was still being worked on and no delivery milestones had been confirmed, so it could not say what would be available for the public in time for 2014.

A spokesman said: "There is no need for SPT to comment further at this time."

On SPT's website it states: "Fastlink will be in place to deliver passenger to the SECC for the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and ready to serve the new Southern General when it opens in 2015."

Council sources said as soon as the funding was announced they were working towards an overall completion date of 2015.

They said what would be delivered would be consistent with what was in the business case that was accepted and approved by Transport Scotland and there had been no slippage since then.

But it is understood there will not be an official Fastlink service and what will be available in 2015 is expected to be significantly better than what will be available during the Games.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "The final business case that was prepared for Transport Scotland established that, subject to confirmation of funding by September 2011, priority infrastructure would be in place by the start of 2014 and that further works would take place after the Games, with the actual Fastlink service available to customers in 2015.

"Some of the priority infrastructure, such as dedicated road space, will be used to support transport operations during the Games."

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: "Our investment of up to £40m to deliver the core Fastlink project will see the necessary infrastructure in place in time for the 2014 Games, bringing major benefits to visitors and local users."

He added: "The connection to the Southern General Hospital will be completed by 2015, in time for the opening of the new hospital. This has always been the intention and is entirely consistent with previous commitments."

The final completed project will run from a Fastlink bus stance at Union Street, along the Broomielaw to the SECC and Hydro Arena. It will also link with Buchanan Bus Station and Queen Street and Central railway stations.

It will cross the Clyde Arc Bridge and travel along the south bank to the Southern General. Fastlink buses will be given priority on the routes to make public transport quicker and more attractive to passengers.

A commitment to take it further to Braehead, on the south bank of the River Clyde, has been agreed with Renfrewshire Council, but no firm plans have been drawn up.

Business leaders have been under the assumption that the phase to the SECC will be complete by 2014.

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: " We have been assured the part to the SECC will be delivered before the 2014 Games."

stewart.paterson@eveningtimes.co.uk