The project would link Glasgow's Queen Street and Central stations

The �600,000 feasibility study was carried out by Strathclyde Passenger Transport which wants to open up the railway network to south-west Scotland.

The Crossrail plan would involve the creation of a link between Glasgow's Queen Street and Central Stations.

SPT hopes the Scottish Executive will provide the funding.

Existing infrastructure would have to be upgraded to provide new local, regional and national services.

Three new stations would be built at Glasgow Cross, the Gorbals and West Street with High Street station being relocated.

This project ticks so many boxes Alistair Watson SPT

The new West Street station would offer an interchange facility where customers could leave the rail network and join the Subway.

Alistair Watson, SPT chairman, said: "This project ticks so many boxes in terms of what the Scottish Executive is trying to achieve with transport corridors, economic regeneration, social inclusion and building both the west of Scotland's economy and Scotland's economy as a whole.

Vast market

"Crossrail opens up the whole railway network to south-west Scotland, the city of Glasgow and once the new rail is completed, to Glasgow Airport.

"This taps into the vast potential rail market in Ayrshire and also creates the opportunity for cross-conurbation journeys.

"Crossrail's strategic importance goes beyond Glasgow's boundaries. It is strategically the most important project in Scotland. It gives us the railway equivalent of the M77 and the M8."

If the executive agrees to finance Crossrail, SPT or its successor, the West of Scotland Regional Transport Partnership, would then sponsor a private bill through the Scottish Parliament with a target completion date of 2010.