Chapter 3: InterCity

Our InterCity rail services provide connections from Edinburgh and Glasgow to both Inverness and Aberdeen. These routes are strategically important for Scotland with 35% of Scotland’s population being served by the rail corridor to Aberdeen. Inverness provides long distance connectivity to the rest of the UK for approximately 250,000 people and it is the gateway to the Highlands, Islands and the Far North.

In 2024/25 3.34 million journeys were made on our InterCity routes which generated £45 million in revenue. These routes provide access to employment, education and training opportunities, while also being a key driver for regional economic growth through tourism, cultural experiences and hospitality.

At almost 50 years old, the High-Speed Trains that run these InterCity services are the oldest trains in ScotRail’s fleet. They have been a staple feature of the rail network in Great Britain and have transported passengers for many years. However, with the age of the fleet, it is becoming increasingly more expensive to keep them in service and they require growing amounts of unplanned maintenance. This is a problem that will only continue to grow and threaten ScotRail’s ability to provide a reliable and financially sustainable InterCity service.

Our Plan

We need to replace the current High-Speed Trains that operate on our InterCity routes. In December 2024, we began the procurement to replace these trains.

We recognise that a significant extent of electrification infrastructure is required in order to introduce zero-emission trains on this route. We have appraised options and have identified two credible options. These are:

• the deployment of younger lower-emission diesel trains cascaded from elsewhere in Great Britain; or
• the procurement and introduction of new bi-mode electro-diesel trains.

A younger diesel transition fleet would bridge the gap between the existing diesel trains being removed from service and the supporting infrastructure being ready for the introduction of a new-build zero-emission fleet, allowing flexibility in the pace and extent of required electrification, reducing disruption to passengers and freight customers from engineering work and spreading the funding requirement over a longer period, while still reducing emissions and ensuring continuity of service. This approach would maintain the operational sustainability of our InterCity services.

A cascaded fleet would also have many benefits to our passengers, as the trains will have a more modern design and will contain features that are consistent with passengers’ expectations of modern trains, such as passenger information systems inside and outside the train, wheelchair accessible toilets in both standard and first class, at-seat power and an improved Wi-Fi service.

A new fleet of bi-mode electro-diesel trains would enable the use of existing electrification from the point of introduction, whilst also ensuring the continuity of services whilst electrification is extended at an affordable and sustainable rate.

As with a cascaded fleet, a new bi-mode fleet would also have many benefits to our passengers and would result in emission reductions. It would contain features that are consistent with passengers’ expectations of new trains, particularly in terms of accessibility and passenger information systems.

Long-term Vision

Our InterCity routes intertwine with wider parts of our network, however, given the vast distances between passenger destinations along with the importance of rail freight on these routes, electric services with sufficient electrification are the desired end-state for this part of the network.

We know that a significant amount of electrification will be required to allow electric services to run on these routes and these works will disrupt the performance of the network and will have an impact on both passengers and freight services.

This is why our current plan has identified the opportunity for a transition fleet. If a transition fleet is the outcome of the procurement exercise, it would allow the flexible delivery of electrification on the InterCity routes and provide time for the Scottish Government and the rail industry to respond to changes in funding availability and technology.

In the transition fleet scenario, the transition fleet would eventually be replaced by new build zero-emission trains. The timeline for the introduction of this zero-emission fleet will be dependent on the pace at which we sufficiently electrify these routes which will be driven by the availability of funding and technological maturity.

Whilst the focus of this plan is on ScotRail’s own fleet the railway network is used by many cross-border passenger operators, charter operators and rail freight operators. All of these rail operators provide extensive economic, social, connectivity and environmental benefits to Scotland. As we work towards the long-term vision in replacing ScotRail train types, the industry will continue to closely engage with all rail users when planning infrastructure upgrades to ensure they can benefit from, and plan in, their own rolling stock well in advance of deployment.

Scotland has shown genuine leadership in supporting the rail freight sector and Network Rail and the wider industry have been empowered to focus on sustaining and growing the amount of freight on the rail network. As we replace ScotRail’s fleet, and as we increase the extent of electrification, we will seek to increase opportunities for rail freight. These could include timetable changes and improvements to capability (gauge) and capacity to ensure that rail freight remains a credible and attractive option.