Sarah Boyack wants to see more trams

Ms Boyack has stated that she will welcome light rail proposals and the Scottish Executive is preparing a five-year-plan for city transport strategies.

The ClydeMetro plan envisages a high frequency "turn up and go" network over the next five years, which would double rail usage in Glasgow.

The new metro services would be capable of joint running with existing trains.

An expansion in park and ride facilities and additional stations would be required, but campaigners say this is a low cost solution to public transport.

Outer zone

The plan wants to see the rail network extended to Glasgow Airport, Larkhall, Pacific Quay, Ibrox, Parkhead and East Kilbride.

Campaigners say this would only require short sections of new route to be added to existing lines.

In the long term, an extension of the service to an "outer zone" including Renfrewshire and urban Lanarkshire is the aim.

Organisers said the conference tested the level of support for innovative, yet realistic, new strategies to ease rail bottlenecks and expand the strong growth in rail usage which has been apparent since 1995.