The Renfrew Ferry is a passenger ferry service linking the north and south banks of the River Clyde in Scotland. The service, operated by Clydelink without subsidy, crosses between Renfrew and Yoker, close to Glasgow City Centre and is the last Clyde crossing this far upstream.
Originally the service operated from King's Inch, further upstream on land which is now the site of the Braehead Shopping Centre, but moved around two hundred years ago to better serve the town of Renfrew. In the 1960s there were many other crossings operating close to the Renfrew Ferry, mainly serving the dominant shipyards of the Clyde. The Erskine, Whiteinch, Partick, Govan and Finnieston ferries have all stopped providing the services as bridges and tunnels replaced them, but the Renfrew Ferry, being at a point where both tunnelling and bridging are difficult, has survived. It is the last operational Clyde crossing this far upstream, and the closest to Glasgow City Centre.
The service was passenger-only until the car boom of the 1950s and 1960s, when it became a car ferry. With the opening of the Clyde Tunnel just two miles upstream, which allowed faster crossings, the car service ceased in May 1984. [1] Now, due to expanding car use, the tunnel and surrounding routes are themselves frequently congested. One of the old car ferries can still be seen moored on the Broomielaw, in the city centre of Glasgow, where it is a popular entertainment and nightspot, also called the Renfrew Ferry. [2] [3]
From 1984 until 2010 Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and its predecessor operated two passenger-only boats, appropriately named the MV Renfrew Rose and Yoker Swan. In 2007, a study was started to see the feasibility of replacing the ferry with a bridge, which would allow 24-hour crossings. [4] It would be necessary for the bridge to have a large clearance or be able to open, due to shipbuilding and other river navigation upstream on the River Clyde. The study found that a replacement bridge would cost around fifteen million pounds. [5]
The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport service ended at the end of March 2010, as part of moves to save £2.5M from their budget. The ferry was making an annual loss of £430,000 [6] and SPT was providing a £3 subsidy for every £1.20 fare paid by passengers. Trials took place to ensure a seamless transition to a private sector service without subsidy. [7] Five contenders included Scottish bus company Stagecoach Group, with an amphibious bus [8] and Inverness-based Clyde River Taxis. [9] The successful company was Argyll-based Silvers Marine, operating as Clydelink, with a small, fast ferry. [10] They inaugurated their service using a William E. Munson Company aluminium vessel, capable of carrying 12 passengers.
The Renfrew Ferry figured prominently in the trial of Peter Manuel, with the ferryman as a key witness.
The crossing, between the area of Yoker in Glasgow and the town of Renfrew in Renfrewshire, is only 200 metres, with graded slipways on each side. The service operates between 6.30 am and 9.30 pm, being on-demand at peak times and half-hourly at other times. The company plans to extend the service to Braehead. [11] The service has had reliability issues, with two weeks out of service in 2017 and three weeks in 2018 as of late June.
The Renfrew Ferry was a dedicated bus terminus on the southern side. In recent years, the opening of Braehead Shopping Centre has seen most services divert via Ferry Village to Braehead Bus Station, and few services now stop at the ferry slipway, most stopping some 200 m away. Services from FirstGroup and McGills are operated to Paisley, Govan, Renfrew, Glasgow, and Glasgow Airport.
The northern side is located near Dumbarton Road, which is a major bus artery with numerous services. These are operated to destinations such as Helensburgh, Clydebank, Anniesland, Partick and Balloch.
Braehead is a commercial development located at the former site of Braehead Power Station in Renfrew on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrew, Renfrewshire. It is particularly notable for its large shopping centre, arena and leisure facilities.
The Glasgow Subway is an underground light metro system in Glasgow, Scotland. Opened on 14 December 1896, it is the third-oldest underground rail transit system in Europe after the London Underground and the Budapest Metro. It is also one of the very few railways in the world with a track running gauge of 4 ft wide. Originally a cable railway, the subway was later electrified, but the double-track circular line was never expanded. The line was originally known as the Glasgow District Subway, and was thus the first mass transit system to be known as a "subway"; it was later renamed Glasgow Subway Railway. In 1936 it was renamed the Glasgow Underground. Despite this rebranding, many Glaswegians continued to refer to the network as "the Subway". In 2003, the name "Subway" was officially readopted by its operator, the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is a regional transport partnership for the Strathclyde area of western Scotland. It is responsible for planning and coordinating regional transport, especially the public transport system in the area, including responsibility for operating the Glasgow Subway, the third-oldest in the world.
The North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by ScotRail. As a result of the incorporation of the Airdrie–Bathgate rail link and the Edinburgh–Bathgate line, this route has become the fourth rail link between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The city of Glasgow, Scotland, has a transport system encompassing air, rail, road and an underground light metro line. Prior to 1962, the city was also served by trams. Commuters travelling into Glasgow from the neighbouring local authorities of North and South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, and East and West Dunbartonshire have a major influence on travel patterns, with tens of thousands of residents commuting into the city each day. The most popular mode of transport in the city is the car, used by two-thirds of people for journeys around the city.
ZoneCard is a travel card issued by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, formerly Strathclyde Passenger Transport in Scotland.
First Stop Travel was a Scottish bus company, which operated primarily in Renfrewshire and southwest Glasgow. Its depot was located in Muriel Street, Barrhead. It was closed in 2008 after the Traffic Commissioner revoked its licence.
The British Rail Class 318 is an electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train which operates in west central Scotland. The units were introduced on 29 September 1986 as part of the electrification of the Ayrshire Coast Line between Glasgow Central and Ayr/Ardrossan with alternating current (AC) overhead lines. Their use was extended to Largs in January 1987. They were also used on the Inverclyde Line in small numbers. The trains currently operate Argyle Line, Cathcart Circle Line, North Clyde Line, Whifflet Line and Inverclyde Line services. Following the withdrawal of the Class 314 fleet in 2019, these units are the oldest working EMUs in Scotland, having been in revenue-earning service for more than 37 years.
The transport system in Scotland is generally well-developed. The Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament has control over most elements of transport policy within Scotland, with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition holding portfolio responsibility within the Scottish Government. Transport Scotland is the Executive Agency responsible for the Scottish transport network.
Cambuslang railway station is a railway station which serves the town of Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is 5 miles (8 km) south east of Glasgow Central, and is regularly served by trains on the Argyle Line to and from Glasgow Central. Passenger services are provided by ScotRail on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).
Partick is combined National Rail and Glasgow Subway station in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland. Along with the adjacent bus station, it forms one of the main transport hubs in Glasgow. As of 2022, it was the fifth-busiest station in Scotland, but was overtaken in 2023. The station is served by Glasgow Subway and ScotRail services and was one of the first to receive bilingual English and Gaelic signs, due to the significant Gaelic-speaking population in the surrounding Partick area.
Jordanhill railway station is a side-platformed suburban railway station in the Jordanhill area in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. The station, which is governed by Transport Scotland and managed by ScotRail, lies on the Argyle Line and the North Clyde Line. In operation since 1887, the station stemmed losses for an area that was in decline.
Kelvinbridge subway station is a Glasgow Subway station serving the Woodlands, Woodside and Hillhead areas of Glasgow, Scotland. It is named after the bridge crossing the River Kelvin, next to the station. This station is one of the two serving Kelvingrove Park, the other being Kelvinhall.
Govan subway station is a station serving the area of Govan in Glasgow, Scotland. It is located on the south side of the River Clyde. Just to the south of the station is the main depot and test track for the Glasgow Subway. The station is located near the historic Govan Old Parish Church.
Clyde Fastlink is a high frequency bus rapid transit system in Glasgow, Scotland. The system was designed to provide greater connectivity and faster journey times between Glasgow City Centre and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Govan, as well as to several other key developments along the north and south banks of the Clyde Waterfront.
MV Chieftain, ex-Seabus, is a passenger ferry built in 2007 for Clyde Marine Services to run the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) Gourock to Kilcreggan service on the Firth of Clyde.
The Amfibus is an amphibious bus, developed and built by DAT Vehicles B.V., in Nijmegen, Netherlands, which was considered as a replacement for the Renfrew Ferry across the River Clyde.
MV Renfrew Rose is a passenger ferry built in 1984. She operated as the Renfrew Ferry between Renfrew and Yoker until mid 2010 when she became the Arranmore ferry carrying up to three cars. Since 2016, she has operated the Cromarty to Nigg ferry.
Renfrew is a town 6 miles (10 km) west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former royal house, Renfrew gained royal burgh status in 1397.
Erskine Ferry sailed across the River Clyde from Erskine to Old Kilpatrick. The ferry was also referred to as East Ferry of Erskine as there was another ferry to Dumbarton a few miles down river, known as West Ferry. It is reputed to be the oldest ferry crossing of the Clyde. The crossing was part of the A740 route from Paisley to Old Kilpatrick. It was established in 1777 and replaced by the Erskine Bridge in 1971.
