Contribution comes as part of £290m plan to upgrade transport network

The Scottish government is to inject a ‘substantial capital contribution’ to a £290m plan to modernise Glasgow’s subway network.

The city’s underground network is the third oldest in Europe and has not been upgraded since the seventies.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s proposals includes new automated signals and refurbishing of all 15 stations with improved accessibility.

Announcing the plans, Scottish finance secretary John Swinney said: “My officials have worked closely with SPT for some time and there is clear merit in the outline business case.

“It is important at this early stage that SPT is given every possible reassurance.

“That is why we have reaffirmed our longer term commitment to helping realise the Glasgow subway modernisation and have put a marker down that our intention is to make a substantial capital contribution to the overall construction costs.”