Annual Review 2014
Rail and Rail Services
2013 was a key year for railways in Scotland. In October the Office of Rail Regulation published their Final Determination of the regulatory outputs and funding requirement for Network Rail in Scotland for Control Period 5, which runs from April 2014 to March 2019.
EGIP Haymarket Station
(© Copyright and Permission Network Rail)
This key milestone confirmed the affordability of the Scottish Government’s transformative programme of investment in Scotland’s railways. Network Rail will now focus on delivering improvements to the rail infrastructure in Scotland that will support new and improved services for passengers and increased levels of performance and reliability.
Borders Hardengreen Roundabout aerial view
(© Copyright and Permission Network Rail)
The procurement of both the ScotRail and Sleeper franchises continues to progress in line with planned timescales. Bids for the Sleeper franchise were submitted in December 2013 and the draft Invitation for Tender for the ScotRail franchise was published in November 2013 with a focus on placing the passenger at the heart of Scotland’s railways.
This includes a commitment to end above inflation increases in regulated fares and deliver real-term reductions in off-peak fares from 2016. This builds on the announcement to apply a cap on peak fares to inflation rates from January 2014 and 2015. Off-peak fares will also be frozen provided inflation remains below 3.5% for the remainder of the franchise.
Dalmarnock Station
(© Copyright and Permission Network Rail)
This follows action taken in May 2013 to address some of the main fares anomalies which were perceived as unfair and provide more affordable fares within the current fares structure.
The Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme continues to move forward with construction on site across the corridor. Electrification of the Cumbernauld line started on site in February 2013 and will be completed in time for the Commonwealth Games. The redeveloped Haymarket Station opened to widespread acclaim in December 2013.
Work on the Borders Railway is now over a year into construction and progressing to programme. There has been significant excavation work and construction progress across the route with careful consideration being given to the environment through which the railway runs.
Key milestones for 2014 include the installation of the bridge at Hardengreen Roundabout and the completion of the bridge under A720 Edinburgh City Bypass. Initial phases of track laying is due to commence in Summer 2014 and the start of construction of the seven new stations and installation of signals is due to commence in Autumn 2014.
In December 2013, the Deputy First Minister opened a modern, new-look Dalmarnock Station. The redevelopment included the relocation of the station building with access via Dalmarnock Road, a new concourse and ticket office, new footbridge, lifts, passenger information boards and CCTV. The station will be a vital transport hub during the Commonwealth Games and provide a lasting legacy and key of the long-term regeneration of the East End of Glasgow.
The annual evaluation of ScotRail services and facilities shows marked improvement across key areas. This is the fourth year in a row that financial penalties paid by the train operator have fallen under Transport Scotland’s Service Quality Incentive Regime (SQUIRE).