Glasgow, April 2, 2026, 17:23 BST
Pressure mounted on Strathclyde Partnership for Transport on Thursday after disability campaigners renewed criticism of Glasgow’s Subway accessibility, while local media reported both circles of the network were suspended in the afternoon amid an unspecified issue. 1
That matters because SPT is pushing a sweeping Subway modernisation, with the new fleet already carrying all passenger services, platform screen doors — barriers along the platform edge — being installed and driverless running planned later. Yet on a 15-station system that SPT says carries 13 million passengers a year, elevators are still available only at Govan and St Enoch. 2
Access2Transport was set up by Rae, a wheelchair user and activist, to press for faster change. In comments reported by the Glasgow Guardian, Rae said some recent upgrades, including higher ticket scanners, felt “passively hostile in the architecture.” 1
The group’s case is blunt. With only two lift-equipped stations, campaigners say disabled passengers can be left choosing between a subway they cannot use freely, buses they say sometimes refuse them, taxis they say are too expensive, and rail trips that may still involve inaccessible stations. 1
SPT says it is committed to improving accessibility and regularly assesses its facilities, vehicles and services for gaps. On its website, the agency points to tactile maps, induction loops, high-contrast stair nosings and double handrails, and says the new trains include two dedicated wheelchair spaces.
But the central problem has not moved much. SPT’s own conditions say passengers who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters can use elevators at Govan and St Enoch, even though all trains stop at all 15 stations on the inner and outer circles.
Thursday’s reported shutdown sharpened that tension. The inner circle runs anticlockwise and the outer circle clockwise around the city, so when both stop the network is effectively shut; local media reports on Thursday said both circles were suspended this afternoon. 3
The outage also lands in the middle of the Subway’s biggest overhaul in more than 30 years. SPT says trains built by Stadler have handled all passenger service since the end of June 2024, while platform screen doors have started at Govan and are due next at Ibrox and Partick as the operator works toward unattended, or driverless, running. 2
That leaves a clear risk for SPT: visible technology upgrades may not quiet criticism if disabled passengers still cannot reach most platforms without stairs, and if service interruptions keep dragging the debate back to basics. The operator says it is still looking at more ways to improve access, even as the core station gap remains. 2
For campaigners, the demand is simpler than the modernisation pitch. Rae has said the effort is about reminding the city that “access is for all” — a standard the Subway has yet to meet across most of its route. 1
