Four vie for £130m Glasgow Airport Rail Link

The main rail link uses the existing line between Glasgow Central and Paisley Gilmour Street

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Four firms will battle it out for a £130 million scheme to build a new rail route to link the centre of Glasgow with the city's airport.

Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Morgan Est and Nuttall are all bidding for the job, known as the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, which includes building a
2 km-long viaduct. Skanska was also set to bid for the work but has decided against it.

The main rail link uses the existing line between Glasgow Central and Paisley Gilmour Street, with track upgrade work from Shields Junction to Arkleston Junction to reinstate a third track. The viaduct will be built from near Paisley St James Station to the airport.

Other works included in the job are bridges over minor roads and a single-span crossing of the M8 motorway.

Client Transport Scotland is partly funding the project, along with support from airport operator BAA, Scottish Enterprise and the EU.

The job is set to take two years to complete and also includes a five-year maintenance period.

Requests to participate are due in on 21 July and a shortlist of bidders will be issued on 29 September.