LAST-MINUTE deals brokered by an MSP and a dedicated train enthusiast may save some of the Glasgow Subway's old cars from the scrapyard.
The fleet is set to be scrapped at the end of August, and only one of the 33 cars have been saved so far, going to the Riverside Transport Museum.
But, former University of Glasgow student Ben Denton-Cardew wants to drive that number up.
Cardew told the Daily Record that he is working on assembling a coalition of interested buyers, including movie studios and investors looking to turn them into "glamping" pods, to buy around 10 of the cars.
He said: "I read that they were being scrapped and thought that was a real shame. It would be such a loss of Scottish railway heritage.
"I have clients – actual and potential – lined up, including film companies and rail heritage sites in Scotland, and there has been great interest in saving these trains."
"To me and many others, the Subway carriages are more than just trains. They are part of the fabric of this city and that is something which is fundamentally worth preserving."
The Suffolk-born rail industry lawyer has already saved some of the old trains' seats, and has made tens of thousands of pounds saving and selling cars and components from old London Underground trains.
Elsewhere, Labour MSP Paul Sweeney has been talking with Stadler to make it easier for rail museums and other non-profits to buy up some of the cars.
Swiss rail firm Stadler, which built the Subway's new trains, wants £5000 for each car, plus several thousand pounds to transport them to their final destination.
Swinney has brokered a deal with the company which will see it waive the sum for charitable or non-profit organisations looking to give the cars a new home, leaving them only responsible for the transport costs.
Writing on Twitter/X, he said: "I have secured an agreement from contractor Stadler to waive a £5000 scrap value fee they were insisting on for the old Metro-Cammell carriages for any charitable or non-profit organisations who want to preserve them."
The company has an agreement with a Glasgow scrapyard to see off the cars for £5000 each - with the sum offsetting the firm's lost income from not scrapping each car.
A spokesperson for Stadler told The National: "For businesses and profit-making entities, Stadler has set a fee of £5000 to cover the cost of scrappage.
"However, we have made a decision to waive this fee for charities and not-for-profit organisations.
"Should any individual or organisation like to learn more acquiring one, they’re advised to contact Stadler no later than the end of August."
The firm also said it had received "a few" other inquiries about purchasing old Subway cars, which it is reviewing.
