Scotland Route Utilisation Strategy

Slide 2 What is a RUS? A blueprint for the future of the route  Provides a series of options that funders may choose to pay for  Contributes to high level output statements  Supports the development and delivery of timetables  Underpins the development of franchise specifications

Slide 3 How will the Scotland RUS be put together? A filtering process  Stakeholders submit a wide range of ideas  Ideas are distilled into a series of practicable, best value options  These are issued for consultation in a draft RUS  Responses are received; the options are reassessed and refined  The final RUS is published  The ORR deals with any objections  If none are received or upheld the RUS becomes established

Slide 4 Who’s involved in putting together the Scotland RUS?  The RUS process is led by Network Rail  Scotland’s RUS is the company’s third since taking over responsibility from the defunct Strategic Rail Authority (SRA)  Network Rail has made the RUS process more transparent and inclusive  A wide variety of stakeholders have been involved in compiling the draft Scotland RUS including: Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) First ScotRail GNER Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) Transport Scotland

Slide 5 What will the Scotland draft RUS cover?  Covers geographic area of Scotland 2,500 track miles 2,200 passenger and 150 freight services every weekday  Focuses mainly on areas with majority of challenges Glasgow-Edinburgh Edinburgh-Fife-Aberdeen Glasgow & South West

Slide 6 What are the limits of this RUS?  Other RUSs will cover ECML – separate RUS to be published in December 2006) WCML south of Carstairs – new WCML RUS to start Autumn 2007 Freight – separate GB-wide freight RUS to be published September 2006

Slide 7 What’s in the Scotland draft RUS? Analysis of existing situation Assessment of future trends Identification of options for dealing with diverse and growing demands

Slide 8 Analysis of current situation Performance – excellent, First Scotrail PPM presently over 90%, well above UK average Capacity - overcrowding is an issue on some suburban routes Capability – track capacity is heavily utilised on many key routes

Slide 9 Assessment of future trends Up to 30% growth in passenger and 10% growth in freight demand predicted over the next 10 years Steady increase in passengers commuting by rail into city centres caused by:  population moving from Edinburgh and Glasgow to neighbouring regions  growth in employment opportunities (particularly in Edinburgh)  increasing road congestion and rising costs of motoring

Slide 10 Options  More than 40 options recommended for further scrutiny, including options for : Glasgow-Edinburgh Edinburgh-Fife-Aberdeen Glasgow & South West  More detailed work will be done on each of these proposals over the coming months to identify those that represent greatest passenger benefit and best value for money

Slide 11 Glasgow-Edinburgh  additional capacity at Glasgow Queen Street, Edinburgh Haymarket and Waverley  longer trains on Glasgow-Stirling services to increase capacity  Edinburgh Airport Rail Link  Waverley Railway (Borders)  re-opening of Airdrie-Bathgate corridor

Slide 12 Edinburgh-Fife-Aberdeen  regular, standardised service  infrastructure improvements  line speed enhancements  additional signalling on Forth Bridge

Slide 13 Glasgow & South West  regular, standardised service to meet passenger demand  increased capacity to Ayrshire with longer trains  infrastructure improvements  additional capacity at Glasgow Central High Level  Glasgow Airport Rail Link

Slide 14 Next steps  Twelve week stakeholder consultation period to 16 November 2006  Value for money and affordability work on options  Final RUS published in Spring 2007  Route strategy becomes established

Slide 15 RUS Programme  South West Main Line – established  Cross London – final document preparation  Scotland – option development & appraisal  North West – gap analysis  East Coast Main Line – baseline analysis  Yorkshire & Humber – scope definition  Greater Anglia – baseline analysis  South London – scope definition  Cumbria – starts Autumn 2006  Wales – starts Autumn 2006  Kent – starts Summer 2007  South Midlands – starts Autumn 2007  East Midlands – starts Autumn 2007  West Coast – starts Autumn 2007  Merseyside – starts Autumn 2007  Great Western – starts Spring 2008  Sussex – starts Spring 2008  Freight – option development & appraisal  Network – starts Summer 2006