Maureen Watt

Answer · Michael Matheson · 4 Mar 2021

Having now considered all of the responses from the consultation, I can confirm that the revised Franchising Policy Statement has been published today on the Transport Scotland website.
 

Answer · Michael Matheson · 17 Dec 2020

We had originally planned to undertake this review once the outcomes from the UK Rail Review (‘Williams Review’), due in Autumn last year, were known. However, it is unclear when this will now take place and the Covid 19 outbreak continues to have a significant impact on rail passenger transport. Against this background, the Scottish Ministers will shortly require to take decisions as to the provision of ScotRail services after the expiry of the current franchise agreement in 2022.
As the Scottish Government has stated for some time now, it is our view that the current franchising system is no longer fit for purpose. However, we must act in accordance with the current UK rail legislation, which requires a relevant Franchising Policy Statement to be in place. We have therefore undertaken a review of the current Franchising Policy Statement and from tomorrow will launch a focused consultation with key stakeholders on a revised draft Statement.
The revised draft Statement can also be accessed on the Transport Scotland website from tomorrow.

Answer · Michael Matheson · 26 Nov 2020

The Rail Recovery Task Force has been considering how the rail industry in Scotland should react to the prevailing Covid-19 situation in line with Scottish Government guidelines to provide a robust and reliable train service reflective of current passenger needs.
Demand is currently sitting around 15% of pre-covid levels. Following detailed consideration of various options it has been agreed it is prudent to reduce services to circa 80% of the current timetable from 13 December 2020. Some changes on the Edinburgh – Glasgow route will begin on 30 November.
Using a targeted approach, ScotRail will deliver enough seats to allow customers to travel safely while providing an increased level of resilience for their staff, particularly as they may be required to mitigate any potential reduction in staff numbers due to the impacts of COVID-19.
The services being removed are those with the lowest passenger numbers, or travelling in the opposite direction to peak flows. We have also asked ScotRail to demonstrate that their removal is unlikely to have a significant impact on passengers. Other considerations have included previous intelligence about services used by key workers, such as travel to stations near hospitals, as well as whether or not alternative services are available within a reasonable time period either side of the removed service.
This decision has been discussed with unions and passenger groups. It will be kept under review on an ongoing basis to enable services to be increased if required.