ScotRail customers along the route between Barrhead and Glasgow Central will see the introduction of electric trains as part of the train operator’s upcoming timetable change.
From Sunday, 10 December, ScotRail will operate modern Class 380 trains on its local services between Barrhead and Glasgow Central. The recent electrification of the route has paved the way for more sustainable, eco-friendly journeys, ensuring that customers benefit from a more comfortable and reliable service.
The timetable change will also see an hourly service operate on the Cathcart Circle throughout the day Monday to Saturday. This improvement will nearly double the number of services calling at Langside, Pollokshaws East, Shawlands, Maxwell Park, and Pollokshields West. It will provide passengers at other stations in south Glasgow with more options and flexibility, making it easier to plan their daily journeys and leisure trips.
Eighteen additional limited stop services will be introduced on the route between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Shotts each day, Monday to Saturday. This will provide customers at Livingston South, West Calder, and Shotts with fast journey opportunities and more convenient connections to both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Sundays will also become even more accessible and convenient for customers traveling between Gourock and Glasgow with the introduction of additional trains. Recognising the demand for weekend travel, a new half-hourly service will operate between Gourock and Glasgow Central on Sundays.
The new timetable will see changes between Dundee and Inverurie, delivering improvements to service reliability, particularly at local stations between Dundee and Aberdeen.
Additional stops are being added to services between Glasgow Queen Street and Aberdeen, and between Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen, creating new direct journey opportunities between communities in Angus and Aberdeenshire.
The change will see a reduction in local services for customers in the northeast, however, the timetable introduced in December will better connect them with Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, and Glasgow whilst maintaining the overall number of journey opportunities.
Customers in East Lothian will benefit from ScotRail’s Dunbar to Edinburgh services calling additionally at Wallyford to access the mobility hub there, as well as East Linton when the new station opens.
A later service will operate between Inverness and Elgin on a trial basis to benefit customers in Moray. This will depart Inverness at 22:12. The 21:34 Inverness to Aberdeen service will continue to operate as at present.
The new timetable is introduced during the train operator’s off-peak all day fares trial which started on 2 October and will run for six months.
With the new timetable coming into place, customers are encouraged to check their journey on the ScotRail website, mobile app, and through social media channels as train times may have changed.
Customers can check train times at scotrail.co.uk and on the ScotRail app. Timetables will also be available to download from the ScotRail website.
David Simpson, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said:
"Our December timetable change represents another step in our ongoing commitment to deliver the best service we can, and encourage more people to choose rail travel instead of using the car, particularly during our off-peak all day fares trial.
“From the introduction of electric trains to increased frequency on key routes and enhanced service reliability, we are dedicated to making Scotland’s Railway more accessible and efficient.
“There is a lot of ongoing investment in our network with decarbonisation continuing, and improvements across the network. This new timetable is an important part of that.”