Clyde Metro – my vision for Renfrewshire

It takes a thought process and looking at maps and plans to think through what exactly I’d look to do.

Plan by Chic Gibson

That’s my line drawing version of what I think an eventual Clyde Metro should look like in Renfrewshire.

A mainline tram system going from Govan Subway via the QEUH hospital to Braehead, Renfrew Riverside and Renfrew Bridge to Amids and Glasgow Airport.

A connective chord from Glasgow Airport to Shortroods and both Paisley Gilmour Street and Canal Street

A tram based link using land around Paisley Canal station to Kilmacolm via Bridge of Weir, Linwood and Elderslie and a spur from Elderslie to Johnstone West and Kilbarchan.

These are in Green.

I would envisage a limited full system service from Govan to Kilbarchan/Kilmacolm.

My thoughts are that Govan, Braehead, Glasgow Airport, Paisley Gilmour Street/County Square and Paisley Canal Station are the principal starting points for journeys.

There may be Braehead to Paisley Canal services, Paisley Gilmour Street via Glasgow Airport to Govan services and Kilmacolm to Paisley Canal/Gilmour Street to connect with Scotrail services.

The services on the system can build to give half hour or quarter hour or more frequent services with the busiest points being the connection from Paisley to airport and vice versa with extended services to Braehead and Govan.

There are interchanges with Scotrail and the Glasgow Subway from the initial system and brings public transport penetration back to Bridge of Weir, Kilmacolm and Kilbarchan.

Tram Route at simplest.

Additions and Extensions

In yellow, possible additions and extensions.

An extension to Festival Park/Glasgow Science Museum and Finneston over the Squinty Bridge and into Glasgow.

An extension from Renfrew Bridge to Yoker Railway Station adding connectivity to the North Clyde Line Railway.

A westward extension to Inchinnan, Erskine and perhaps onto Bishopton Railway Station.

A link to the RAH hospital and further south in Paisley and toward Barrhead.

A West Paisley route from Paisley Gilmour Street to St Mirren Park, through Ferguslie Park to the Phoenix commercial area and onto Linwood.

A road based tramway following Glasgow Road Paisley linking Town Centre, Abbey, Whitehaugh, Ralston to Crookston and along Paisley Rd West.

A link from Braehead through Hillington Park, Hillington Industrial Estate and Penilee to Ralston and Paisley Road West.

A route from Paisley Gilmour Street to Renfrew Cross via Renfrew Road and Paisley Road with provisional stops near Gallowhill and Moorpark, Renfrew.

Research

I started by looking at Renfrewshire in terms of railways, roads and rivers

A very basic tracing of a map and outlining existing roads and railways.

A further drawing colouring roads, railways, closed railways and rivers.

Red for roads, blue for Scotrail, green for potential tramway.

A line drawing adding potential new Clyde Metro stops or potential routes.

My attempt to refine as a line diagram.

My final drawing needed annotated.

For clarity it doesn’t exactly follow Renfrewshire’s geography and a kink/bend needed to make the airport to Paisley section work.

In conclusion.

I don’t suppose to be influencing those at work on Clyde Metro. I’m floating what makes sense to me.

Previously in my blog, I have covered developments on the Glasgow Airport access project and Clyde Metro.

I agree with initial conclusions that a riverside line is needed to the Airport via Govan, QUEH Hospital and Braehead. It also needs to link to both Gilmour Street and Canal Street Railway Stations.

The fastway bus infrastructure in Govan would lend to a tram system and has the link to the subway and Partick for the Scotrail lines there.

Festival Park and the Glasgow Science Centre would be an obvious extension to a tramway as would the fast link infrastructure into Glasgow.

Thought is needed as to length of journey by tram from Glasgow City Centre to Airport.

A solution might be limited stop services between city and airport and perhaps also having bypass track at certain stops to facilitate express as well as all stopping services.

I see a wider question in Clyde Metro scheme as to whether a heavy rail solution to the Airport from the Argyle line and via Exhibition Centre to Glasgow Airport is an answer too.

Although, I see that as a bigger transport intervention and it would need tunnelling under River Clyde and under Govan to facilitate a metro line. Possibly with more tunnels at the Airport to achieve a satisfactory terminal for Metro or heavy rail electrified trains.

For now, I’ve stuck to assumption of a mainly Renfrewshire system with the obvious connection onto the subway at Govan.

It’s lighter solution and hopefully would be less costly.

As intermediate stops, Linthouse west of Govan, Braehead at the Retail Park and Braehead at the Leisure Centre end, along with Renfrew Riverside and the AMIDS development area all make sense.

I think the Renfrew Bridge as a tram stop makes sense as it is walkable to Yoker on the north side of the River Clyde.

I have seen proposals to route trams over the current swing bridge but, it has a variable pattern of closures to allow river traffic and for a permanent link.

The chord from Glasgow Airport to Paisley Gilmour Street is what the city deal should have developed as a first phase to the Clyde Metro programme.

We are now at about 17 years since cancellation of GARL and the wrong turns, lack of Transport Scotland involvement with City deal and other factors have dragged any progress.

Personally I think there are pros and cons to looking at connecting Glasgow Airport as part of a wider scheme and as years go on and there’s more consultant reports and evaluations of what is maybe already known. That’s that Glasgow Airport needs a fixed public transport link. We’ve had heavy rail ruled out and tram trains ruled out, so presumably tram is the answer.

If linking to Gilmour Street Lines then also linking to the Canal Line through Paisley makes sense in offering another connection to Glasgow by train.

Canal Street may offer opportunities under Clyde Metro but I’m aware of the areas built upon near the station and I think that heavy rail to where it currently stops with a use of nearby roads and car parking to facilitate a tram interchange and then to look at using part of the road width of Canal Street for a section of track before rejoining the former railway solum.

From there, Paisley West and then to Elderslie figuring out how to go under or over the railway in the most suitable way. It would make a good interchange point with the Ayrshire lines.

The walking and cycling paths from there lead to Linwood and Johnstone and Kilmacolm.

One is the former Kilmacolm line and I’d suggest that Linwood would be a point to find a station site and then use the old Houston Station site before Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm on the old trackbed.

Another opportunity is the line that used to run Johnstone, Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch and Kilbirnie. It might be a stretch to go as rural as from Kilbarchan to Kilbirnie but perhaps opportunity is there in future.

Having a terminus at Kilbarchan or connecting to Milliken Park Railway Station adds connectivity and means that the tramway in place of Canal line extension has two terminal points and can allow at least a half hourly service to both places and makes a through Paisley tram system a possibility with opportunity to run from Braehead or Paisley to either Kilbarchan or Kilmalcolm with connections to the Scotrail services from Glasgow at Canal or Gilmour Street.

And Finally..

Costs and practicality.

After Edinburgh Trams I think a limited scheme from Govan to Glasgow Airport and from Paisley Canal to Kilbarchan/Kilmacolm would work and the additional chord into Paisley links to Scotrail and knits a network that would have purpose and destinations.

Further links with on road tramway inroads where the previous Glasgow Corporation Tramway system ran are maybe possible too, but I’ve drawn possibilities in the yellow parts of the plan that would add destination and purpose to the system.

Inchinnan and Erskine from Renfrew makes sense as a later development. Perhaps even linking Erskine to Bishopton Railway Station too.

I looked at the practicality of diverting the North Clyde lines from Bowling to Erskine and unfortunately I don’t think that’s a practical or good value option.

Erskine by its distance from Renfrew and Paisley is a tough proposition for public transport. The Inverclyde Line doesn’t come close enough, there’s no previous trackbeds in the area either.

Best solution is Inchinnan and onto Erskine but question of journey time and suitability of mode of tram versus bus is another question.

I do have to also refer to Bus as I think many of the lines drawn also reflect services to and from Braehead.

The 77 first service from Braehead to Glasgow AirPort is relatively new but offers so many destination opportunities despite being a long route and a slow way into Glasgow.

McGills Clyde Flyers and Express services go to Braehead, Linwood, Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm.

Abstraction and the forthcoming proposals in 2027 from SPT for bus franchising must be looked at.

If Clyde Metro overlays existing bus routes by train, metro or tram there will be grievances over process and choices made.

However Glasgow has already lost one potential tram system to bus interests in 1994 with Strathclyde Tram and even if Clyde Metro drags on to deal with similar issues, I think it’s worth addressing and that thought is with SPT and those reporting on Clyde Metro.

Strathclyde Tram.

The opportunity is there and I believe for Renfrewshire that much could be done.

SPT and Clyde Metro show plans of nodes, key points and opportunity in their documents but I do think a system through Paisley and Airport to Braehead and Govan would work and make sense.

SPT.

SPT.

SPT.

SPT.

I’ll see in time if SPT and City Deal Group plans for Clyde Metro match mine about Renfrewshire, but there’s at least 2 years to go and a load of reports to come

SPT

Early to mid 2027 according to them and after that political decisions on spending and scope.

Fin/.

A long time in the wilderness.

St Mirren FC

St Mirren’s qualification for European competition brings a mix of feelings.

Elation, pride, happiness, mixed with other thoughts.

Mainly that it’s taken long enough.

Authors own.

37 years or it will be once ties are played 29th July and 1st August 2024.

KV Mechelen went on to win the Cup Winners Cup trophy that year. They had a small but noisy group in the main stand at Love Street that November night.

A decent side from what I recall, better than what most expected.

Saints had did the hard away leg first and hopes were that home advantage would see us through to next round but it was tougher than anticipated.

Possibly some of us thought we’d see Saints in Europe soon again after that tie and result.

I personally wasn’t yet 16 at the time.

That was the 87/88 season, my first with a season ticket and travelling to away games by bus.

88/89, 89/90 and 90/91 followed.

1991-92 and Relegation happened, it maybe wasn’t a shock but had been flirted with for a while and football had changed.

The long nineties ran until unlikely saviour Tom Hendrie took Saints back to the premier.

92-93, 93-94, 94-95

Miracle of Forthbank

95-96, 96-97, 97-98 98-99.

And finally 99-00, the millennium champions.

Along the way, weird and wonderful places, the ultimate road trip of Scottish football and watching others pass us on the way.

00/01 was a false hope, a tough lesson in money and the backing needed to stay up. Stands and ground improvements apart.

Fallow years in 01/02, 02/03 and 03/04 until Gus MacPherson’s appointment and his slightly less entertaining but competitive side took us up again in 05/06

That led to years of slightly dour premier survival before another fall after 2014/15 season. Danny Lennon at least brought some silverware with 2013 league cup.

But 2015-16, 2016-17 back in the championship and onto 2017-18.

14 April 2018 is memorable for the game vs Livingston and securing promotion. Jack Ross didn’t stay though.

A false start with Alan Stubbs, a great escape with Oran Kearney pulling off a penalties win over Dundee United in the play off.

And thereafter, a strange thing. Saints quietly established themselves as a club and and football side. Jim Goodwin and Stephen Robinson taking us 7th, 6th and 5th.

I haven’t much of an idea what the UEFA Conference League represents , it’s not the UEFA Cup obviously, it’s nowhere near the prestige of the European entries that St Mirren had in the 1980s, but it does afford an opportunity

The second qualifying round where St Mirren are yet to be determined if seeded and appear to be in the ‘main path’ for ties.

There’s a third qualifying round and then a play off round before the possible league stages.

The contrived arrangement takes away some excitement and all I know is Saints could win the two qualifying rounds and then face a team that drop down from another competition in that playoff round, so even getting past the second qualifying round is an achievement.

But it’s strange to write this. Strange to finally think Saints are back,

Down so long from that mid-eighties as good as anyone feeling.

Watching second division clubs Kilmarnock and St Johnstone pump prime with money and generally be ahead of us. See the plastic clubs of the nineties, Livingston, Inverness and Ross County above us and in same league as us.

The bizarreness of Falkirk, Dunfermline, Partick Thistle and Raith Rovers adapting as badly as Saints to a moneyed pecking order.

The hilarity at seeing both Edinburgh clubs relegated.

The death of Rangers. Actually seeing them go in 2012.

A long time frame, strange things like Clyde in Cumbernauld. Airdrie United taking over Clydebank and then becoming Airdrieonians again.

The pomp of nine in a rows. Some legitimately funded, others not so much.

Aberdeen swerving relegation all those times.

If ever there was a bad time to be relegated St Mirren picked it. Others saw the opportunity and took it, Saints couldn’t find the stability to go straight back up.

It wasn’t by much that Tom Hendrie failed in 2000/01. The bottom six dogfights Gus MacPherson managed his way through were tributes to doggedness and determination.

Danny Lennon’s teams were easier to watch but lacked that same determination.

Stephen Robinson has pulled off an incredible achievement. 5th place, Europe and whatever the modern format, an opportunity.

Saints may drop to bottom six again and I dare say relegation is more than a possibility in future.

But I am glad and proud this day has came.

Some days the thread is thinner.

There’s not the elasticity or durability and it’s worn and used.

Not a great metaphor for how I’m doing, but I don’t really want to snap or break.

Not feeling it, not really enjoying the days, not seeing an answer.

If I knew answer, I’d fix it. Heal myself.

Frustrated about circumstances, lack of a break and having things thrust on me.

Not much other than keeping going I guess but it has a price.

When something doesn’t work out

I joined WAY – Widowed and Young after Lyndie’s death, maybe the October after she died.

I had a recommendation about it and things like that.

So, I was thinking yeah that’d be great, others in same position.

I had no idea that it’s mainly men that die young.

At times much younger than their spouses.

Some other people’s stories were heartbreaking.

I knew that there’s no scale of loss, that someone else’s experience didn’t invalidate mine, but at times with accidents or long illnesses, I did think bloody hell.

What many people had that I didn’t was a goodbye. Where they knew their person was dying. I have to admit jealousy on that as even getting that would have been better.

I’m rational and knew once I was told that it was it.

Many people struggle and I really understand that. They wish for their ‘rubbish new life’ to stop and go back to where they were with their person.

If wishes were given flight.

But unfortunately, it’s more difficult and messy and emotional.

For me, I had a long phase of shock after Lyndie died. I had to be functional for the kids I had to be Dad. There wasn’t another way.

Messy grief came five months in, I had just started thinking I could maybe get back to work and then whoosh. Memories and thoughts and seeing her.

It was about that point that I figured the WAY stuff was Facebook groups, I sort of joined and learned and communicated again. I had some feedback, not answers as such but it helped to know that it wasn’t just me.

And that’s the value, shared experiences.

But it was all in the Facebook groups

I tried once to go to a in person meet in Glasgow. I had a panic attack on the train out from Paisley. Couldn’t do it.

There was a coffee meet up in East Kilbride at a museum cafe. I had no idea which table of people it was and my shyness just got me, so I had coffee and a biscuit and left.

That’s all on me. I’m hopeless with people, it’s difficult for me in those situations.

But, then lockdown came in 2020.

At that point I needed the groups and I think it kept a lot of people sane in their day to day.

I never really got to anything after that. I had a period where I left the groups and kept away from it.

Last year, I realised I needed some support and went back into some of the groups. One that’s related but not official wouldn’t have me, which was a bit difficult but I had to take that.

I’d contribute by posting or commenting, I didn’t sit back and just lurk. I guess I believe if you join something you at least try.

With the fourth anniversary of Lyndie’s death coming up, I had some thinking to do. I don’t think I’m getting anywhere and I’m okay with the kids here, but struggle without them. Carer hours changed and I no longer have a weekend off.

As my other blog posts have said, dating isn’t the answer and I have to accept my situation and take from there. That doesn’t mean a stoic attitude and that I’m on my own to my death. I may meet someone organically but that would take time and it’s not something I can make happen.

It also meant questioning if I stayed with WAY. It was compounded by leaving another unofficial group and I just felt anything I posted was in moderation. My last few posts over a fortnight were like that and I ended up deleting after they had been in moderation for about three or four hours.

Maybe nothing personal, maybe not related to me, but I had wanted to communicate about my last attempt with match and how badly it went. Basically I was just looking. I hadn’t the confidence to even message a hello.

So, that was a group I had dipped in and out of as well as the main official group. One other that was very helpful and supportive, I won’t talk about, but I said thanks to them.

So, I’m going to let the subscription expire. I didn’t find people locally to befriend/talk to/know and I guess that was the biggest downside and a lot of that is on me for not making things in person before the lockdown.

I’m not saying anything negative, it just didn’t work out for me.

With carer hours I can’t go down to England or do things like that, nights out even locally would be tough. I have to resolve or reconfigure that if I can.

I need to find the resources on acceptance. I have to be here for the kids, I have no option on that. My first priority and I have to be healthy and fit enough to do that.

Coping with loneliness is what I need to accept and deal with and with my lack of people skills I’m always going to struggle face to face. I have to figure that out in a workable way.

It’s saying that yes there’s a future of some kind and I need to look in other directions and other ways.

I’ve unfollowed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram people from WAY, as well as organisation itself. It’s not personal, just that I know I have to adapt without that environment and what I need isn’t virtual, it’s real people in and around where I am.

All I hope is that whatever advice or comments that I made across the nearly four years were worthwhile and my love to all of those people, as I said above, it’s heartbreaking to read and understand other people’s situations.

For me, I have the fourth anniversary of Lyndie’s death on Friday, I had never set out to mark or make a point of the death date, but it will be significantly on my mind and I guess I take it from there.

I wish.

I was thinking about writing it all down and I think it’ll help. She was Cathartic for me, I guess.

A person who understood what I’d been through, someone that ‘got it’ and instinctive, kind, caring.

I think we both started out just wanting to talk, have someone that understood and it became more.

Chats progress and move their own way, Then messaging and then talking on phone.

Organically and real and we realise we like each other too.

A bit more time and it’s romantic and feelings and caring about each other as well as wishing we could be together and wanting each other.

The Horny Bonk

So, it’s long distance and boyfriend/girlfriend and experiencing feelings and emotions but not having met. Being in love but that one step removed.

So we arrange a weekend.

I’m nervous and scared, but also really wanting to meet her.

And I do and it’s electric and fantastic and amazing and she’s everything I could hope for.

But then I have to go home again.

Desire and waiting and wanting and we eventually get to be together three or four times.

Lockdown happens.

We follow the rules and advice as it is. Don’t travel.

Eventually it lifts and we get to try again, but time away from each other and we didn’t get to be a habit.

I wanted her to come up here too, but I guess it was always me going down and I was lucky to have weekends to do that.

I had never said about her on social media.

At first, it seemed too soon and I was worried about reactions if I posted truthfully and honestly and well, enthusiastically as I was so happy with her and had fallen for her.

I was meaning to be discreet. Not to hurt anyone and not for to give anyone a wrong impression or be inappropriate. I was separated before everything changed and I guess in my own for a while, maybe four years.

It took ages for lockdown to lift and 2020 went to 2021 and we had drifted, it was great seeing each other and doing things but maybe the fire had gone and maybe there was a misunderstanding and perhaps that was it sort of gone.

We had a last time and I thought I was being nice guy/sensible/good guy by agreeing and going along with ‘it was mutual’ and not screaming ‘No’

I wish I had screamed ‘I only want you’ and ‘No’ and just.

I wish.

Seeing her go hurt. That last kiss.

I went home early that weekend on the Sunday, just hollow. I took back the kids early and then had a disastrous night as they were both vomiting, something they ate. Both off school for the week.

Lucky me. I struggled through the September and October and things weren’t great.

I felt crap and I didn’t want to be myself or without her.

And we chatted a little bit at first but then it fizzled away.

I sent a Christmas gift, just chocolates, nothing crazy, but she didn’t and I guess that was clear enough

I understand that sometimes a clean break is better and to get on with things and I suppose it makes sense.

I’ve tried. I am probably okay now. I still want to talk to her, I’d still like to be friends, but understand why we can’t.

I guess all I can do is hope that she’s moved on and that she’s happy and has someone that’s good for her. I hope that.

Maybe distance was impossible, maybe just that inability to be near and with each other was always going to break. I don’t know. I know others manage to.

I wanted to write about her before and always, always thought no. Maybe i shouldn’t have.

But I can wish that maybe one day or somehow or..

Paisley and The Clyde Metro

As far as I understand, planning for the Airport to Paisley Tram Line is stalled. It was paused at the point the Glasgow City Region introduced the Clyde Metro proposal

From Renfrewshire Council Website

That’s fairly clear, there’s not much on it in terms of searching news and I’ve been through minutes at SPT, looked at Transport Scotland, Renfrewshire Council and the Glasgow City Region websites. The minutes of the City Region meetings are on Glasgow City Council’s site.

It’s a fair bit of looking back and forward but I didn’t particularly see anything that had specific reference to the AAP or within the context of ‘Clyde Metro’ – in itself, there’s not much to delve into.

The STPR2 late last year had content and mention of Clyde Metro as a project that’s approved and being worked upon. I presume that’s via Transport Scotland and obviously SPT and Glasgow City Council have had some input on behalf of the Coty Deal Region

STPR2 Final Technical Report

There’s a fair few documents under STPR2, I have speed read where necessary, more as a check on whether there’s additional information or content. It’s rather unwieldy in places and takes time to be sure that there’s not information.

Clyde Metro indicative plan

That’s the plan that I had a look at, to my mind, there’s a few bits to think about.

First is conversion of existing heavy rail and that seems to be things like the Cathcart Circle with Newton and Neilston Branches. It adds up to quite a few hourly departures to and from Glasgow Central, obviously freeing platform capacity there.

Zoom in around Central Glasgow area

Next is the Paisley Canal line, which makes sense. Now I’ll add a point, the West Street interchange with the Glasgow Subway makes sense and has been called for previously but the orange line continues with the City Union freight only line over the Clyde and presumably either to turn back to Queen Street low level or, the use Bellgrove, as marked as an interchange with a the North Clyde Line.

So, without screaming, Glasgow Crossrail and a potential Paisley Canal routing avoiding Glasgow Central allowing passengers to hop off at West Street for the Subway or Bellgrove for mainline Scotrail services. To me that scores for connectivity and whether or not a turn back into Queen Street Low Level is possible or not, it may mean that the Canal Line element of the Metro becomes cross-city.

I’ll cover Paisley Canal further when discussing Paisley and Renfrewshire.

Metro plan to East

If and I do say, if, you look closely at Central Glasgow, the question that popped up at me was the Argyle Line.

Central Glasgow area again.

I’ll make no apologies for posting the plan again as readers will need to look at the Black Lines on the plan.

Glasgow to Ayrshire and Inverclyde via Glasgow Central – tick.

Glasgow and South Western to Barrhead, Kilmarnock and East Kilbride -tick

North Clyde electrics via Dalmuir, Yoker and Queen Street low level to Bellgrove and onward -tick.

Glasgow to Cumbernauld-tick

Glasgow to Motherwell/Lanarkshire -tick

Presumably these Black Lines are Core Scotrail services to existing City Stations as at present.

But that leaves in orange.

Argyle Line via Glasgow Central Low Level.

North Commuter to Maryhill/Anniesland

Milngavie/Westerton and Singer/Westerton branches to Queen Street Low Level and Glasgow Central Low Level

I am not claiming expertise o these railway lines, but they seem all orange and likely to be Clyde Metro. Whether the idea is a core between these locations using the ‘Crossrail’ section to get to Paisley Canal Line and there’s a dotted connection from West Street to the Cathcart Circle.

Next look for QEUH – Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

To me, that’s close to my idea of breaking the Argyle Line at Finnieston (Exhibition Centre) and then going to Govan and the QEU Hospital complex (includes what was ‘Yorkhill’ as the Children’s Hospital too.

Bridge?/Tunnel? It solves the frequency conundrum on the Partick to Hyndland section of track.

The orange lines also feed back to Hyndland and it’s noted on the plan, so presumably using the sections of tracks that connect between Westerton and Maryhill and also the more recent infrastructure allowing Anniesland to be the turn back point for the Maryhill/North Commuter services.

Back to QEUH and there’s dashed orange and dashed purple lines.

One orange set of dashed lines go to Renfrew via Braehead and that makes sense.

Another set of dashed Purple Lines lead to Newton Mearns through the South West of Glasgow, I’m presuming that would be Craigton/Pollok/Silverburn Centre/Newton Mearns.

There’s a Purple Dashed Line stub at between Paisley and Glasgow. I presume that’s for Ibrox Stadium?

From Renfrew on our dashed orange line we get to Glasgow Airport.

So to run that back, a orange line as the Argyle line, Glasgow Central Low Level to Exhibition Centre – below or above the Clyde to I assume Govan and then the Hospital complex, Braehead, Renfrew and Glasgow Airport.

Time for the plan to the west.

Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and West Glasgow

So, a line Renfrew to Erskine. If you’re only familiar with Erskine Bridge, fair enough but the town itself is modern, it’s a stealth New Town. It took (with Linwood) population from Paisley and the other Renfrewshire towns and then released phases of housing land. Good motorway connection but Buses in main as public transport.

The dotted lines continue to Glasgow Airport, around part of paisley in what looks to be a loop and then onto what I presume is the former terminus of the Paisley Canal line at Bridge of Weir or Kilmacolm. Potentially linking North Johnstone and Linwood as well as Ferguslie Park/The Phoenix Commercial developments

Now, that means looking at old track beds

Rail Map Online

The Paisley ‘Dummy Railway’.

Or, The Paisley and Barrhead District Railway as built by the Caledonian Railway and never put into public service.

Wikipedia

Theoretically the Dummy Railway would have allowed a journey from Arkleston Junction to Paisley Gilmour Street onto Paisley St James as exists as present, looping west to Ferguslie Park past the Ayrshire lines and connection with Canal Street line and toward the south side of Paisley and onto Barrhead.

The eastern branch leaving Barrhead, into Dykebar at the south east of the town, to Paisley east and connecting back to Arkleston.

Clyde Metro seems to use the section Ferguslie to Phoenix estate (former Rootes/Chrysler car factory used the line) with a connection back toward Paisley Canal Station.

Potentially Glasgow Airport-Ferguslie Park-Phoenix-Elderslie-Paisley West/RAH hospital.

I’m taking care not to say that the trackbed from Paisley Canal Street station to Paisley West would be used as part of that is developed with housing but a cycle path does exist from Station onward.

It may be possible to then say a Metro from Paisley Canal to 1) Bridge of Weir/Kilmacolm via Elderslie/Linwood or 2) Elderslie, Phoenix, Ferguslie Park, Glasgow Airport and onto Renfrew, Braehead, QEUH, Govan, Finnieston and Glasgow Central low level.

Obviously a westbound, Paisley Canal/West Street/Crossrail to either Queen Street low level or Bellgrove is the other way.

It’s a lot to take in. Possibilities and questions abound

Renfrewshire has recently seen this as below.

McGill’s Buses Zero Hero Service 26

McGill’s Buses Zero Hero Route 23

In the past year McGill’s Buses, who are the main operator In Renfrewshire Council area launched three Electric Bus routes from Glasgow to Renfrew and Erskine (23) (26) and Glasgow to Renfrew and Paisley as well as along the Paisley Road West corridor (38).

The obvious question is that these will have been publicly supported and it’s a green method of public transport that covers obvious places that the Clyde Metro might go.

The devil is in the detail and as always, the funding and planning. As I said to start, there’s nothing specific I could see or find, so waiting on announcements will be crucial.

As for funding, there’s something in the Scottish Budget that may be for Clyde Metro amongst other transport projects or Rail Development or Rail Infrastructure.

Scottish Government budget

Scottish Government Budget

Only a detailed project announcement would clarify and there’s also nothing recent on the AAP aspect of the City Deal.

My assumption is an announcement in the new financial year after April for 2023/24 spending and for that to be made at Scottish Government/Transport Scotland level first, followed by Glasgow City Region and SPT/Glasgow City and Renfrewshire Councils.

Chucked it.

Zero point banging on about independence.

Politically, I’m at a bit of a dead end.

Yes to independence, Was happy to vote SNP for my MP and MSP.

I think this is the furthest away I’ve felt from independence happening, I do question if it will happen in my lifetime.

Do I spell out the mis-steps? Name names, call it out?

Put simply, no. it’s not worth the effort.

The opportunities, the moral argument, the election after election votes. Gone.

Arguing for anything doesn’t matter that much after the UK Supreme Court Decision.

Any future referendum or ‘Indyref2’ is in the hands of the UK Government at Westminster.

Free by 2023 won’t be happening.

That October date for a referendum isn’t happening.

London says no.

A 2027 plebiscite election. (honestly?)

I’m not aghast, nor frothing at the mouth and honestly, really not that surprised.

Feel a bit taken for a mug by the SNP. Other things are their priority and, so be it. My view is that they’ve taken the piss out of the yes/independence support.

I’m not enamoured with Alba, although it looks the only alternative.

I had to look at my second vote for Holyrood last year, I knew a second SNP vote would be wasted and picked Scottish Greens as a ‘least worst’ and pro-independence vote.

How wrong I was.

There’s a list of social grievances before independence or making progress on a greener future.

I think the SNP are nearly as bad, it’s clear that opportunism about social agendas is a higher priority than independence.

Also a few individuals out there that smack of career making.

So I won’t be politically active in that sense. Nothing doing. I won’t be shouting this or that for them.

I’ll continue to look at the shitfest of Tory Britain in horror.

I’ll be shocked at the coronation of Charles III.

I’ll be appalled at the cost and waste.

I’ll continue to be angry at Brexit, I’ll continue to be angry about Liz Truss’s 47 days.

Those things have made our cost of living almost impossible and have hiked gas and oil prices and nearly everything else.

I’ll remain angry at Social Security Scotland and a six month struggle for my youngest son to go from Child DLA to Child Disability Payment.

I’ll be angry at the promises made on Child and Adult Disability Payments, ideally I’d hound those that made the false promises of a transfer to a life long award.

I’ll remain angry at the lack of an Autism Commissioner.

I’ll remain angry at no Autism act for Scotland and the fact that the mental health act 1983 provisions are still in place.

I’ll remain angry at Schools and education department that don’t have a clue on helping parents.

I’ll remain angry at how widower and widows are treated.

I don’t see much that’s making a difference. I’m one voice.

I don’t see much in way of help for us as a family, harder days are very much ahead.

Sunak may have halted Truss’s chaotic weeks, but at what cost, hiking interest rates, allowing the cartel of energy suppliers away with an astonishing bit of profiteering whilst the poorer get doors kicked in to install prepay meters.

I see the price of butter at a fiver a tub. New security gates in the store we shop at most often. Tags on packets of mince.

I said previously that Brexit was a return to the seventies, I never imagined the inflation and the almost crazy price rises.

What should be a very easy case for independence through the mismanagement of Brexit and the chaos of price inflation and interest rate rises isn’t even possible.

I just can’t shake my head anymore at the SNP.

The blind alley of the court case with the UK Supreme Court was farcical, almost laughable in what a pathetic effort for justifying our country and our rights.

Seeing today SNP figures saying Scotland won’t be dragged out of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Council (neither of which are the EU).

Heard it before.

Brexit – we were dragged out and the SNP played the game and gave their voices for English remainers, not to get us out of the UK.

So, I won’t waste time or energy.

I can speak on autism, on the situation I am in as a widower with two disabled kids.

I can moan or trumpet about St Mirren.

But, until there’s a credible Yes for independence campaign that can get us to independence, what’s the point in getting into the SNP agenda?

There’s no point shouting it’s person X or person Y’s fault.

To me, it’s a collective fail, the entire party, Holyrood, Westminster, top to bottom.

If that affects my vote at the next sets of elections who knows? 2027 is a way away.

I don’t see Labour as a great alternative to the Tories and I don’t see Starmer as a reformer with zeal in a hypothetical first term.

So, specific issues apart, I’m not wasting time on independence. I’ll have to hope and wait.

All I can do for now is concentrate on getting my family through things as they are.

So, I stopped looking.

I was mindful of what I last wrote and wasn’t particularly rushing myself into a decision.

So I had a swiping session on the apps and it was all left. ‘She’s too good’, ‘I’d never pull her in real life’, ‘She seems nice and doesn’t need me dragging her down’.

With my thinking like that, I stopped.

Went back a day later and paused or hid myself. I had already removed myself completely from another thing I had tried too.

It’s only a few days but no desire to unhide or unpause and no real thought that I need to, or must.

If anything it’s a chunk of time back as it’s sessions of 10 or 15 minutes and it’s not once a day, it’s two or three time’s minimum.

I don’t know how I feel.

Sad, that it doesn’t work out for me.

A little bit feeling ‘less of a man’, I can’t actualise my needs.

Frustrated. With everything else in my life, I could use something nice or something positive.

I’ve grappled with celibacy, I’ve been back and forward with the idea of it being involuntary and I’ve no desire to combine ‘celibacy’ and ‘involuntary’ as I’m not that sort of person. I’m not owed anything by women in general and it’s my face, my situation and my words on the profiles.

I have to consider other ways. Can I do Meet-Up and find things to go to? Is getting to the gym an idea.? Do I consider things like Match where I’d pay for a more serious on dating audience?

I don’t know.

I’ve had issues going on with the kids and trying to resolve or complain about those gets me so far. It’s frustrating and time consuming and annoying. It’s maybe for another blog post, but putting it simply, I have enough to do.

I’m tired. I’m sleeping but not well enough, I miss company and I guess I just want a bloody hug when it comes down to it.

I have to think antidepressants, where I am with my mental health, I have to figure what’s good for me.

Meeting someone or having a text/message type initial chat would be great, but it doesn’t solve my issues around me and my family here.

Just maybe I’ve realised it’s not the panacea that I supposed it to be.

I’m now past three years in terms of ‘widowerhood’, I’m about eight years since we seperated.

It’s a long time since I have been in a day to day actual working relationship.

And maybe I won’t ever be again.

I can cry, I can be sad about that, but it’s the truth and now comes the difficult part.

To stop dreaming that someone will ‘save’ me. To not relapse into the false hope of dating apps. To hold my head up, maintain my dignity and not become a tragic figure.

I’ve had enough losses in my life and I’ve been through listing the main and secondary losses since Lyndie died. I can’t become bitter about that or go into constant sadness.

I just need to keep looking for the light, keep seeing the ridiculous things in life, be grateful for the kids and the dog and what they all mean to me.

Yeah, rejection always hurts and with the dating apps it’s a gamble, a risk that no-one is interested and it stings and it’s not a nice feeling. But it’s time for me to get past that. I tried.

Making the effort is no small matter, finding a way past the fears of showing myself, being honest and open about my situation and well, if being my age and a sole parent puts them off, then they weren’t worth the effort anyway.

I tried and did what I reasonably could manage given what I had available to me, I wasn’t cynical, I didn’t lie or hide anything.

So, for now, acceptance that I’ve stopped looking. A bit of reflection, a bit of thinking and thinking through what I was trying to do and what it was I had hoped to accomplish.

Some thought on other ways or just to try and get myself out or with people that bit more, to relearn my social skills, to relearn my peopling.

I have other things to keep me busy and I suppose, new distractions to find. There’s always something to see or read or do.

It’s no shame and no big deal to have struck out with online dating. I have things to fix in terms of myself and the boys and I can focus on that and focus on the things ahead for the year.

But for now and the next little while, it’s avoiding those apps and building myself to not just be hidden, but to finally delete them.

Crawling Toward a Decision

Having a cry.

It’s a holiday weekend and I’ve seen the boys come up and down for after dinner drinks and snacks. They seem okay.

The dog has been back and forward as he’s wanting treats or snacks as he ate the food in his bowl.

Otherwise, just me.

and thoughts.

And I don’t know where to begin.

Days are like that. I don’t mind the dog or the kids disrupting me as I’ve got nothing really worthwhile going on.

I’ve looked at the dating sites and swiped left on everyone.

A day where I think ‘who’d have me’.

Another day on my own, unloved and not necessary for anyone.

That’s okay, it’s how it is and I need to find the acceptance of those feelings that, maybe it’s never going to happen or be.

The effort – on setting up those profiles, actually reading all of the ones I see, before deciding, actually thinking a ‘like’ could be something, actually believing – just isn’t worth it, there’s a cost in energy and time.

I think to myself, if I accepted celibacy, then it’d be so much easier. I’m fourteen months in terms of a ‘drought’ and thinking about hugs and intimacy and all of that just hurts.

I had ‘me time’, a walk in the shopping mall, supermarket shopping and an iced coffee on my own with a little bit of lemon cake.

It gets me out of the house, the boys like the carer, but my human interaction is limited to loyalty cards and paying the checkout and telling the barista my order.

I guess I know where I’m going, the bumble, hinge and tinder will be deleted and I’ll go settle to a routine with the kids and dog through the winter.

I have birthdays and Christmas to plan presents for. Pumpkins to carve for Halloween, lights to put up in December.

A safe person who I could confide in, care about, have at least a text a day from. A pipe dream, a fantasy, a delusion.

The road ahead shouldn’t be travelled with doubt and weariness, it should be a case of looking forward to life and living and enjoying each day. There’s precious little time for us all and life shouldn’t be seen as a burden.

Those I’ve lost would want me to live, they’d want me to be happy.

I cannot fulfil my own needs, at least in terms of another person, that safe person. So it’s a case of protecting my sanity and saying ‘well, I have to stop looking and make the best of what’s here.’

So, for now, I can let things run, be it as they are.

The decision to stop looking and reframe my thinking has to come from within myself and be taken with some certainty. Accepting celibacy, living alone and not having a friend or partner or whatever the right words are, will take a bit of doing.

Maybe I’m still wanting that mix of hope and forlorn optimism, that one day someone will see the worth in me.

It’s tempered by the tears and frustration and loneliness and sorrow.

A balance of sorts but too easy to be low in terms of mood and energy, too easy to slide into negatives and too easy to see things that aren’t there.

For now, it’s building myself to calling it, to say ‘I’ve tried’ and that’s enough. Enough Hoping and Enough Hurt.

Sunday Night.

The part where I wish there was someone else here, where she’d rub my head and say, “I’ll do it.”

I’ve been busy earlier, I’ve made dinner, I’ve washed dishes, put on a wash and other bits and pieces, been up and down to supervise my son in the backyard.

My wish is unrealistic. I’m sole parent looking after two disabled kids.

Some days, it’s autopilot and timing myself through the routines and the sequences to get kids to bed or off to school.

I can do it and currently I have a couple of days respite a month arranged with our former PA/carer that was here when I first took on looking after the boys.

I haven’t had a PA carer in since January on a regular basis. I had asked for help from local Carers centre and got a list of care providing companies, but that wouldn’t guarantee same people each time for boys.

I don’t really know how to specify and advertise for someone either, what media to use or how to interview. That’s the down side to self directed support. I can’t access the money for to reflect that i’m doing it and that’s part of the rules and the accountants that help me are pretty strict on that.

So, there’s that. I can’t wave a wand and have a night off.

When I did have a night off, it was 4 to 8pm. I still had to get boys to bed and settled. I still had to listen out overnight. I could be up and down checking three or four times, depending on noises or if one of boys unsettled.

All in all, it doesn’t matter that I don’t have that support.

I couldn’t get up to anything during lockdown other than go in car and go to get a McDonald’s. Pick up some things in supermarket and then go home.

Even after restrictions have lifted, I can’t do much more. Maybe I could sit somewhere for a coffee or go to one of the shopping malls

But doing that alone and without company is the other thing.

It’s me and the kids or just me. I’m a widower with disabled kids. My phone isn’t red hot with messages, once your pals realise that you can’t go for a drink, can’t go to the football, can’t just go out, the calls and texts stop.

I realised that some years ago. I don’t hold a grudge, I know that they probably wouldn’t understand my situation and I used to take the boys Friday to Sunday so it’s been a long time since I’ve had a fun weekend or not had to worry about kids or getting home.

Even if the Carer/Personal Assistant was there, I’ve not really got anyone to give a shout to. Friends, Family or whatever else.

It’s lonely. You can’t really get that over to those that don’t understand

. It’s just me. I have the dog for company after bedtime or when kids at school, but he can’t talk back to me, give me a hug or take me for a pint.

I’m saying all this as it’s ‘Carers Week’, I’m a parent/carer and after my wife’s death I’m solely responsible for my boys.

Do I get a night off? Not really.

Do I get to do things I like? Not Really.

Sure, I can take the boys places and do things with them. I’ll plan our staycation in the next few days.

I might see bits of the euros but a lot of games will be at bathtime/bedtime part of my day.

Obviously I won’t be at pub for evening games and there’s a chance I could see some in my weekend off.

I don’t think I want to go to a pub or bar myself to try and watch and with seating restrictions, I’d be one person taking a table up basically. It’s not that appealing to be honest.

I could curse my situation, but they’re my kids and I love them. I can’t do anything but be here, I can’t exactly run off or anything.

I’m aware of my mental health, I’m aware of the stresses. I’m aware of the dangers of loneliness and isolation.

But I do need someone to reach in, I do need some with the self directed support, finding another Carer/Personal Assistant and finding how to use that time off.

I could do with rebuilding a group of friends, I could do with less ‘on line’ activity. I would like to think I could even get to have a relationship in future.

But.. wishing gets nothing done does it?

Isolated – May 2021.

That’s my current sort of feeling and after a difficult day yesterday, I’m just flat and lonely.

It’s about a month since I gave up on the widowed people’s groups.

I may have took it too far by removing individuals as well as the groups I was in, but I just felt that I didn’t feel it was for me and that I didn’t want to bother anyone.

Ironically, I saw someone that I sort of knew on Twitter, who was struggling and suggested the group to her and saw a comment yesterday showing that she’s found some support.

Which brings me back to my own life and my own social difficulties.

I can have pals on Twitter or Facebook/Instagram friends and I do try and like or comment or acknowledge stuff.

My social media isn’t as negative as my blog posts here.

My day to day is pretty much me and the dog and the kids.

I’m writing this today on my respite Saturday. The weekend I’m meant to have a break.

I’m in the house, I have a sandwich and a coffee in front of me. I’m not really bothered about a coffee out somewhere as it’s just be a drive thru.

I don’t really have anyone to ask to go out for a bite to eat or a coffee, I don’t really have the family support after I had an outburst earlier this year, ironically also on a respite weekend.

When the kids are at school, it’s about laundry, tidying up, checking the finances and maybe going a supermarket trip. Obviously I have to walk the dog too.

I never intend to push people away, I mean to have them in my life, but things slipped away. I wasn’t really in a good place before losing Lyndie and I really miss our day to day contact even although things weren’t right between us.

I keep thinking that I’m a rubbish person, I believe that I’m not who people would want to be with. I experienced a bit of that when I was working. Trying hard to be nice but still feeling at the periphery.

I’m a grown adult, my life and how I am are my decisions, issues and problems. No-one will wave a wand or whatever and change my life.

I don’t have that base of support to go and try to pick up the threads again and I have to be cautious. I have to think of the boys and they need me.

I always think about the Hey Jude lyric and ‘it’s a fool who plays it cool and makes his world a bit colder’

I yearn to write something a bit more positive and a bit more ‘up’, for now that’s not quite happening and I maybe need to go back to the agencies that have helped before and say what my own situation is.

Get Glasgow Moving’s Clyde Metro Map

From Glasgow Times

https://www.getglasgowmoving.org has produced a vision of Clyde Metro.

It’s a vision from their perspective with a clean and readable map

It is ambitious and to me an idealised outcome for a Greater Glasgow Rail and Metro scheme.

I like parts of it, I have doubts on some aspects and questions on others.

Nevertheless, in the absence of news from official sources, it’s worth pushing the issue and seeing what comes from the Glasgow City Council led process. As far as I understood, things were at a consultant’s report stage and this would be due around Winter 2025/26 with further decisions afterwards.

My thoughts

Most modern tram systems from a starting point of zero are establishing one or two lines.

Metro as a starting point is a different matter. 

Cities in Europe with some existing tram networks have went Pre-Metro, then Metro from Tram based systems.

Ambition of the Get Glasgow Moving Mqp is one thing, but realisation another.

I think ambition and reality need to meet as a big bang whole network investment is unlikely to happen.

Phased extension of branches seems to be way that systems England in Birmingham and Manchester have expanded.

Edinburgh’s proposals to extend their system are partly based on older proposals that were scaled back and new lines that are now being cautiously scoped and consulted upon.

As for Greater Glasgow.

I think the conversion of existing heavy rail network to Metro is unlikely although there is one part of the Glasgow system that would be a likely better prospect as a tram conversion – the Cathcart Circle lines.

The Argyle line proposal to serve Exhibition Centre and then Partick before new infrastructure to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Braehead and Glasgow Airport seems problematic to me.

Capacity on the section Partick to Hyndland has been covered in transport reviews with 24 paths per hour seen as maximum.

Therefore any diversion of the Argyle Line westward would, in my view, be better crossing Clyde after Exhibition Centre Station and looking to interchange with the Govan Subway before QEUH and Braehead and would be involving tunnelling to at least the QEUH. 

(That’s a lot of digging and underground works likely requiring tunnel boring machines)

This would be likely to be biggest capital cost commitment in such a metro project and if planned to have a Glasgow Airport to Lanarkshire terminuses spine, then it’s better to be a heavy rail route .

Directing the Argyle Line to Govan allows a subway interchange to Partick, it frees the capacity bottleneck and allows greater frequency on the North Clyde Lines but removes the bottleneck issues at Partick and Hyndland.

West Central section of map.

The proposed Kelvin-Cart line may alleviate some of that by taking the via Singer to Milngavie and Dalmuir services through the tunnel that exist at Botanic Gardens and under Great Western Road from Kelvin Bridge.

Again, I think that is an ambitious solution, although linking to Glasgow Cross, using the City Union Line and linking to Cathcart Circle would avoid movements on Argyle Line and be a creative solution. 

The capacity available via Glasgow Central and Glasgow Cross sections  with both Argyle and Kelvin-Cart at metro interval frequencies might be another question.

Central area of map

The City Union Line is logical to remove Paisley Canal services from Glasgow Central, to link via what was previously called Glasgow Crossrail to Bellgrove utilising the Springburn Branch and getting to Anniesland via the North Commuter line.

I would doubt extension westward. The questions I would have are in terms of fully double tracking the existing Paisley Canal line. 

The issue of the built upon trackbed west of the Canal Street station would make an expensive land acquisition, even before the work needed to clear the cycle and walking path routes beyond Paisley Canal.

I see the potential westward with the former railway infrastructure. Kilmacolm/Bridge of Weir, Linwood, Former Paisley West station all would have merit. 

But there are engineering challenges even with a former railway route. 

I think those paths would better suit a modern tramway and using a short stretch of Canal Street in Paisley and then going onto the old railway formation.

I was disappointed to see that a connection to Johnstone North and Kilbarchan was not considered, it would offer another possibility.

Both would work well as part of a Renfrewshire Tram running from Kilbarchan or Kilmacolm to Paisley Canal, interfacing with Railway there and at Paisley Gilmour Street before connecting with Glasgow Airport and Braehead.

Extending to QEUH and Govan Subway would tie nicely in terms of other destinations and interchanges.

Perhaps that might be necessary if a big infrastructure commitment like a new tunnel from Exhibition Centre to Govan is seen as too costly.

I mention Renfrewshire Tram.

I do, as I think running any tram over the recent Renfrew Bridge is an unlikely prospect. I think the West Tram proposed on the map falls at the use of both new bridges north of Glasgow Airport.

Western area of plan

The section from Duntocher to Dock Street might be better joining the Cross Tram at Scotstoun.

The northern part of the City Union Line running from Paisley Canal to Paisley St James, Glasgow Airport, Renfrew and Braehead, In my opinion, would work better as a tramline through Paisley as outlined above.

A connection westward would serve Linwood, Johnstone, Kilbarchan, Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm giving a logical mix of destinations that could perhaps be extended to the Royal Alexandra Hospital (known for its all day parking issues) and perhaps even through the southern parts of Paisley toward Barrhead.

Given thicker lines for existing heavy rail and thinner ones for Tram, I have assumed that the Get Glasgow Moving proposal map is set on that basis and I do think has a number of obvious questions.

The extension of heavy rail lines might be possible using old routes that were cut in the  1950’s and 1960’s.

Although, I would be cautious about conditions of former tunnels and former trackbeds, there also will be issues of headway for electrification to consider.

Non-electrified sections of the Glasgow Railway System still exist, notably the City Union Line and Maryhill/North Commuter Line and may require modernisation as well as electrification for frequent services.

I very much agree with potential for Glasgow Cross as an interchange but do wonder about routing back through Glasgow Queen Street Low Level.

Large infrastructure projects aren’t likely to be part of the Clyde Metro plan due to cost.

There’s already been an element of project hesitancy in terms of a tram solution for the link from Paisley to Glasgow Airport being rolled into the thinking for Clyde Metro.

Critics can look at the cancellation of GARL in 2009 and the way the City Deal has handled tram/train and other proposals.

A link that isn’t cleared through Transport Scotland’s processes isn’t likely to happen.

There’s political and other factors at play and the debacle over the first phase of Edinburgh Trams means that commitment to a large scale public transport scheme for Glasgow will always carry doubts.

A Holyrood election in 2026 won’t particularly help and other matters will be presented as more important for public spending.

Getting back to the GGM map,

The route pattern and service frequency from Dalmuir to Springburn, Airdrie and Lanarkshire through the North Clyde and Argyle Line is well established and frequent. 

I think care is needed to establish how to improve on that and I see the logic of the Cross-City line proposals but both existing lines would be radically changed by the Argyle and Kelvin-Cart proposals.

I have always seen the merit in using the City Union line to connect up the Paisley Canal, Springburn and Maryhill/Anniesland lines but do think that such a proposal may be about as big a bang as Scotrail may be happy with on the network.

The Cathcart Circle as I mentioned at the start may be better converting to tram and using run offs to use existing road bridges to access city centre and do a loop up one side of Central Station to Buchanan Bus Station and Queen Street going back down the other side of Central Station.

Trams may allow other run-offs the Cathcart Circle toward Castlemilk or Newton Mearns and I think that will be part of the thinking for Clyde Metro.

I note those are both covered by the Cross Tram routes on GGM map, but the overall routing east, then south of that proposal isn’t as direct as branching off from the Cathcart Circle.

The existing branches of the Cathcart Circle to Newton and Neilston may need thought as to whether Trams or Tram/Train vehicles are better suited for performance and use of the existing infrastructure.

Although tram/train may be advantageous for converted lines like the City Union Line proposal and offer opportunity to run off from existing infrastructure.

Conclusion

I’ve written and blogged in detail before on a proposed Metro for Glasgow.

Issues that I see.

Scotrail are seeking to replace existing suburban train fleets and that’s the existing Class 318 and 320 trains with options that may also include the Class 334 units. These trains cover almost all the lines that the Get Glasgow Moving plan will use. The timescale will be the near future in the next five or so years.

Scotrail website.

Some conversion of existing Heavy Rail and some new tram lines are likely to be the proposal with options to extend in future.

I don’t see a ‘big bang’ at start of the process and think there will be a cautious approach to what can and will be done.

Glasgow’s Railways will have issues in terms of trains per hour, terminal capacity and network congestion that the proposed new suburban train fleet will not solve.

Removing services or service groups from Glasgow Central will be a selling point for Clyde Metro. 

As I said, I see the attraction to a Cathcart Circle conversion to tram with a City Centre loop and the use of the Union City line to connect Paisley Canal and Springburn, Maryhill/Anniesland sections.

I think that is most likely conclusion of Clyde Metro with Tram proposals, most likely Paisley Gilmour Street to Glasgow Airport, Braehead and Govan Subway via the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Scotrail and Network Rail are aware of the capacity issue at Partick/Hyndland corridor and the Argyle line might be unpicked to an extent, but I can’t see it being rerouted toward Glasgow Airport unless substantial funds are available and a commitment is made by both Scottish and UK governments to a ‘big scheme’ as part of the Clyde Metro programme.

With HS2 trains running to Glasgow Central in the 2030’s the capacity of the station needs to be expanded and Clyde Metro could help by removing some existing services away. 

That may give the programme some impetus, but changes from Network Rail to GBR structure, a possible change in government at Holyrood and the City Deal programmes might affect what’s available for spending.

Certainly the timescale of HS2 and its longer trains will need thought and it has been mentioned and covered by previous NR documents on delivery periods.

Arguments can be made that Greater Glasgow needs similar transport infrastructure to cities like Manchester or Birmingham, but recent announcements on a delay to the proposed Leeds/West Yorkshire system indicate the thoughts of the UK Treasury toward public transport spending outside of the London Metropolitan area.

Bus interests will obviously be against tram routes and metro system that would abstract from their busiest routes and services.

Timing of Scottish regulation and implementation of SPT’s proposals aren’t likely to dovetail well with the introduction of Clyde Metro and will introduce realpolitik and objections to proposals like GGM’s map.

Realism and deliverable first phases of Clyde Metro might encourage future phases and as I said, there are factors at play that will see a cautious approach to what the City Deal grouping finally propose.

I think it’s likely that the initial offering as Clyde Metro will be underwhelming to those that have followed public transport in Scotland, but it will be down to politics both local for area and at Holyrood.

UK GOVERNMENT AND DISABILITY BENEFITS

What’s to say on Labour and their bashing of disabled.

Firstly Green Paper.

Liz Kendall has changed the qualifying criteria to four things in one category

It makes PIP applications particularly by individuals with autism or ADHD more difficult to qualify compared to as present.

It’s deliberate and screening or filtering by deliberate bias.

See Scope or National Autistic Society (NAS)

It’s not a decision that politicians or beaurocrats should make. It’s for medical professionals.

If you have a loved one with autism or ADHD you want them to get help they’re due

Kendall and DWP are making a deliberate attempt to reduce applicants or successful cases.

Prevalence of autism has increased from better awareness in school staff and GPs making referrals to psychiatric professionals.

It’s not made up, it’s real and affects 5 to 10 percent of population.

Is it the autistic individuals fault?

Why deny help on bias from politicians or DWP officials ?

It’s wrong and it also can’t be commented upon in the green paper consultation.

RACHEL REEVES Spending statement.

This affects PIP, UNIVERSAL CREDIT AND CARERS ALLOWANCE 

Qualification for benefit changes and application of new rules will directly affect 250,000 people. 50,000 children taking them into poverty.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimate that crosscutting of benefits mean this could be higher close to 400,000

People

They are the experts in poverty in UK

DWP figures are notorious for being wrong and the DWP has a long standing agenda to assert itself.

Thing is Reeves and Kendall took £5 billion savings in benefits to Starmer 

OBR looked at these numbers and saw 3.8 Billion 

DWP again with dodgy numbers and information

A leak also pointed out that the DWPs flagship move from DLA to PIP saved nothing. It cost 1.7 billion more.

That’s a lot of hoops for a lot of disabled people to make in reapplications when DWP terminate DLA.

It’s reprehensible in fact, when simply continuing on DLA would have been cheaper to taxpayers and removed a lot of stress for disabled people and their families.

Twitter is a cess pit with its owner and all but there’s not an effective  means on the nicer replacements like blue sky or threads to get across the salient points to MPs.

Kendall and the DWP need an inquiry on what they’ve produced in information for the green paper and for the spending statement.

Particularly in removing autism and adhd as qualifying for help.

The UK will be one of few G7 wealthy countries not helping people with those conditions 

It’s mendacious and not fact based and will affect thousands of families.

Reeves fictional black hole in the books is the justification for this assault on disabled people and their families.

A wealth tax – NO.

A political decision to take money from people who actually need it instead of going after rich who are at a point they are least taxed in history.

Kendall and DWPs numbers are dubious.

5 billion or 3.8 Billion saved?

250,000 people or 400,000?

The Office Of Budget Responsibility and Joseph Rowntree Foundation are more likely to have credible numbers than DWP.

That’s the jist of it.

I might understand people staying in the nice place and not the bad place.

But not when disabled people in hundreds of thousands are going to be dragged into poverty by arbitrary political decisions by UK government.

Thanks for reading, and..

TAX THE FUCKING WEALTHY.

Labour and the disabled.

I tweeted a string post this week. It may help readability in a long format.

Pretty clear from the government announcement yesterday and green paper that the changes are targeting ‘mental health’ and that seems to include autism.

The points in categories change, which can’t be discussed in the green paper consultation seems like it would affect most those with an autism diagnosis and particularly if they don’t have an associated learning disability.

The issue being that cognitive function, executive function, social abilities will not be seen as much of a deficit for the scoring process and will very likely take a lot of autistic people out of the scoring necessary to qualify for PIP

I know how difficult it is from the first attempt I had at applying and to adequately describe ‘worst days’ and lack of function, lack of ability and when coordination goes

I found it difficult to describe the effect of reaching a meltdown stage and the accompanying void in memory when in that state. The following low after it happens and subsequent guilt, I think I could describe.

Fear, running in a higher state of anxiousness and anxiety. Having that feeling of being watched. Lack of sleep and then black out sleep.

Issues with verbal communication and using phone with voice. Issues in person to person communication and getting through to a person without being or seeming rude.

The comorbid depression. The awareness of difference to others and sensory issues around light and noise.

That’s not exhaustive but I fear that things like that aren’t seen by the government and their advisers as sufficiently serious to qualify and the issue for #actuallyautistic people in the UK is that the proposals will make a trap or something where autistic people in particular will be set up to fail.

The push on ‘in person’ consultations will probably have assessors not qualified in autism judging autistic people and without specialised knowledge they won’t get the anxiety, the fear of process and stims or ticks or other things that make an autistic person different.

I think @UKLabour in government are discriminating with way the changes are made and autistic people will fail in the workplace without any specialised support or permitted changes in work environment and the people to people factor will see that ‘set up to fail’ thing become a cycle of ‘take this job’, fail, ‘take that job’, fail, why can’t you be different?

That will be very hard on younger people and what they’re pushed into. 

For older people like me that are late diagnosed, we perhaps at better at masking, but still have the issues around change and people skills.

I do think the changes are contrary to the Equality Act and I do think that a word marker of how disabled someone is, makes it very difficult for people with varying autistic conditions and their immediate families.

It seems particularity targeted in that context and yes prevalence of autism conditions has increased through better 

knowledge and diagnosis. 

There may be awareness but certainly not acceptance and without some give in society and workplaces to inclusion of autistic people, the proposals will see a lot of people suffer in the attempt to work or to look after themselves when benefits cut or reduce.

It might be the case that 5% of population have autism, but the effects on our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers and siblings and other loved ones is wider and bigger as a whole community 

Being different shouldn’t mean being left to it, abandoned and left without support and resources.

The aftercare isn’t there. I was diagnosed and dumped and the specialist service whether medical or social care isn’t there.

The understanding isn’t there in local communities – I know the reactions to my son in shops and supermarkets for being different and it’s a sort of condemnation that he’s like that. For no good reason.

I’m dismayed at Starmer, Reeves and Kendall’s statements.

I fear that autistic people in some situations will lose support and that could lead to some taking their own lives or ending up medicalised.

I appreciate politicians will not understand autism and autistic people and the task is really there for @scope and @Autism to get across how these changes will adversely affect autistic people and their families.

I can only give some from my experiences myself and as a parent.

(That’s the thread)

So I read something

It’s an extract of a Reddit post.

Now, I’ll get the caveats in first. Reddit can be unreliable and there’s content created like many sources on the internet.

This post strikes a chord with me though and I do understand how it can feel to be the oblivious happy person that has the rug pulled, I’ve seen it before in my life and to me, it rings true.

I profess no expertise other than my own life experience.

The neurodivergent one, probably autistic, has an insulator in his hobbies and activities. He loves his wife and trusts her to come into that space and to be genuine around her.

Likely as a younger autistic, the difference caught in childhood and able to have a functional life with support at school etc.

4 years married. I could question ages but Americans do seem to get married young.

She snapped.

Now, I know that neurotypicals will say things that they perhaps maybe don’t mean to. It’s perhaps frustration, stress, external factors at play. X’s husband took her to the theatre show or out to dinner or for a fantastic weekend away.

Things like that plant the seed, ‘Why can’t you be like Y’s boyfriend, he take her to restaurants, surprises her after work…’

Oh mine doesn’t like going out much..

Oh mine has a sanctuary..

External factors and sources, family, workmates, friends etc etc.

So she says what’s in there. Genie is out the bottle and that’s the thing, it won’t go back.

He’ll take literally what she’s said. He’ll see his sanctuary as childish, selfish and want to stop being there or using it to please her.

The ‘it’s okay, maybe you’re right’ is defensive, it’s an acknowledgment of being wrong and that he’s trying to change it be something else.

The sofa lying is a coping mechanism. He’s not allowed to be where he used to go.

Stopped spending time in his sanctuary. She’s torn down that for him. He doesn’t want to go there to be yelled at again. Again defensive.

What the writer of the problem hasn’t realised is that this is fundamental change for him. He’s trying to please her, do what he thinks she wants.

But he can’t fix it. He’s hurt, numb inside at being selfish or unreasonable and has a deep feeling of wrongdoing.

He’ll not have the ability to see it as a snap.

He’ll be unhappy and eventually keep pulling back or going inside himself until the relationship is finished and blame himself for indulging his activities and for making her snap.

He won’t ever be like X’s husband or Y’s boyfriend that his wife has heard about.

But he’ll have truly, deeply and sincerely loved her. He’ll want things to be fixed or sorted but won’t know how to do that. He won’t know how to argue back about her habits or issues that annoy him.

A quiet retreat. A dissident within his own relationship, trying to do what he thinks she wants.

They might fix it with counselling or couples therapy but once that snap happened it’s as good as over. Meant or not.

Red Car.

Been thinking about you on and off.

Wanting to message. Wanting to say hi.

Then I go south.

Get to the hotel. A red car, same as I remember watching go away.

My mind goes sideways, backwards.

I realise it’s too long, justtoo long.

But then I have to check and it is, 2021.

I just know it’s not far. That I could.

Mind still racing, thoughts everywhere and then, clarity.

I shouldn’t.

I want to, but I shouldn’t.

Tears.

For what was. What wasn’t, what could have been.

Knowing I miscommunicated, knowing I got things wrong.

Feeling ‘I don’t want this’ but agreeing. Trying not to be difficult, trying to be mature.

But tears.

Memories making me smile. Knowing it was something good. Not knowing how to frame feelings.

But, need to suppress those and get back to the here and now.

Tears and a smile don’t make sense, but that turns to a fog of thought, shaking through indecision and regret.

But onward, must go onward.

Nothing. No-one.

A bad few days.

Communication, isolation and lone-handed parenting over the October school holidays.

The deepest feeling that I have is that I’m alone.

I feel that sharply in me. Normally something I try to avoid thinking about.

I have the dog and the kids with me (I’ll get back to that later too) and I’m not technically or physically here myself.

I have things to do in terms of them and to an extent that’s okay.

What I’m trying, and failing this week, Is to accept that ‘this is life’ and not focus on ‘what if’s’, maybes or dreams.

I feel a bit selfish. I feel a bit ashamed that I’m thinking this way and I do have to acknowledge that I want something for me.

Whether that something is someone or things to be slightly different is the thing.

One person or a relationship might be what I’m craving, but that in itself that would be, again, creating a mistake in my life.

Yes, I miss intimacy and just the presence of someone in that way.

I also know that I can’t be wrapped up in a situation where that person is ‘everything’ outside what my life presently is.

I need more than just that and the danger is thinking that I’ve accomplished something in terms of meeting that person and then onward having only them as my focus.

I’ve been there before, and it’s too much to then vest everything upon hearing from them, time spent wih them and having nothing to balance that out with.

It’s something healthier and not quite as desperate and all-consuming that I need in my life.

So, I recognise that I’d like to pick up threads of that, but at the same time, I need a wider effort to be amongst or with people again.

In previous blogs, I related my experience with the widowed groups and that it was helpful but was all online, that I needed something local face to face as well.

That’s what I have to find, from mundane ‘hello, how are you?’ to other conversations.

Not just about me, about the kids and dog but to share or offload too.

So, I have came away from that online community, I think I needed to.

A sort of habitual scrolling of those groups was my daily sort of thing. Maybe slightly addictive, at times situations I could relate to, at times things I could have written.

But, I did have struggles in my head with some things I read and my experience wasn’t the same given how my circumstances are.

By that I mean time limited and dependent on time off when the kids are with paid carers.

I could see people, on those groups, over a period of time, struggling less, finding the positives, having experiences and then thriving.

Obviously, sometimes with that pang of jealousy that it wasn’t me.

Maybe that’s unfair of me. I was very lucky for a while and I miss that. Maybe it was too soon, maybe too distant, maybe that I was dumb, maybe I should have found a way.

I don’t want to be more detailed than that. I know that’s not for sharing.

But, maybe I hoped someone would be possible in the here and now and near.

I tried the apps, the sites, the avenues and options and I fell short. It wasn’t going to happen that way.

I don’t want to look again at dating sites or apps and I feel I’d be same as my last attempt, as an interested onlooker, that’s not quite playing the actual game.

Maybe I learned my limits, Maybe I learned it wasn’t very real, it wasn’t true to life and whatever was in the algorithm, it wasn’t quite what I needed.

So, I’ve been getting on at getting on, since the summer holiday. Mainly without having that company of other adults and loosening my ties with the widowed group.

I’ve been walking with the dog, I’ve been keeping busy, planning for next year, thinking about Christmas, taking on the kids being a year further in at school.

My mind, says there’s nothing, there’s no-one.

I’m young enough still to want that someone in my life again, but my circumstances are not that good for even making a time for a coffee or a drink.

As I said, I’m limited in carer time and currently don’t have a weekend or night off.

It does comes back to that I’ve nothing, no-one.

Now, I’ve questioned if it’s just a depressive episode, that failure with dating, the isolation, the day to day with kids had combined to lead me downward.

Maybe resentment that I can’t go out and do things that I’d like to.

I’ve been active with walking and trying to do 10 kilometres a day and in the main succeeding. I’ve felt the benefit of doing that too.

I’ve been looking ahead, I’ve been keeping busy when I can.

I haven’t been moping necessarily but have had the ‘no-one, nothing’ occasionally crop up.

My main frustration is time.

I have time off but not as I said, at the times where I’d like to do things.

Maybe it’s an inability to square the circle, maybe a part of it is wanting to do things or seeing other do things and thinking that I can’t. Certainly been true recently in terms of seeing people going to gigs in evenings.

Perhaps. I realise the issue is that time and getting the right time off so I can handle or balance what I do day to day as a parent and a carer.

It’s just going from recognising the problem to finding a way to pick up the threads of life that I want again.

There lies my challenge.

HS2 – phasing means losing sight of Scotland

Source BBC/DfT

Most recent articles have a map or plan like above.

But, the phasing of HS2 was a mechanism to get parts of the line through Parliament and planning and other issues.

It started off in 2009 as a study covering the British mainland

Network Rail

The issues of mainline capacity, East Coast, West Coast and Midland Mainline were considered for this.

Network Rail

The ‘best route’ did form a replacement for the West Coast Main Line and assumed that High Speed Rail would be from Edinburgh and Glasgow to London.

Now, that’s a desktop exercise without detail, surveys, detail on alignment. All the things necessary.

But, the intention was to reach Scotland, not just run a line to Birmingham or Manchester.

HS2

After phasing the project emerged, the intention was shown on maps as continuations on the Conventional Rail Network as can be seen above.

What can also be seen is that Birmingham Curzon Street is a spur off the main route of HS2 to serve that city.

Similar for Manchester.

Neither city would be upon the main route north and the High Speed Railway connected at Phase 1 to the West Coast Main Line near Litchfield.

Phase 2a was accelerated to make that connection nearer Crewe with a proposal to extend further to near Wigan with the Golburne Link

If you imagine HS2 without the spurs for Manchester and Birmingham

HS2, plan altered by me.

Phase 1, Dark Blue

Phase 2, Red/Burgendy

Classic Rail Network north of that

It’s a classic project example of starting with a whole and reducing down.

The mapping as convention with North at the top.

Look at it another way

HS2. My alterations

It doesn’t get very far, does it?

Here’s the plan from 2009 again

Network Rail

2 hours 16 minutes from London to Glasgow. Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool as destinations off the main route.

Network Rail, my alterations

Again, I’ve flipped map to south at top. Only Preston would have been on that as an intermediate stop.

But plans change.

Guardian/DfT

Euston selected as the London terminal, they looked at a link to HS1 and St Pancras and I believe that was rejected on cost as was a route going to Heathrow Airport before going north.

Old Oak Common was intended as an initial link to Heathrow by changing trains. It now has the Crossrail Elizabeth line connection as well as plans for the Great Western line to stop there.

But the ‘day one service to Scotland’ has always been said,whatever the changes.

And there’s been plenty of changes.

Phase 2b, east to Leeds with a run off to York for Newcastle and possibly even Edinburgh was dropped. It had value south to north as it would have linked Scotland to Yorkshire in the east the way a link to Manchester and Birmingham (those triangle junctions) would have worked in the west.

Crewe was even touted as a Hub to connect for Western England and Wales.

Wikipedia

But we return to a stub at Birmingham with the latest news on the Conservative Party Conference.

BBC/HS2

The cancellation of Phase 2b shown above. It also shows the Northern Powerhouse Route. A serious proposal to link Manchester and Leeds and also Liverpool and Hull initially.

But that was watered down too, the Integrated Rail Plan for the North had further electrification northward of the Midland Main line and other alterations. most notable the ditching of the Golburne aLink from HS2 to the West Coast Main Line

‘Transport for Britain’

As can be seen the Golburne link made a bypass of the WCML and linked further northward than at Crewe.

But, again cancelled. A vague statement said that there was an alternative that had been raised in the Union Connectivity Review authored by Sir Peter Hendy. He talked about improving the WCML north of Crewe and finding an alternative northernmost interface with HS2.

So, we are where we are. A top tier economy and member of the G7 that is struggling to justify building a high speed rail line beyond the English Midlands, never mind to the North of England or beyond that.