Glasgow Subway Map 2026: Tickets, Stations & Times

Glasgow Subway Map 2026: Key facts at a glance

• One circular route of 10.5 km (about 6.5 miles) links all 15 stations in both directions, and a full circuit takes about 24 minutes.
• Outer Circle trains run clockwise, Inner Circle trains anticlockwise, and every train stops at every station.
• A single ride with contactless or a Smartcard costs £1.80 (≈ $2.42) for adults, and daily spending is capped at £3.40 (≈ $4.57).
• Trains run 06:30 to 23:40 from Monday to Saturday, but on Sunday only 10:00 to 18:12; the Subway never runs around the clock.
• Glasgow Airport has no railway or Subway station: the 24-hour Airport Express 500 bus runs up to every 10 minutes by day and reaches Buchanan Bus Station in central Glasgow in as little as 15 minutes.

Glasgow Subway service updates

The Subway is scheduled to close all day for system testing on 16, 23 and 30 August 2026. These dated closures override the regular Sunday timetable. Before travelling, check the current travel updates.

Glasgow’s underground railway is officially called the Glasgow Subway. The Glasgow Subway map is simple because the system has one circular route rather than intersecting lines.

Use the map to make one decision: choose the direction that reaches your station by the shorter side of the circle. Ticket prices, first and last trains, and airport connections require separate planning, especially on Sundays.

Opened on 14 December 1896, Glasgow Subway is the world’s third-oldest underground metro system, after London and Budapest. It was 129 years old in July 2026.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) owns and operates the 10.5 km, or about 6.5 mile, circular system. It recorded 13.0 million passenger journeys in 2024/25.

The route has 15 stations and two directional services. Outer Circle trains run clockwise, while Inner Circle trains run anticlockwise. Every train calls at every station, and a complete circuit takes approximately 24 minutes.

The Subway is separate from ScotRail services. Clyde Metro remains a long-term regional proposal and is not part of the current Subway network. Its business case is expected in early 2027.

Glasgow Subway stations: Inner Circle and Outer Circle

The Glasgow Subway stations form a closed loop, so there is no terminal station to use as a direction cue. Read the platform sign for Inner or Outer Circle, then compare how many stops lie between your starting point and destination.

• Outer Circle from Buchanan Street, clockwise: Buchanan Street, St Enoch, Bridge Street, West Street, Shields Road, Kinning Park, Cessnock, Ibrox, Govan, Partick, Kelvinhall, Hillhead, Kelvinbridge, St George’s Cross and Cowcaddens.
• Inner Circle from Buchanan Street, anticlockwise: Buchanan Street, Cowcaddens, St George’s Cross, Kelvinbridge, Hillhead, Kelvinhall, Partick, Govan, Ibrox, Cessnock, Kinning Park, Shields Road, West Street, Bridge Street and St Enoch.

From Buchanan Street, choose Outer for St Enoch, which is one stop away, or Ibrox, which is seven stops away. Choose Inner for Cowcaddens at one stop, Hillhead at four, Partick at six or Govan at seven stops.

Choosing the Inner or Outer Circle by the lower stop count is more dependable than treating one direction as universally faster. Starting from another station changes the comparison, while a full trip in either direction still takes about 24 minutes.

How do you use the Subway in Glasgow?

1. Find your destination among the 15 stations and note your current station.
2. Count the shorter route around the ring and select Inner Circle or Outer Circle.
3. Buy a paper ticket or Smartcard product, or use an accepted contactless payment method.
4. Follow the directional signs, pass through the entry gate and take any train on the chosen platform.
5. Tap out at your destination when using contactless or a Smartcard.

The Subway is convenient for destinations near its 15 stations. It does not serve Glasgow Airport, and ScotRail journeys require separate rail planning and, in some cases, separate tickets.

The new trains include wheelchair spaces, but only Govan and St Enoch provide lifts between the concourse and platforms. Buchanan Street has ramped access to the concourse from Dundas Street, followed by two flights of stairs to each platform. Check the individual station details before travelling if step-free access is essential.

The destination comparisons use Buchanan Street as the starting point. Outer Circle runs clockwise and Inner Circle runs anticlockwise, so the shorter choice changes with the destination. For a destination at Buchanan Street, no Subway ride or Circle choice is needed.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is reached from Kelvinhall. From Buchanan Street, Inner Circle takes five stops and Outer Circle takes ten. The museum is one of the best-known visitor destinations in Glasgow’s West End.

Contactless PAYG has been available at all 15 stations since 16 March 2026. Tap an accepted Visa or Mastercard, including a supported mobile wallet, at entry and exit.

Use the same physical card or the same phone for every tap. A physical card and its wallet version count as different payment methods, and one card or device covers one adult only. Maestro and American Express are not accepted at the gates.

Paper singles, returns and all-day tickets are sold at every station. Ticket offices and machines accept cash and cards.

The Subway Smartcard costs GBP 5.00 (approximately USD 6.72). Allow two hours before collecting an online Smartcard purchase at a gate. Customers can manage a Smartcard through MyBramble while the replacement platform is delayed.

Apple Pay and Google Pay can be used as mobile payment wallets at the gates when backed by an accepted Visa or Mastercard.

Eligible holders of a National Entitlement Card issued in the SPT area pay GBP 1.00 per Subway journey, capped at GBP 1.70 per day. For 60+ cards, the concession is not available before 09:00 on weekdays; exceptions apply to disabled cardholders and qualifying hospital journeys. Children under five travel free with a fare-paying adult.

Regular operating hours are 06:30 to 23:40 from Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 18:12 on Sunday. The Sunday window is 8 hours 58 minutes shorter, opening 3 hours 30 minutes later and closing 5 hours 28 minutes earlier.

The final trains leave before the published closing time. From St Enoch, the last Outer departure is 23:30 Monday to Saturday and 18:03 Sunday; the last Inner departure is 23:28 and 18:00 respectively. From Govan, the last train in either direction is 23:16 Monday to Saturday and 17:50 Sunday. First departures from Govan are 06:30 on Monday to Saturday and 10:00 on Sunday.

Peak trains run every four minutes and off-peak trains every six to eight minutes; check the timetable details for a specific late-evening or Sunday journey.

Night buses N2, N18, N240 and N267 operate on Friday and Saturday nights, while service 77 runs 24 hours daily. They do not replace every Subway journey.

Glasgow Subway history and its small tunnel profile

The railway opened in 1896 as a cable-hauled system powered by stationary steam engines. A major modernisation began in 1977, followed by reopening in 1980. The current programme is the system’s third major modernisation.

The track gauge is 4 ft (about 1.2 m), and the tunnels are about 3.4 m in diameter. These dimensions require specially designed compact trains.

Fun Fact: The Clockwork Orange nickname is associated with the orange trains introduced around the 1980 reopening and their constant circular movement. The official name remains Glasgow Subway.

Glasgow Subway modernisation and driverless trains

The modernisation order covers 17 Stadler trains. The first entered passenger service in December 2023, and all passenger services have used the new fleet since the end of June 2024.

All 17 trains were formally accepted in 2024/25. An SPT board paper recorded 14 sets in passenger service in June 2025; this is not a current fleet-allocation figure.

The fleet is equipped for Unattended Train Operation, but driverless passenger service had not begun by 21 July 2026. Final testing continued, with the control-room, signalling and communications changeover planned for the end of August 2026. This was not a guaranteed start date for driverless passenger service.

Platform screen doors at Govan, Partick and Ibrox were fully installed but still under test. Longer opening hours remain a future service change until modernisation and unattended operation are complete.

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