imported>CloakingCupid: /* Route */ spelt out abbreviation for QEUH

2025-05-04T15:39:00Z

Route: spelt out abbreviation for QEUH

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{{Short description|A high frequency bus rapid transit system in Glasgow, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
'''Clyde Fastlink''' is a high frequency [[Bus rapid transit|bus rapid transit system]] in [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]]. The system was designed to provide greater connectivity and faster journey times between [[Glasgow|Glasgow City Centre]] and the [[Queen Elizabeth University Hospital]] in Govan, as well as to several other key developments along the north and south banks of the [[Clyde Waterfront Regeneration|Clyde Waterfront]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Fastlink |url=http://www.clydewaterfront.com/projects/clyde-wide/clyde_fastlink |access-date=4 June 2023 |website=Clyde Waterfront}}</ref>

The project's initial conception and construction was led by [[Strathclyde Partnership for Transport|Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT)]] and [[Glasgow City Council]].<ref name="city">{{cite web |author=Craig Roberton |year=2005 |title=Clyde Fastlink... connecting Glasgow |url=http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/354DF8D9-AE18-4952-9BB3-F5500FD89D0E/0/clydemapfull.pdf |accessdate=2007-11-12 |publisher=Glasgow City Council}}</ref><ref name="clydewaterfront">{{cite web |url=http://www.clydewaterfront.com/clyde_fastlink.aspx |title=Clyde Fastlink |accessdate=2007-11-12 |author= |date= |publisher=Clyde Waterfront}}</ref> Operation of the system is contracted by the transport authority to [[Stagecoach West Scotland]] as an extension to their existing X19 service.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=4 May 2021 |title=Fastlink Scheme Evaluation |url=https://www.spt.co.uk/media/v3rj1nwm/sp210521_agenda6.pdf |website=Strathclyde Partnership for Transport}}</ref> [[McGill's Bus Services|McGill's]] also run their 23 and 26 services along sections of the right-of-way.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brenan |first=Victoria |date=2 October 2015 |title=Buses not using the fast lanes - because they're too slow |work=The Herald Scotland |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13798666.buses-not-using-fast-lanes---slow/}}</ref> The 4 mile (6km) long route began construction in September 2013,<ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=29 August 2013 |title=Item 6 - The Provision of 3no Fastlink Core Routes |url=https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/councillorsandcommittees/viewSelectedDocument.asp?c=P62AFQNTDN81NTZL |archive-date= |access-date=7 August 2023 |website=Glasgow City Council}}</ref> and was opened to passenger service in 2015 after over £40m of investment.

==Route==
{{Routemap
| title = Fastlink
| title bg color = #f7e32a
| map = uKINTa~~ Glasgow Queen Street {{rint|gb|rail}}
uBHF~~ West George Street
uINT~~ Central Station {{rint|gb|rail}}
uBHF~~ York Street
uBHF~~ Cheapside Street/North Street
uBHF~~ Finnieston Street
uBHF~~ Pacific Quay
uBHF~~ Festival Park
uBHF~~ Merryland Street
uBHF~~ Stag Street
uBHF~~ Napier Street
uINT~~ Govan Interchange {{rint|glasgow}} {{rint|gb|bus}}
uBHF~~ Golspie Street
uBHF~~ Govan Road
uBHF~~ Elder Park
uBHF~~ Clachan Drive
uBHF~~ Burghead Place
uKBHFe~~ QEUH
}}
The system runs along segregated busways and [[Bus lane|bus lanes]] running parallel to main roads, as well as mixed traffic sections. [[Bus priority signal|priority signalling]] is used to allow buses in the system to move faster than regular traffic.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=DG/TRANS 4 - CLYDE FASTLINK - DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS |url=https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=13609&p=0 |website=Glasgow City Council |page=2}}</ref> The current 'North Bank' route originates in the City Centre, integrating with Glasgow's two major mainline rail hubs, [[Glasgow Queen Street railway station|Glasgow Queen Street]] and [[Glasgow Central railway station|Glasgow Central]]. The route then follows the [[River Clyde]] in a westerly direction along the [[Broomielaw]] and over the [[Clyde Arc]] bridge, where it travels west on Govan Road's segregated infrastructure past the [[BBC]] offices at Pacific Quay. It continues towards the [[Govan subway station|Govan Interchange]] and bypasses the heart of Govan along the segregated section at Golspie Street, before making its way towards the Queen Elizabeth Univestity Hospital (QEUH) via Govan road.

The route was chosen in order to better-connect major transport hubs in the city centre to the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital, serve the burgeoning Clyde corridor on both sides of the river, and to better connect the underserved communities of Govan and Linthouse.<ref name=":0" />

==History==
The Fastlink scheme was initially proposed in 2007 as a way to improve Glasgow's public transport connections in preparation for the [[2014 Commonwealth Games]]. The first phase of the original scheme, running from Glasgow Central Station to [[Glasgow Harbour]], was given planning approval by Glasgow City Council in July 2006. It was intended to be an interim measure before the introduction of [[light rail]] sometime after 2010.<ref name="city" /><ref name="glasgowharbour">{{cite web |author= |date= |title=Clyde Fastlink |url=http://www.clydeport.co.uk/index.php?site_id=3&page_id=565 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927033632/http://www.clydeport.co.uk/index.php?site_id=3&page_id=565 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |accessdate=2007-11-12 |publisher=Glasgow Harbour}}</ref> The scheme was originally expected to be completed in 2010 and to cost £42 million.<ref name="clydewaterfront" />

Initially, a "North-bank" and "South-bank" route were proposed, with the North Bank route running from the city centre to Ferry Road in [[Yoker]].<ref name=":1" /> However, Glasgow City Council's request for funding from the Scottish Government was rejected as part of the government's Strategic Transport Projects Review, citing its lack of regional impact, its failure to tackle congestion around Glasgow Central station and its lack of clear impact on emissions reductions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/reports/j10194a/j10194a-a3E5.pdf |title=Strategic Transport Projects Review Report 3: Generation, Sifting and Appraisal of Interventions, Annex 3, section E5: New Busway between Glasgow City Centre, Clydebank and Glasgow Airport. |accessdate=2010-01-02 |date=2008-12-09 |publisher=[[Scottish Government]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928114629/http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/reports/j10194a/j10194a-a3E5.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Instead, the Government promised to investigate the construction of a wider light rail network across Glasgow, and new city centre stations to resolve city-centre connectivity issues.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77I3mLTaYQA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/77I3mLTaYQA| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=YouTube: "S3O 6798 Southern General Hospital Clyde Fastlink", Scottish Parliamentary answer by Stewart Stevenson MSP |accessdate=2010-01-02 |date=2008-05-08 |publisher=[[Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Impact and Criticisms ==
Despite being slated to open in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Fastlink did not see passenger service until a year later. Additionally, the project fell significantly short of the initial proposal, which had called for a "tram on wheels" type vehicle to be used with off-board ticketing, similar to those on Belfast's [[Glider (Belfast)|Glider]] system and said to be capable of providing service levels of up to 12 buses per hour at peak times.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=16 March 2013 |title=Fastlink services to run every five minutes |pages= |work=SPT Corporate |url=https://www.spt.co.uk/corporate/2015/03/fastlink-services-to-run-every-five-minutes/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408144739/https://www.spt.co.uk/corporate/2015/03/fastlink-services-to-run-every-five-minutes/ |access-date=7 August 2023|archive-date=8 April 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-10-05 |title=Ministers approve £40m for Glasgow Fastlink bus scheme |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15182594 |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref>

These features were not part of the system upon its opening in 2015. Privately owned bus companies McGill's and Stagecoach now compete for passengers along the route, using regular low-floor buses which must at minimum comply with [[Euro 6|Euro 6 emission standards]]. There is no off-board ticketing at Fastlink stops, hence passengers cannot transfer between different operators on the route on a single fare. Service levels on the system go up to every 12 minutes at peak times.<ref>{{Cite web |title=X19 - New South Glasgow Hospitals - Easterhouse |url=https://bustimes.org/services/x19-new-south-glasgow-hospitals-easterhouse |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=bustimes.org |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In October 2015, local news outlets reported that bus operators on the Fastlink route had advised drivers to avoid using the lanes, due to heavy delays caused by faulty priority signalling.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-10-02 |title=Bus firms ditch 'too slow' £40m fast lanes in Glasgow |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-34424616 |access-date=2023-08-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-10-02 |title=Buses not using the fast lanes - because they're too slow |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13798666.buses-not-using-fast-lanes---slow/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=HeraldScotland |language=en}}</ref> Operators McGill's and Stagecoach criticised Glasgow City Council for the running of the scheme due to this, with McGill's announcing the cancellation of its dedicated F1 Service soon after. The company stated that this was due to service overcrowding on the corridor rather than priority signalling issues.

The removal of this service means that no operators now serve the entire originally proposed route for Fastlink, which ran in a city centre loop past [[Buchanan bus station]], before heading south towards the Broomielaw.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=21 May 2021 |title=Item 6 - Fastlink scheme evaluation |url=https://www.spt.co.uk/documents/latest/sp210521_Agenda6.pdf |access-date=7 August 2023 |website=SPT |page=5}}</ref> In addition, McGill's remaining 26 and 23 services use only limited parts of the bus priority lanes.

SPT claim in their evaluation of the scheme that journey times on the Fastlink corridor have quickened by up to 20% as a result of bus priority measures,<ref name=":3" /> and that the scheme provided greater access to healthcare at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The route was built with a future conversion to light rail in mind, and could potentially be used in future as part of the [[Clyde Metro]] project, a proposed system of light rail, heavy metro and/or bus rapid transit for Glasgow. The preliminary routes suggest a corridor running from [[Glasgow Airport]] to the City Centre via the QEUH.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 March 2023 |title=Council-Led Team Continues to Support Clyde Metro |work=Glasgow City Council |url=https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=30048 |access-date=7 August 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of guided busways and BRT systems in the United Kingdom]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GettingAround/PublicTransport/clydefastlink.htm Clyde Fastlink on Glasgow City Council]
*[http://www.clydewaterfront.com/clyde_fastlink.aspx Clyde Fastlink on Clyde Waterfront]
{{UK busway}}

[[Category:Transport in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Guided busways and BRT systems in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Proposed public transport in the United Kingdom]]

Clyde Fastlink - Revision history

imported>CloakingCupid: /* Route */ spelt out abbreviation for QEUH