SPT (Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) have published a 70 page draft Regional Transport Strategy for the West of Scotland covering a 15 year period through until 2037.
The document isn't rail specific, but about all transport modes within the SPT area. Two of the dominant themes running through the draft document are the envisaged Clyde Metro and improved integrated / smart ticketing. A reference to a cost of £16billion in regards to development of a fully fledged Clyde Metro, but there are no specific details of what form it will take.
On the ticketing point, while there is in theory interoperability between the ScotRail and Subway smart cards, the reality is the ScotRail smart card aside from season tickets and railcards has largely been left behind by QR code mobile ticketing in the ScotRail App which has proven to be much more robust and allows instantaneous purchase and use of the eTickets, unlike the current smart card system.
The draft documentation mentions completion of Subway modernisation, but the Subway modernisation has been delivered so slowly that the modernisation needs modernised. There can be little doubt that a TfL Oyster/Contactless style capping system would be transformational for use of public transport in the area and it has to be questioned why when there was such an integrated system already in operation why years the ticketing system in the SPT area is an archaic disjointed embarrassment.
An easy short term fix on that front would be to enable the Roundabout ticket to be bought as a mobile ticket - it doesn't address the subway issue, but nor does buying one from a ScotRail ticket office or conductor! Potentially getting it onto smart card could, but is I gather more complicated (though an access all gates smart card was made to work for CoP26).
www.spt.co.uk
The above link includes how to respond to the consultation, if you wish to directly access the draft document, see PDF link below.
The document isn't rail specific, but about all transport modes within the SPT area. Two of the dominant themes running through the draft document are the envisaged Clyde Metro and improved integrated / smart ticketing. A reference to a cost of £16billion in regards to development of a fully fledged Clyde Metro, but there are no specific details of what form it will take.
On the ticketing point, while there is in theory interoperability between the ScotRail and Subway smart cards, the reality is the ScotRail smart card aside from season tickets and railcards has largely been left behind by QR code mobile ticketing in the ScotRail App which has proven to be much more robust and allows instantaneous purchase and use of the eTickets, unlike the current smart card system.
The draft documentation mentions completion of Subway modernisation, but the Subway modernisation has been delivered so slowly that the modernisation needs modernised. There can be little doubt that a TfL Oyster/Contactless style capping system would be transformational for use of public transport in the area and it has to be questioned why when there was such an integrated system already in operation why years the ticketing system in the SPT area is an archaic disjointed embarrassment.
An easy short term fix on that front would be to enable the Roundabout ticket to be bought as a mobile ticket - it doesn't address the subway issue, but nor does buying one from a ScotRail ticket office or conductor! Potentially getting it onto smart card could, but is I gather more complicated (though an access all gates smart card was made to work for CoP26).
Our Vision | SPT | Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Find out about the new Regional Transport Strategy for the west of Scotland.
The above link includes how to respond to the consultation, if you wish to directly access the draft document, see PDF link below.
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