Scotland’s Transport System

An infrastructure system can be defined as a distinct class of assets, such as for transport, energy or water supply. They can also include assets for emergency services, healthcare, risk reduction (e.g. flood defences), social infrastructure (e.g. schools) and green infrastructure (e.g. trees). The transport system is a distributed infrastructure system as assets are located across the country, connected through networks on which services are provided, such as public transport on road or rail.

Trunk Roads

Scottish Trunk Roads, shown in Figure 9, is Scottish Ministers’ single biggest asset. It is 3,739 km (2,323 miles) long; a diverse network, which includes a considerable number of bridges and other structures, for example over 2,000 bridges and over 1,800 culverts, footbridges and retaining walls. It has a gross asset value of £23 billion and represents 6% of the total Scottish road network. It carries 35% of all traffic and 60% of heavy goods vehicles

Figure 9 - Map of Scotland's Trunk Roads, depicting Operating Company (OC) areas and DBFO Concessions

TS inspects, manages, maintains, operates and improves the trunk road and motorway network. TS has contracts in place with private sector Operating Companies and Design Build Finance & Operate (DBFO) Concessionaires to ensure our roads are safe, efficient and well managed.

Rail Network

Scotland’s railway network extends 2,819 km (1,752 miles) across the country. There are 709 km of the network currently electrified and 362 stations. The rail network infrastructure (e.g. tracks) is managed by Network Rail (NR), who are also responsible for the management of Glasgow Central Station and Edinburgh Waverley Station. Operational services, remaining passenger infrastructure (e.g. stations) and rolling stock (e.g. trains) services are managed and delivered through the Scottish Rail Holdings Framework Agreement.

TS are responsible for Scotland’s rail policy and delivery, as well as providing input on matters reserved to the United Kingdom Government (UKG).

Aviation Network

Scotland’s airports are part of a global network of routes which connect communities within Scotland and connect Scotland with the rest of the world. Three airports are owned in the private sector:  Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), a company owned by the Scottish Ministers, operate 11 airports mainly serving remote and rural communities from Campbeltown in the south to Sumburgh in the north. HIAL is subsidised by the Scottish Government. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is also owned by the Scottish Ministers but operates on a commercial basis. There are also a number of smaller airports and airstrips owned and operated by local authorities.

Maritime Networks

Ports and Harbours

TS manages all devolved policy matters covering commercial, publicly owned and trust ports, on behalf of Scottish Ministers. TS administers provisions outlined in the Harbours (1964), Pilotage (1987) and Ports (1991) Acts and related local legislation. TS are also responsible for applications for Harbour Empowerment and Revision Orders.

Canals

Scotland’s canal network consists of a 137 mile of canals comprising the Caledonian, Crinan, Forth & Clyde, Union and Monkland canals with associated infrastructure including 19 reservoirs. These are managed, on behalf of the SG, by Scottish Canals (SC). TS is responsible for the management of four canal swing bridges on Trunk Roads, two watered, but non-navigable, sections on the Monkland Canal, and one section of the 19 km long Monkland Pipelines which supply water via the Monkland Canal to the Forth & Clyde Canal in Glasgow.