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Strategic Priorities For Scotland's Passenger Railway: Consultation Paper

3. RAIL PLAYING ITS PART IN AN INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SYSTEM

3.1 Introduction

3.1.1 Section 2 outlined in broad terms our priorities for encouraging increased demand for passenger rail services over the next 15-20 years. What follows sets out our thoughts on how we believe passenger railways can and should contribute to the development of an integrated transport system for Scotland. In particular it proposes a number of priorities that are in tune with the Scottish Executive's strategic themes for the transport system as a whole. These are:

• Helping reduce congestion

• Helping reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions

• Helping reduce peripherality

• Supporting social justice

• Developing the seamless journey

3.1.2 The section finishes with a consideration of how the development of Scottish passenger rail services might best fit with the strategic transport and development roles of local authorities, the work of cross border train operators and the operation of rail freight.

3.2 Helping reduce congestion, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions

3.2.1 Arguably, the major challenge for Scotland's transport system is how to tackle road congestion. The economic, social and environmental costs of doing nothing are too great. Car ownership continues to grow, but we do not want to penalise people for simply owning a car. What we do want to do is to encourage people to use their cars differently and less often. The experience of a number of western European countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark is that increased car ownership does not have to lead to increased usage. This is more likely to be the case in those countries that offer good quality, reliable and frequent alternatives. In this respect rail has an important and growing role to play.

3.2.2 Where rail has succeeded in attracting large and increasing numbers of passengers is on the busiest and usually most congested transport corridors at both the peak and the off-peak. Supporting rail to perform this function more effectively has to be a major priority for the Scottish Executive. We want the rail industry to take the opportunity presented by the prospect of longer franchises to identify those routes, existing or moribund, that could generate the same sort of benefits in support of reducing road congestion in major corridors.

3.2.3 Rail transport is itself not free of environmental costs but it can offer substantial environmental benefits compared with road transport. Road traffic is a significant contributor to several of the key air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, particularly in urban areas. Rail transport contributes very little to such pollution. In the UK road traffic is the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions, the main greenhouse gas. Even cautious estimates suggest that congestion increases carbon dioxide emissions by 10% or urban roads. Policies to reduce road traffic growth and congestion, particularly on urban roads, can therefore make an important contribution to improving air quality and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Rail as part of integrated options in and between urban areas

3.2.4 Road congestion is at its worst within and between Scotland's major urban centres. Road traffic is likely to increase substantially between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen. Increase in volumes will also occur between these cities and the towns and suburbs that supply them with their workforce.

3.2.5 It remains a priority for us to reduce the percentage and length of journeys people make by car from their homes to work or shops or for leisure. But an increasing number of people are prepared to travel a longer distance to work rather than compromise their preferred life style. For many that means travelling by car since the alternatives are unavailable or unacceptable in terms of quality, journey times and/or frequency of service.

3.2.6 We want the rail industry to make proposals for expanding services between and within Scotland's major urban centres on those transport corridors already experiencing congestion and on those that are likely to see traffic volumes grow significantly. We would want such proposals to be cost effective and to contribute to a step change in transferring large numbers of people from their cars to the railways.

3.2.7 We want the industry to look with its partners at innovative ways of increasing the capacity of all lines between Glasgow and Edinburgh where this will lead to a growth in passengers through a combination of more frequent and longer trains. We would like to see practical proposals that extend the range of services between these cities and communities in their wider conurbations. Many growing communities in the central belt have limited or non-existent rail connections that may hinder their further development. Other communities, increasingly dependent on economic growth elsewhere for jobs, find it difficult to access these thriving markets unless their residents have cars or a good bus service. Relatively recent examples, such as the re-opening of the Bathgate line to Edinburgh, have resulted in considerable benefits to areas that might otherwise have suffered from higher unemployment and economic decline. Furthermore, in the case of Bathgate passenger numbers exceeded the original estimates. This would require the rail industry to work in close partnership with local authorities and the Scottish Executive.

3.2.7 We believe that similar opportunities exist elsewhere in the Central Belt. The A8, A80 and M74 multi-modal corridor studies may well highlight where some of these opportunities might be. Other evaluations, similar to that conducted by Fife Council into the opportunities for developing rail services, will be needed to inform the development of proposals for expanding services in the Forth Valley, Tayside and Aberdeen. Any proposals that emerge will require both the train operators and Railtrack to identify requirements for infrastructure upgrading and enhancements, together with the potential for developing new stretches of line. Within the Scottish franchise a precondition for our supporting any new major scheme will be that it has been subject to a full appraisal which demonstrates the additional benefits that it would bring to a integrated transport system.

3.2.8 We believe that a number of schemes could attract private finance and be operationally viable, although most will probably need public support of one kind or another for the capital cost. It is therefore in the industry's interests to develop such schemes and bring them forward to the appropriate agencies.

3.3 Helping reduce peripherality

3.3.1 As was highlighted in Section 2, Scotland has a fair number of rural railways serving scattered communities often remote from the main centres of population. Without exception these require significant financial support and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The sSRA has stated that the franchise replacement programme will cover rural lines and seek to secure existing service levels for the duration of the longer franchise terms. We note this intention and we believe it provides a basis for exploring ways of developing rural services.

3.3.2 Much has already been done, and continues to be done, to improve the levels of service to a number of communities outwith the Central Belt. Turbostars are already reducing the journey times considerably between the Central Belt and Inverness, with benefits to the small towns and villages on the route and north and west of the city. Track and train improvements have begun to speed up times between Aberdeen and Glasgow/Edinburgh. Enhancements to the infrastructure and faster trains will increase speeds between Inverness and Aberdeen. These developments set the trend for further improvements we want to see over the next 15-20 years.

Speeding up the links

3.3.3 Across many parts of the rail network journey time is a primary preoccupation of those using the train and the fact is that in many instances the car is faster than the railway. This is especially true over longer distances on routes such as Edinburgh/Glasgow to Inverness, Inverness to Wick and Thurso, and Glasgow to Stranraer and Dumfries.

3.3.4 On these and similar routes our priority is to secure improvements to speeds through a combination of new, faster trains and the track to match. We believe that the faster and more reliable trains are, the more likely that car drivers will use them.

3.3.5 Until speeds are improved, and with them improved punctuality and reliability, the issue of increased frequency of services on such routes may not be a consideration. Only if trains can demonstrate that they can provide a faster alternative to the car are they likely to generate additional demand sufficient to justify an increase in the numbers of trains serving such communities. We would encourage train operators to pursue improved journey times with this possibility in mind.

Broadening the customer base

3.3.6 As well as attracting increased numbers of car users to rural rail services, it should be an objective of train operators to widen the customer base for them. There are some good examples of ticketing schemes that are targeted at visitors using the railways as a means of visiting Scotland, or tickets that are a holiday attraction in their own right. Although we are in general concerned, as noted at paragraph 2.5.4 above, to reduce the number of "core" ticket types, we would want such schemes to be developed further, especially those that are part of a holiday 'package' which uses rail as one part of the journey. Single tickets covering train, coach, ferry and air journeys provide useful examples of what can be done to promote rail travel amongst visitors. Examples of linking rail travel to individual visitor attractions and/or accommodation could also be developed further.

3.3.7 A further opportunity for extending the customer base is by improving the access to stations in rural areas. More effective integration with local bus services should be considered by the bus and train operators together with the local authorities who will, under the Scottish Transport Bill, have an enhanced role in developing bus services, routes and timetables. Quality Partnerships may well be the means of securing more integration with rural rail services to the benefit of those who at present do not consider rail travel a realistic option.

Sustaining links

3.3.8 We recognise the social, economic and environmental importance of retaining rail services, whether for passengers or freight, to Scotland's periphery and rural areas. We accept that change will be incremental since the returns to an operator and the cost of improvements are such that public subsidy will have to meet a sizeable portion of the bill. However, we believe there is the potential for improving the quality and performance of trains and enhancing the infrastructure, in ways that will attract more people to rail.

3.3.9 We recognise that many communities in rural areas do not have any rail links. We accept that there may be a case for extending the rail network into some of these areas. Our sponsorship of the Scottish Border Railway Feasibility Study increased our awareness of the needs of those in the Borders. It also led to the re-emergence of a number of other proposals for either improving services on existing lines such as the Glasgow and South Western, the Far North line, and the line to Stranraer, or re-opening stretches of line in Fife.

3.3.10 Whether such projects should be delivered and how the risk could be shared are issues we want to explore further. New forms of ownership and operation are being explored as alternative means of delivery. Ideas are emerging on the development of Community Rail Partnerships and of 'microfranchising', i.e. letting franchises for specific local services. We welcome such innovative approaches to developing and expanding the rural rail network involving partnerships between local authorities, local communities and the rail industry.

3.4 Supporting Social Justice

3.4.1 Scotland's railways have at various times been called 'social' by all stakeholders. For many who use this term, it is taken as shorthand for a 'subsidised' passenger railway system. Very few of Scotland's passenger rail services make a clear commercial rate of return for the operators. Even inter-city services on lengthy stretches of their routes north of the Central Belt are, it is claimed by their operators, non-commercial.

3.4.2 But for us the term 'social railway' has far wider connotations. We understand the term to cover a wide range of issues concerned with social inclusion. What follows elaborates on these issues and suggests a number of ways in which the provision of passenger rail services might help alleviate social exclusion.

Affordability

3.4.3 We believe there is a potential for passenger railways to extend the customer base to those on lower incomes to enable them the better to access employment, education and leisure opportunities. Many who are either unemployed or in poorly paid jobs rarely, if ever, use the train. It is simply too expensive. It might be argued that off-peak tickets and advanced booking both offer cheaper ways of travelling by rail, but even these can be beyond the means of those on very low incomes.

3.4.4 Those who are in low paid employment may have to travel some distance between home and work place at peak hours. This can be especially true of those living in rural areas. They may live close to a station but consider the cost of using the train as too great. This may act as a disincentive to take a job at a location that might be best accessed by train. It is already apparent that employers in areas of economic growth in Scotland are finding it increasingly difficult to fill lower paid posts by recruiting from local labour markets. But then recruiting from further afield may be being seriously restricted because travel costs are too great.

3.4.5 We want the rail industry in collaboration with others, such as local authorities, the Employment Service, major employers, the Scottish Enterprise network, to explore ways of making rail travel affordable to those on low incomes and for those seeking employment. We want train operators to appraise their pricing structures to see how they might attract those otherwise excluded by relatively high fares. Local partnerships with those involved in unemployment black spots, together with those working on area regeneration and local economic development could develop local pricing and ticketing schemes targeted on particular routes.

Accessibility

3.4.7 Making the railways more accessible is not just about affordability, it also about equality of opportunity to travel. Many people do not consider travelling by rail because they feel it does not cater for their specific needs. The railways still have some way to go to break down the barriers to entry for a large number of prospective passengers. We would expect those operating passenger services and Railtrack to put in place the means of enhancing equality of access to the mode.

3.4.8 Disabled People. Legislation requires the rail industry to take full account of the needs of disabled people and it is to be commended for the way in which it has responded speedily by introducing modifications to many stations and trains that accommodate a wide range of particular needs. But we believe that much still needs to be done to take full account of disabled peoples' needs. Direct consultation with disabled passengers and carers at the point of use can do much to avoid elementary oversights and we would expect the rail industry, in co-operation with stakeholders and the RPC-S, to put in place systems that enable the regular monitoring of requirements and how these are being met. As well as providing a more accessible physical environment the rail industry needs to assess how its staff at stations and on trains can provide a more responsive service to those with particular needs. These should also be subject to regular review and appraisal involving disabled passengers and carers themselves.

3.4.9 Older People. Older people are using the railways in increasing numbers. Their expectations about the quality of service and support are quite rightly increasing. These range from physical adaptations to trains and stations to the quality of staff and the provision of a secure environment. We want the railway industry to give full recognition to these expectations when developing services and facilities and in doing so they should consult representative groups and older people themselves.

3.4.10 Women. We know from surveys that many women will not travel alone on the train. This is more likely to be the case where stations are unstaffed and lightly used, or on those services that carry few passengers or operate late at night. When reviewing the security of stations and trains and the training of staff we would expect the rail industry in conjunction with the BTP to consider specifically the expectations of women travelling alone. This will have to incorporate direct feed-back from women who already use the train as well as from those who at present choose not to. Consideration will also need to taken of the security of routes to the stations themselves.

3.4.11 Young People. Young people may also experience insecurity when travelling by train or waiting at a station. This can lead to 'self exclusion' from opportunities that can be best accessed by train. Again the rail industry and the BTP should take into account the specific needs of young people when identifying requirements for improved security.

3.5 Developing the Seamless Journey

3.5.1 For most passengers, travelling by train represents one leg of a journey that involves other modes of private or public transport; many passengers also interchange between rail franchise operators. However, privatisation of both buses and trains inhibited progress on developing a truly integrated public transport system. We are committed to overcoming those constraints through a variety of means. We want the rail industry to assist us in this task.

Multi-modal through ticketing - one ticket for one journey

3.5.2 We recognise the efforts already made by train operators, especially ScotRail, to develop a number of ticket schemes that include travel by modes other than rail. We also commend the zone card initiative of Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive which allows for multi-modal travel within its area of operation. But more can and should be done to allow passengers to purchase one ticket for an entire journey wherever they travel within the UK.

3.5.3 We look to train operators to promote the development of through ticketing and to extend its application. We want the train operators to offer a single ticket for journeys that could involve using services provided by all of them. We would encourage train operators to work with providers of local bus services to issue a single ticket to cover the use of bus and train. Similar opportunities must exist for journeys that combine other modes as well, such as taxi, hire car, ferry and 'plane.

Making the links - Towards a single multi-modal timetable/information base

3.5.4 We are committed to working with transport operators and local authorities to ensuring the delivery of a single public transport information system for Scotland by the end of the year. This will be a component part of the PTI2000 project which will provide information on how to undertake a journey by public transport to anywhere in Scotland, England and Wales. As this is a multi-modal system, we expect train operators to play a full and active part in the achievement of this aim. To be of any value, the system will need to be as accurate and up-to-date as possible, harnessing the latest technology. In the longer term, PTI2000 will be developed and enhanced to provide real time train information available through a variety of media, including the internet. It will also be possible to book long distance multi-modal journeys through the system. The National Rail Enquiry Service has improved considerably over the last few years. We want the lessons learnt there transferred to those developing the integrated information system for Scotland and would expect train operators to provide full co-operation to that end.

Building inter-modal links

3.5.5 Inter-modal hubs. Multi-modal travel, which includes a rail journey, makes best sense when the train can inter-link conveniently with other modes. The easier the interconnection the more likely people are to use the range of services on offer as an alternative to travelling by car, especially if the station includes adequate and secure parking. Railway stations can offer the best location for inter-modal connections and we expect the rail industry to make every effort to identify opportunities for doing just this. Such opportunities for developing inter-modal hubs exist at a number of city centre railway stations. Stations in regional centres should also be actively investigated as locations for improved multi-modal interconnections. Train operators and Railtrack will have to work closely with other transport service providers and local authorities to identify opportunities for developing such schemes deliver and that they are capable of generating real benefits.

3.5.6 Park-and-ride. Park-and-ride stations such as Croy and Inverkeithing are an increasing and welcome addition to the network and are proving increasingly popular, especially on commuter routes within and between urban centres. We want to see additions to this network. Consideration should also given to widening access to these stations to those without a car by integrating them with the bus network. Parkway stations are a more recent innovation in Britain, and we know of a number of options in Scotland being assessed by train operators and local authorities. Clearly, as inter-city rail travel grows more people will want to access these services without having to join a train at a city centre station and thereby avoiding city centre congestion to get there. Again, we would expect access to any new parkway station not to be confined to the private car owner, nor should they be used exclusively by one train operator.

3.5.7 Airport links. We have been conducting research into the feasibility of linking Scotland's major airports to the railway network. Growth in air travel will likely lead to increased congestion on roads to our principal airports, especially Glasgow and Edinburgh. Rail links can provide a means of alleviating that. If such links are to be developed then they need to be the product of a partnership between the rail industry, the airport operators and the local authorities. There may well be commercial advantages for train operators and the airports in developing such links. We recognise, however, that although the links are likely to be operationally viable, income may be insufficient to meet the entire capital costs of such schemes. On this basis, public part-funding may be a consideration, but only after due consideration of the costs and benefits of this investment.

3.5.8 Light Rail. In future, local authorities and other bodies may come forward with proposals to connect light rail systems with the heavy rail network. This may be particularly appropriate where the objective is to relieve pressure on the roads network to alleviate congestion. While there are no firm proposals to date, this is a factor that will have to be borne in mind by the holder of the next Scottish passenger rail franchise.

3.6 Working with stakeholders

3.6.1 Practically everything that has been said so far will depend on the rail industry forging partnerships of one form or another. Whether it be with the private or the public sectors, or with user groups or communities, it will be necessary for the industry to work with others to achieve our objectives for the development of Scotland's passenger rail services.

Linking with local authorities

3.6.2 Local authorities and the SPT have wide-ranging responsibilities for ensuring that their areas are adequately served by transport networks. National policy and planning guidelines have consistently urged them to consider transport planning within a broad local policy context. They are expected to give consideration to the transport impacts of major residential and economic developments understood in their widest sense including social and environmental effects. The consequences for public transport in particular will also have to be assessed fully. Simply building new roads, or widening existing ones solely to cater for the increased use of private cars is no longer an appropriate automatic response to transport problems.

3.6.3 The Scottish Executive is encouraging all local authorities in Scotland to prepare Local Transport Strategies ( LTS ) setting out their detailed transport plans for the next 3 years and their transport visions for their areas for the next 10-20 years. Local Transport Strategies are also likely to be linked to Air Quality Management Areas and any action required to reduce air pollution caused by vehicle emissions. Local authorities in South-East Scotland, West-central Scotland, the North-East and the Highlands and Islands are also being encouraged to work together to develop a shared transport vision for their areas at the wider regional level. In addition, the Transport (Scotland) Bill empowers Scottish Ministers to require local authorities to develop Joint Transport Strategies ( JTS ) for specified transport matters that straddle local government boundaries. The development of both local and regional strategies will provide a key framework for our assessment of the feasibility and viability of any transport scheme, including rail, that may require our support.

3.6.4 It is for these reasons that the rail industry, especially the train operators and Railtrack, will have to become fully conversant with the transport priorities of the local authorities they serve. Equally, both the LTS (where one is produced) and the JTS (where one is required by Ministers) will have to show a clear appreciation of the realities of developing railways based on an ongoing dialogue with the industry itself. Only by establishing such close links will the rail industry come to know the aspirations of local authorities, and local authorities gain a better appreciation of the practical realities of developing such aspirations. We anticipate that such a close working relationship will generate a set of realistic, achievable, integrated and cost effective rail options.

Supporting regeneration and growth

3.6.5 We would expect that, through developing stronger links with local authorities and the SPT, train operators and Railtrack would in turn be played into closer working relations with the Scottish Enterprise network, developers and inward investors. Arising from this we would expect more effective consideration of the role of passenger rail services in supporting economic development and area regeneration. It has been demonstrated that good transport links are a serious consideration for those wishing to invest in a region. On this basis we believe there may well be opportunities for public-private partnerships between the rail industry and those engaged in economic development and area regeneration.

Working with forums and consortia

3.6.6 In a similar vein we would expect the rail industry to be prepared to work with the growing number of local, regional and national forums and consortia through active consultation, collaboration and information exchange. In a variety of ways these groups are seeking to promote the development of Scotland's railway system through the application of a number of innovative models. Most recently, those proposing the development of rail links to the Borders and to Clackmannanshire have set up consortia consisting of both the public and private sector. The work of both of these groups resulted in successful bids to the latest round of the Public Transport Fund and both have benefited from informed professional advice from train operating companies and Railtrack.

3.7 Working with cross-border operators

3.7.1 In our advice to the shadow Strategic Rail Authority on the replacement of the East Coast Mainline Franchise issued on 26 June we emphasised the critical importance of ensuring synergy between inter-city, regional and local passenger rail services. Whilst we welcome the undoubted passenger benefits generated by increased speeds and frequency of cross-border services, we are acutely aware of the repercussions this might have for maintaining current levels of local and regional passenger rail services across Scotland. Furthermore, any expansion of cross-border services will have a direct bearing on the capacity of the Scottish rail network to accommodate any growth in local and regional services. We want these implications to be taken into full consideration when assessing the merits of any proposals for enhancing the current levels of service provided by present and future holders of cross-border franchises. Equally, we do not want the development of local and regional services to hinder the introduction of faster more frequent inter-city services. It will be incumbent on all the train operators together with Railtrack and the SRA to avoid any potential conflict in operational effectiveness. In this regard we would welcome innovative proposals on developing service patterns in support of a "hub and spoke railway", i.e. where local 'stopping' services feed into limited stop expresses.

3.8 Working with rail freight

3.8.1 We want to see rail freight playing an increasingly important role in the development of Scotland's economy and as a central part of the country's logistics chain. We are committed to transferring increasing amounts of road freight to rail, thereby reducing damage to the environment, and are employing our devolved responsibility for freight grants to this end. Therefore, any development of Scotland's passenger rail services will have to take full consideration of our commitment to the growth of rail freight and our revised target to transfer at least 18 million lorry miles from road to rail and inland waterway by 2002.

A distinctive part of Scotland's logistics chain

3.8.2 Rail freight shares all of the principal rail routes in Scotland with passenger services so any growth in one will have direct repercussions on the capacity of the network to accommodate growth in the other. Rail freight in Scotland exhibits a number of features that distinguish it from operations elsewhere in GB. It serves a greater proportion of communities and customers remote from markets and suppliers, who are connected by long stretches of exposed, rural lines. It also transfers large and increasing quantities of commodities destined for export markets via deep-sea container ports south of the border since no such option exists in Scotland. The development of passenger services will have to take detailed account of these distinctive features and ensure that they are not compromised.

Working with a GB strategy for rail freight

3.8.3 Just as rail freight in Scotland has a number of distinctive features, we also accept that the strategic rail freight network operates at a GB level. We welcome the SRA's strengthened role in developing the mode and wish it to keep a clear view of Scotland's specific challenges and priorities. To this end we have already developed a close working relationship with the shadow Authority as it has been working up its GB strategy for rail freight and reassessing the means of supporting its growth. We believe this stands us in good stead for ensuring that the development of rail freight in Scotland will occur in tandem with the development of Scottish passenger rail services.

Accommodating growth - improving capacity and capability

3.8.4 In developing a rail network that is capable of accommodating reasonable expectations of growth in rail freight and passenger services over the next 15 - 20 years, we will expect the rail industry to demonstrate sufficient vision to enhance the network's capacity and capability accordingly. Where there is clear evidence of existing and future capacity constraints on the Scottish network we would expect that any programme for overcoming them would give full consideration to the needs of both freight and passenger operators. Equally, we would not want any part of the Scottish network to be unduly disadvantaged due to inadequate capability. We know that raising the standards of network capability to accommodate bigger, longer and heavier freight trains is a costly process, but this needs to be done where analysis shows that the long-term economic and environmental costs of not doing so are greater. On this basis we are prepared to work in partnership with the rail industry, ORR and the SRA to identify ways and means of securing such enhancements through the complementary exercise of our respective powers.

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