1. Introduction
1.1 This chapter provides information on rail services, such as the numbers of passenger journeys, passenger receipts, the amount of freight lifted by origin, destination and commodity, lines open for traffic, number of stations, railway accidents, and some statistics about the Glasgow Underground.
1.2 Unfortunately, detailed information on passenger journeys and receipts for recent years has not become available in time for inclusion within this publication. It is hoped that these will be included in the next edition of "Scottish Transport Statistics" In addition, information on freight traffic since 1997-98 is not at present available, but should be included in the next edition.
2. Main Points
2.1 Between 1988-89 and 1996-97, the number of passenger journeys originating in Scotland fluctuated, remaining between 50 and 55 million per year. However, they have been at a higher level in the latest two years for which estimates are available. It is estimated that the total number of passenger journeys in 1998-99 was over 60 million, 4% more than in the previous year. (Table 8.1)
2.2 The total number of passenger journeys on services which were supported by the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive rose and fell between 1988-89 and 1995-96, remaining between 34 and 38 million per year. However, they have been at a higher level in the latest three years, and the total reached almost 42 million in 1998-99, 2% more than in the previous year. The number of passenger-miles travelled on such services fell by 1% to 408 million in 1998-99, but remained above the level of the period from 1991-92 to 1996-97. Passenger receipts increased to £ 46.0 million, an increase of 9% in cash terms and of 6% in real terms. (Table 8.2)
2.3 The amount of freight traffic lifted in Scotland was about 10 million tonnes per year in the late 1980s, declining to around 5 million tonnes per year in the mid-1990s. It rose to 7.1 million tonnes in 1997-98, principally due to an increase in the amount of coal carried to other parts of the UK. In 1997-98, 4.8 million tonnes of coal and other minerals, and 2.4 million tonnes of other traffic, were lifted in Scotland. About 3.2 million tonnes of the total freight lifted in Scotland was taken to destinations within Scotland, 3.0 million tonnes was delivered elsewhere in the UK, and 0.9 million tonnes went outwith the UK (the last figure includes freight for export which was delivered to a port in Britain, as well as Channel Tunnel traffic). Dividing the number of tonne-kilometres by the number of tonnes gives an average length of haul of 76 kilometres for traffic remaining in Scotland, 438 kilometres for traffic to other parts of the UK, and 691 kilometres for traffic destined for outwith the UK. (Table 8.3)
2.4 A total of 1.2 million tonnes of freight lifted elsewhere in the UK was delivered in Scotland in 1997-98, along with 1.2 million tonnes of freight from outwith the UK (the latter figure includes imported freight which was lifted at port in England or Wales). (Table 8.4)
2.5 The total route length of the railway network in Scotland has remained at around 2,700 kilometres throughout the past ten years. (Table 8.5)
2.6 The number of passenger stations has increased from 307 in 1989-90 to 334 in 1999-2000. (Table 8.6)
2.7 On the Glasgow Underground, over the past ten years, the number of passenger journeys has remained between 13.4 million and 14.7 million. In 1998-99, it rose by 3% to 14.6 million. Passenger receipts were £ 9.3 million, 8% more in cash terms, and 5% more in real terms, than in the previous year. (Table 8.7)
2.8 In 1999/2000 there were 151 train accidents, a small reduction on the previous years total of 156. Many of the train accidents were due to vandalism, a national problem for the railways in Great Britain. The number of deaths as a result of railway accidents rose from 19 to 25, all involved trespassers and suicides. (Table 8.8)
3. Notes and Definitions
3.1 Passenger journeys: the statistics cover passenger journeys originating in Scotland on both local services and long-distance (including cross-border) services. The figures for 1993-94 and subsequent years have been estimated by The Scottish Executive using information supplied by ScotRail and an allowance for the passenger numbers for the other operators. It is hoped to obtain definitive figures for future editions.
3.2 Freight traffic: the figures for 1996-97 onwards were prepared from information supplied by the rail freight companies. The numbers of tonne-kilometres in those years relate to the whole distance that the freight is carried on the companies' trains, not just to that part of the journey which is within Scotland.
3.3 Origins and destinations of freight traffic: three points should be noted about the figures which have been provided by the rail companies for 1996-97 onwards:
(i) "lifted within Scotland" includes freight from abroad which arrives at a Scottish port (eg Hunterston) and is lifted there by rail;
(ii) "lifted outwith UK" includes freight from abroad which was imported via ports in England and Wales (eg Teesside) and was then brought from there into Scotland by rail;
(iii) "lifted within Scotland, delivered outwith UK" includes freight which is delivered to a Scottish port (eg Leith) or to an English port (eg Southampton) for export.
It follows that the figures in the tables for freight lifted or delivered "outwith the UK" cover much more than just rail traffic which goes through the Channel Tunnel.
There are no statistics available for freight lifted or delivered "outwith UK" in the years prior to 1996-97. In the figures that were produced for those years, traffic delivered by rail to ports for export was counted on the basis of the location of the port, and so was counted under either "Scotland" or "elsewhere in the UK". Similarly, freight which was imported, and picked up by rail at a port, was counted on the basis of the location of the port. However, the figures that were produced for those years excluded any international freight traffic through the Channel Tunnel (for which freight services commenced in June 1994).
3.4 Railway Accidents: the statistics are of railway incidents statutorily reported under "The Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)". These regulations came into force on the 1 April 1996 and brought railway accident reporting in line with other industry accident reporting.
4. Sources
4.1 Table 8.1: the figures for 1993-94 and subsequent years have been estimated by The Scottish Executive using information supplied by ScotRail and an allowance for the passenger numbers for the other operators.
4.2 Tables 8.2 and 8.7 were compiled from information provided by Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive.
4.3 Tables 8.3 and 8.4: the figures for 1996-97 and later years were prepared from information supplied by the rail freight companies.
4.4 Table 8.5 and 8.6 was compiled from information supplied by Railtrack Scotland.
4.7 Table 8.8 was compiled by HM Railway Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive.
5. Further Information
5.1 Further information on GB rail statistics can be found in the annual DETR publication "Transport Statistics Great Britain" and in DETR’s quarterly "Rail Statistics" bulletins.
5.2 For further statistics of rail traffic in Great Britain as a whole, contact Amereek Hothi, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (tel: 0207 944 3089).
5.3 For further information about services supported by Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, contact Denise Kane, SPTE (tel: 0141 333 3152).
5.4 For further information on railway accidents, contact Mr Paul Wilkinson, HM Railway Inspectorate (tel: 0207 717 6521) or email paul.wilkinson@hse.gsi.gov.uk.
5.5 For further information on Railtrack Scotland, contact Mr Graham Meiklejohn
(tel: 0141 335 3350).