Public transport costs the Scottish Government £2 billion every year. Buses and trains are essential for many people and for reducing car travel and emissions. But in the current financial climate, short-term economies in operation are feared in 2025.
The Scottish Government is responding to current short-term financial pressures. But longer term strategic planning is needed to ensure a better sustainable future.
A new, far-sighted public transport strategy would reverse the decline in local bus services and boost ScotRail revenue and affordability. Organisational changes may be needed to increase use and value for money while reducing duplication between bus and train. Comparing transport systems elsewhere shows two issues that are very relevant to Scotland:
- Replacing heavy rail suburban trains with Metro systems with control devolved to city regions. Many metro systems do not need revenue support and attract high levels of use.
- Franchising local bus services to coordinate timetables, integrate ticketing and reduce duplication, allowing revenue support to be concentrated on strategic route networks.
1 Metro
Manchester’s Metrolink tram system, running largely on former railway routes, serves 99 stops and carries over 35 m passengers annually. Pre-covid Metrolink did not need regular subsidy. Glasgow’s inner suburban rail network covers a similar area but accounts for around 25% of the cost of the ScotRail operation.
The Clyde Metro concept, proposed by SAPT and now contained in Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review, envisages converting and extending some of the Glasgow rail network using metro operation. This project is at the initial stage of consideration by Strathclyde PTE. The Clyde Metro plan could be prioritised to convert ScotRail Glasgow suburban services to metro operation. Capital funding would be required, perhaps through a new City Deal, to give Glasgow City Region devolved responsibility for a Clyde Metro network as extensive as Manchester’s Metrolink. As well as saving the Scottish Government up to 25% of the total ScotRail cost annually, Clyde Metro would revolutionise connectivity and boost public transport use around Glasgow. Some of ScotRail’s older electric trains would be replaced by new, lighter Metro vehicles.
2 Bus Franchising
Swiss bus passengers rose by +13% from 2013 to 2019, while in Scotland, numbers fell by -14% over the same period. Switzerland has an integrated public transport system with buses being part of the co-ordinated bus, train and tram network. Swiss cities have municipal transport companies, while the PostBus network uses franchising to provide bus services outside urban areas. This provides a stable, reliable transport network that has attracted steady growth. Scotland’s deregulated bus framework has seen local bus journeys fall for decades. A franchising system for local buses could create an efficient bus network coordinated with rail services to bring better connectivity and more travel by public transport across the country.
Long-distance coach travel, in contrast to local bus travel, is prospering but at the expense of ScotRail’s Inter7City revenue and the Government’s transport budget. Providing concessionary travel on long-distance coaches encourages transfer from rail to coach. Limiting the validity of concessionary travel to journeys within one travel-to-work, education or shopping area, which could be aligned with regions (e.g. SPT, Sestran, Nestrans, Swestrans or Hitrans) but with the flexibility to include particular cross-boundary traffic flows. Taxpayer money would be saved from paying for long-distance concessionary coach trips. InterCity rail revenue would increase, cutting the government bill for supporting ScotRail. Public funding could be focused instead on increased support for local authority franchises for essential local bus services.
Many cities worldwide have replaced suburban heavy rail trains (like ScotRail Class 318 above left), by Metro Light Rail vehicles able to run on existing railways (above right in Manchester) and also on new light rail alignment extensions or street tramways. Metros are generally run by city region transport authorities. High frequency metro services attract more users, reduce car traffic and usually run at a profit.
Trains and buses connect in many continental countries, providing seamless journeys to anywhere on the public transport bus or rail network.
The photo above shows Swiss buses connecting with a train at Lenk.
(Photo: J.McCormick)
