A transport link between the airport and the city centre has plagued Glasgow for decades and yet the M8 still remains the primary option for travellers.

Accidents, delays and general traffic woes can get in the way of making arrangements which can have a knock-on effect for other means of travel - whether it's by air or rail.

Secondary options have often been explored, with the main protagonist being a rail link between Glasgow Central and the airport in Renfrewshire.

The Glasgow Airport Rail Link was proposed in the early 2000s and approved by the Scottish Government in 2006 with a potential cost of £210m.

Despite early promise and initial work being planned around Paisley with existing track realignment, the project was scrapped three years later due to spending fears.

Last November signalled a return of discussions with options put forward by Renfrewshire and Glasgow city councils.

Funding was approved for these in December with a decision set to be made this year about a preferred option: tram-train or light rail.

It is not the only plan out there, however, with one electrical engineer behind the UK half of the Channel Tunnel sharing his own plans for a Clyde Monorail linking the airport and train station which would run along the River Clyde.

With this in mind, we decided to take a look at both the existing plan and the newly surfaced monorail to see which costs less, looks best in the city, is the most efficient for commuters and which is more likely to happen.

According to James and John Beckett, the men behind the Clyde Monorail, "the projected final cost for this project based on a 12km route would be £300m". Which seems a hefty price to pay.

The route itself would go from the airport, through Renfrew, then along the River Clyde past Braehead shopping centre and back along to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

It would then cross the river before the BAE Systems shipyard and along past the Riverside Museum, SSE Hydro and SECC, continuing down to the Broomielaw and terminating at Glasgow Central.

Alternatively, the two existing plans from the train station to the airport come in at £114m - with half of that already pledged if the plan is agreed later this year.

Monorails look cool, let's be honest. In science fiction films the utopian visions of the future quite often include a monorail (although the transport system does usually come in some form of jeopardy with the villain of the piece attacking the monorail leaving citizens in danger and the hero to save the day).

We digress, though. Glasgow has always been a futuristic and forward-thinking city. And at the same time the river has always been at the heart of it, playing its part throughout the years especially in the era of shipbuilding. Having the new monorail zip along the centrepiece of the city is both fitting and reflective.

Whereas the railway link is just another train system, isn't it? Or a Weegie tram. It depends which option is preferred.

Under the tram-train option, tram-train carriages would operate on the heavy rail network between Glasgow Central Station and Paisley Gilmour Street, before moving on to new tram rails running between Paisley and the front of the airport terminal building.

A 102m light-rail personal rapid transit system is also being considered. In this scheme, passengers would travel by standard train to Paisley before disembarking and changing onto a new light-rail system to complete their journey to the airport.

Does half the price mean half the quality? See for yourself in the video below.

Under the tram-train option, a direct journey between the city centre and the front door of the airport would take 16 and a half minutes.

The light rail option would take longer, with passengers travelling by standard train to Paisley before disembarking and changing onto the light rail system to complete their journey.

The Clyde Monorail Study says: "Based on the speed, acceleration and deceleration figures achieved by the latest generation of Monorails the predicted journey time between Glasgow Airport and the Glasgow Central Station, including the Intermediary Station stops, would be 18 minutes."

This is where the Clyde Monorail comes up against some minor problems. Apart from the £300m price tag.

Despite only five land permissions being required to build the track through the city, it is a bit complicated around the QEU Hospital and at BAE. So much so that it forces the Monorail to cross the river in what looks like a disappointing rollercoaster.

The 40m height over the river is required for ship access in and out of the BAE shipyard and is extensively taller than the rest of the monorail (which would run above existing roads and unused land).

It doesn't get any easier at the Broomielaw either with the Monorail having to cross back over the river to allow it enough room to manoeuvre into the platform at the Central Station railway bridge. A walkway from the platform would join into platform 15 in the station.

Then there are the councils themselves. Glasgow City and Renfrewshire councils, which both backed the Clyde Valley City Deal, say while the monorail is an "interesting" design, it is just not a "viable" airport link.

A City Deal spokesperson for both councils said: "The partners have been working for some time on the surface access link for Glasgow Airport and based on extensive research by independent consultants are currently considering two schemes for this project that will deliver a step-change in the economy of the city-region.

"The options are for a tram-train operating on the heavy rail network or a light rail Personal Rapid Transit system. The decision on which option to progress will be taken in December 2016.

"Both options are designed to make sure the project achieves its primary goal - making it easier for passengers to get to and from the airport - with the funding available from the City Deal.

"The monorail design is an interesting idea for the wider transport infrastructure of the area but it isn't viable for this particular project."

The decision to flatly turn down the monorail is hardly surprising, especially when you consider the idea was also floated in 1930.

George Bennie funded a prototype monorail based on aeroplane design which was installed at Milngavie.

Electrically powered and propeller driven, it was intended to be rolled out across the city - needless to say that did not work out.

Perhaps it is too out there to be successful in Glasgow. And with an already established rail network it seems easier to extend the line from Paisley Gilmour Street to the airport.

Construction on the tram-train option could start in 2021 and the service could be operational by 2025, which is considerably sooner than a new Monorail or a new light-rail system.

Of course, everybody thought the "tram network" in Edinburgh would be feasible and look how that turned out...