Glasgow subway to close for four Sundays to test new system

The Glasgow subway is set to close for four Sundays over July and August for the testing of a new signalling and communications system.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has requested for testing to be carried out on 19 July, 16 August, 23 August and 30 August.

SPT said operations would be transferred over to its new state-of-the-art control room at the end of August.

Further testing of the platform screen doors, which are now fully installed in three stations - Govan, Partick and Ibrox - will also take place.

Director of transport operations Richard Robinson said: "The installation of the new signalling and comms system into our Victorian Subway was always going to be the most challenging of the modernisation programme.

"We have been successfully carrying out testing at night for several months, operating the system from our new Operational Control Centre (OCC) and we are now ready to transfer to the new OCC completely.

"However, once we move to the new OCC we must thoroughly test the new systems and our staff, running every operational scenario possible before introducing passengers."

SPT said once the transfer is complete and the system is confirmed as ready, passenger announcements will be fully automated and more information will be available on the passenger screens on the trains.

It added that new passenger information screens and platform doors will also be operational following the closures.