Scottish Government

Chapter 3: Progress so far

3. Progress so far

3.1 The Scottish Executive set out its transport objectives in the 2004 Transport White Paper. These objectives are to promote economic growth, social inclusion, health and protection of the environment through a safe, integrated, effective and efficient transport system.

3.2 By the end of 2006, Transport Scotland's expenditure on public transport is planned to reach £1 billion per year. Much of this funding has been allocated to the major rail projects that Ministers committed to deliver through the Partnership Agreement. These are:

• Larkhall to Milngavie (delivered December 2005).
• Stirling - Alloa - Kincardine (to be completed during 2007).
• Edinburgh Waverley re-modelling (to be completed by early 2008).
• Scottish Borders Railway (Parliamentary power secured in 2006).
• Glasgow Airport Rail Link ( GARL). - Bills in Parliament for powers to construct.
• Edinburgh Airport Rail Link ( EARL) - Bills in Parliament for powers to construct.
• Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link. - Bills in Parliament for powers to construct.

3.3 These projects go a long way to supporting the vision set out above and to realising our broader transport objectives and provide a strong platform for taking forward future developments. As outlined in the design and development appraisals, EARL and GARL will provide airport users with direct connections to the rail network and will reduce congestion on motorways and surrounding major roads. EARL provides connections with Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth, Stirling, Dunfermline, Dunblane, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh city centre. GARL will connect Glasgow Airport with Glasgow Central station providing connections to south Glasgow, West Lothian, Lanarkshire and Edinburgh.

3.4 We aspire to host the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. As part of that bid, our aim is to have 100% of spectators travelling to the Games by public transport, cycling and walking. Glasgow already has an impressive and extensive transport network which provides excellent local, regional and international accessibility. By 2014, an additional £1 billion will have been spent on further enhancements to the transport infrastructure, including completion of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

3.5 The Airdrie to Bathgate line will provide a fast public transport alternative to many journeys made on the A8/M8. It will help reduce congestion and widen opportunities for residents of West Lothian. This new route will also provide new options for connections across Glasgow and beyond and these possibilities will be explored as part of Scotland's Railways.

3.6 We are also committed to investing in the Edinburgh Tram Network and are supporting feasibility and value analysis on the Glasgow and Aberdeen Crossrail projects. We are working with the rail industry to deliver small enhancement projects for both passenger and freight, including freight load gauge enhancement for Mossend - Elgin and improving passenger facilities at stations and car parks.

3.7 Through investment in the First ScotRail franchise, which began in October 2004, we are delivering significant improvements. In 2006/07, £292 million is allocated to providing rail services. Since October 2004, we have:

• Increased train capacity and comfort. 15 new high quality trains have been introduced increasing passenger seating capacity by nearly 30% on the Fife Circle.
• Enhanced passenger comfort. First ScotRail have invested £1.5 million in improved air conditioning equipment, which was fitted to the Class 158 fleet in 2005.
• Delivered greater integration and promotion of bicycle transportation. Secure cycle parking facilities have been fitted at 223 stations and will cover all stations on the Scottish network. The franchise also ensures that the provision for cyclists on board trains cannot be reduced from current levels.
• Improved sleeper services. First ScotRail have increased sleeper capacity by 50% on the Fort William route at weekends during the summer by providing an extra carriage. Additionally, the franchise has allocated £1 million to invest in the upgrading of the sleeping car fleet. There has been a 19% reduction in delays on sleeper services since First ScotRail took over the franchise.
• Invested in staff numbers and staff development. Approximately 400 additional staff have been employed since the start of the franchise, with more planned. First ScotRail are investing at least £1 million per annum in staff training, development and recruitment of extra drivers.
• Improved service delivery. A new customer contact centre at Fort William was opened in October 2005. The centre operates from 07:00 to 22.00 every day and provides a cross-section of customer assistance including general travel enquires, ticket sales and reservations.
• Introduced better measures to prevent ticketless travel and travel fraud. Ticket barriers have been installed at Waverley, Haymarket and Queen Street stations to reduce fare dodging and 28 self-service ticket machines have been installed at 22 stations to allow passengers to purchase tickets more easily.
• Opened new stations at Gartcosh, Kelvindale, Larkhall, Chatelherault and Merryton.

3.8 Other improvements include:

• Higher standards for performance, including tougher penalties for poor performance, a new quality regime for stations and trains, a dedicated team to resolve any disruption to services and a requirement for immediate action plans if anything goes wrong.
• A programme of improvements for passengers at Stirling, Aberdeen, Haymarket and Glasgow Queen Street stations.
• Improved punctuality and reliability of services to be delivered through the operation of 29 more reliable and better quality trains.
• Increased capacity - the new trains will provide around 5,900 more seats throughout Scotland.
• Improved passenger safety and comfort, including higher standards of cleanliness, security and travel information on trains and at stations.
• 21 existing trains on the previous Strathclyde Passenger Transport network will have their interiors refurbished.
• Reduce overcrowding so that no-one should have to wait more than 10 minutes for a seat, compared to 20 minutes in the rest of the UK.

3.9 The results from these improvements already include:

• Passenger numbers have grown by around 10% since the start of the franchise.
• Rail punctuality (as calculated by the Public Performance Measure) has improved from 83.7% in October 2004 to 87.2% in August 2006. This means that the number of trains late has fallen by 22%.

3.10 It has to be recognised that there are both financial and physical constraints on the continued expansion of the rail network. We seek therefore to continue to deliver benefits that are affordable and sustainable. We want to encourage commuters and travellers, where appropriate, to choose rail over air and private vehicles and thereby reduce emissions. We want an increasing proportion of products to be delivered through rail freight. That means we must make our railways attractive, offering a high quality service, affordable, accessible, reliable and competitive with road and air journey times.

3.11 In considering any potential future rail developments, we must undertake a robust analysis of all the options before committing to solutions. We do this through the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance ( STAG). STAG is an evidence based, objective led, multi-modal framework approach to identifying the most appropriate solution to a transport problem. The process requires consideration of a broad range of factors including impact on planning objectives, land use policies, feasibility, affordability and impact on the environment. It also includes an assessment of the economic impact of the proposal. In addition to this environmental noise aspects of rail will be looked at in detail from 2007 as the EU Environmental Noise Directive ( END) is rolled out in Scotland. This will involve the noise mapping of all railways with over 60,000 movements per annum in 2007 and over 30,000 movements in 2012 as well as in 2007 the mapping of all railways in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Any new rail developments will also have to be mapped. Any noise hotspots identified from the mapping of such railways will be covered in subsequent action plans.

3.12 Transport Scotland will undertake a Strategic Transport Projects Review ( STPR) for all transport modes, against clear criteria on safety, environmental impact and meeting the economic needs of Scotland. The Review will consider, then plan and prioritise transport infrastructure investment to 2020 and beyond across all modes, far beyond our currently committed projects. In doing so, the Review will develop the investment plan necessary to deliver the high level objectives arising from the National Transport Strategy. It will also identify how the future development of Scotland's transport infrastructure can most effectively support the Scottish Ministers' objectives for transport, the environment, the economy and the well-being of Scotland's people.

3.13 Scotland's Railways sets out our vision for the railway in Scotland and highlights some of the themes we will consider as future rail projects. Each of these projects will be fully appraised through the STAG process and any decision to implement schemes will be dependent on a positive case emerging. Our long term aspirations will also be considered through the STPR. Decisions about implementation of individual schemes beyond 2009 will be informed by both the STAG and STPR processes and their overall affordability.

3.14 We see the aspirations in this document as being funded through a whole range of sources, both in the public and the private sector. The most appropriate source will depend on the nature of the investment, and will often involve partnership funding.

3.15 Current funding mechanisms can be broadly categorised into three areas: funding via First ScotRail for the services and rolling stock agreed within the rail franchise, funding via Network Rail for the operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail infrastructure, and funding for enhancements to both the infrastructure and the services. Within Network Rail's existing funding there are budgets specifically for further improvements such as the Network Rail Discretionary Fund and the Network Rail 'Outperformance' Fund.

3.16 The rail industry in Scotland attracts a significant amount of public funding. Network Rail receives more than £300 million of direct grant every year to manage the rail network and to maximise its capacity. This funding relationship is governed by the Office of Rail Regulation ( ORR). The funding allocated to Network Rail is for the operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail infrastructure network. It is strategically important that Network Rail should continue to improve its efficiency of delivery from the high cost base it inherited from Railtrack. Such efficiency gains release funding for further service enhancements. A significant part of Network Rail's funding is spent on major infrastructure renewal projects. Transport Scotland will work with Network Rail to ensure that the sequence and functionality of major asset renewals are optimised to meet our strategic priorities.

3.17 Regional Transport Partnerships and Local Authorities are also sources of potential investment, as are private developers and freight operating companies. Under the devolution settlement, Department for Transport ( DfT) continue to have responsibility for the services currently provided by GNER and Virgin under the cross border franchises.