It’s full steam ahead for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, with a number of landmark developments in the recent weeks.

Renfrewshire councillors gave their approval on 30 October to the latest designs of key parts of the new Glasgow Airport Rail Link, including plans for the new airport station platforms.

Preparatory work has already started on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link. A £1.3M ground investigations contract has been awarded by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to the UK's leading ground investigation contractor Soil Mechanics. This firm will carry out detailed investigations of ground conditions along the line of route of the planned new track which will run from near Paisley St James station to Glasgow Airport.

Renfrewshire Council also approved on 29 November, a community sports pavillion for the redeveloped St James' football pitches in Paisley, which were relocated in July, so work on the St. James viaduct section could begin.

The Department for Transport estimates that passenger numbers at Glasgow Airport are predicted to almost double, from 8.2million a year in 2003, to over 15 million passengers a year in 2030. Airport owner BAA Scotland's latest forecasts are even higher and indicate that passenger numbers could rise as high as 24 million by 2030.

For further information please visit www.spt.co.uk/garl or www.scottish.parliament.uk