Intercity

In the Fit for the Future consultation, ScotRail proposed that from May 2022, the May 2021 off-peak service of two trains per hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High would be retained, with additional services introduced Monday to Friday to provide four trains per hour during peak hours.

ScotRail received 259 responses from customers who travel on services between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane. This compares to 601,000 passenger trips per month in 2019, including 319,000 passenger trips per month between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High. The most frequently mentioned topics across the route between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane were frequency (49 per cent), journey time (19 per cent), and changes to direct journey opportunities (20 per cent), with specific points raised about the changes to services between Lenzie and Edinburgh.

Following the consultation, ScotRail will implement the Fit for the Future timetable in May 2022 with no change to the level of service that was proposed for the route between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Falkirk High. Seating occupancy on this route on a typical weekday in 2019 was 26 per cent of seat miles provided, and with the same level of demand applied to the May 2022 timetable, that would increase to 33 per cent. A further review of this group of services will be undertaken for May 2023 to ensure that the level of service being provided is appropriate for the number of passengers travelling and will consider changes such as more services on Saturdays.

The importance of reduced journey times between Scotland’s cities is recognised by ScotRail. In the Fit for the Future consultation, ScotRail proposed that the May 2022 timetable would continue to provide one train per hour in most hours between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, calling at limited stations, to encourage long distance journeys by rail, with LNER services operating in the hours when ScotRail services do not. The intercity service would continue to be supported by local services around Dundee and Aberdeen.

ScotRail received 66 responses from customers who travel on services between the Central Belt, Montrose, and Aberdeen. This compares to 174,000 passenger trips per month along the route in 2019, including 62,000 passenger trips per month between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The main themes highlighted across the route between the Central Belt and Aberdeen were about frequency (41 per cent), with specific comments about calls at Stonehaven.

Following the consultation, ScotRail will implement the Fit for the Future timetable in May 2022 with no change to the level of service that was proposed for the route between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Connections at Aberdeen have been reviewed and improvements made where possible. Average seating occupancy on this route on a typical weekday in 2019 was 44 per cent of seat miles provided, and with the same level of demand applied to the May 2022 timetable, that would reduce to 33 per cent as more Inter7City high speed trains enter service, meaning that more longer services are provided for long distance travel.

Services on this route are being reviewed as part of the Aberdeen to Central Belt Enhancement Project which is expected to deliver improvements in 2026, and as part of the Perth-Dundee-Aberdeen Rail Corridor Enhancements and the Edinburgh/Glasgow-Perth/Dundee Rail Corridor Enhancements proposed in the draft Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) , published by Transport Scotland.

The importance of reduced journey times between Scotland’s cities is recognised by ScotRail and in the Fit for the Future consultation we proposed that the May 2022 timetable would continue to operate one train per hour between Glasgow and Aberdeen, calling at limited stations, to encourage long distance journeys by rail. The intercity service would continue to be supported by local services around Dundee and Aberdeen.

ScotRail received 66 responses from customers who travel on services between the Central Belt, Montrose, and Aberdeen. This compares to 174,000 passenger trips per month along the route in 2019, including 103,000 passenger trips per month between Glasgow and Aberdeen. The main themes highlighted across the route between the Central Belt and Aberdeen were about frequency (41 per cent), with specific comments about calls at Stonehaven.

Following the consultation, ScotRail will implement the Fit for the Future timetable in May 2022 as was proposed for the route between Glasgow and Aberdeen, with the exception of the proposed 06:40 from Glasgow to Aberdeen. This is due to resource constraints and we will seek to introduce this service when these have eased. Connections at Aberdeen have been reviewed and improvements made where possible. Average seating occupancy on this route on a typical weekday in 2019 was 40 per cent of seat miles provided, and with the same level of demand applied to the May 2022 timetable, that would reduce to 32 per cent as more Inter7City high speed trains enter service.

Services on this route are being reviewed as part of the Aberdeen to Central Belt Enhancement Project which is expected to deliver improvements in 2026, and as part of the Perth-Dundee-Aberdeen Rail Corridor Enhancements and the Edinburgh/Glasgow-Perth/Dundee Rail Corridor Enhancements proposed in the draft Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) , published by Transport Scotland.

In the Fit for the Future consultation, ScotRail proposed that the May 2022 timetable would provide the following:

• Ten trains per day from the Central Belt to Inverness and eleven trains per day from Inverness to the Central Belt. These services would be retimed to offer a better overall service to customers between Inverness and Perth.
• Services between Inverness and Edinburgh would operate via Stirling. This would provide Stirling with a more frequent direct service to Inverness. Passengers travelling between Inverness and Edinburgh or Glasgow would typically interchange at Stirling rather than Perth.
• Services between Inverness and the Central Belt would only call at Stirling between Glasgow or Edinburgh and Perth, with the new additional services between Glasgow and Dundee picking up local calls.

ScotRail received 85 responses from customers who travel on services between the Central Belt and Inverness. This compares with 80,000 passenger trips per month along the route in 2019. The main themes highlighted were frequency (35 per cent), journey times (33 per cent), and direct journey opportunities (27 per cent). Specific comments were received about calling patterns at intermediate stations.

Following the consultation, ScotRail are making several changes to the Fit for the Future timetable between Inverness and the Central Belt. Calling patterns at intermediate stations between Inverness and Perth have been reviewed and changes made so that the May 2022 timetable will provide a better choice of services at the times people in these communities want to travel. Services between Inverness and Edinburgh will continue to operate via Stirling, however, when combined with changes to services between Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, and Perth, it means that existing customers travelling from east Fife will only have to change once at Perth.

In addition to this, the 08:37 from Edinburgh to Inverness has been replaced on Mondays by a 09:53 from Perth to Inverness. The Monday departure from Perth to Inverness will be nine minutes earlier than the 08:37 from Edinburgh to Inverness. This service needs to depart Perth earlier on a Monday due to a freight train on the route, and it is not possible for the service to depart Edinburgh earlier. Passengers from Glasgow have a connection off the 08:41 from Glasgow to Aberdeen, while customers from Edinburgh will have a connection departing Edinburgh at 08:04 and changing at Stirling and Perth. We will continue to work with Network Rail and other operators to find a solution so this service can start from Edinburgh as originally planned.

In the short to medium term, the timetable will be subject to further review to explore how better use can be made of the Inter7City high speed trains on the Highland Mainline, and how journey times can be reduced. Looking further ahead, the timetable will be reviewed as part of the Highland Mainline Rail Corridor Enhancements and the Edinburgh/Glasgow-Perth/Dundee Rail Corridor Enhancements proposed in the draft Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) , published by Transport Scotland.