Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop’s announcement of the ScotRail HST replacement programme promises a more attractive and greener choice encouraging more people to travel by rail. Train options likely to be available are 20-year old diesel Meridians, or new hybrid electric/diesel trains which are more environmentally friendly as electrification is extended but could cost more to buy.
As well as introducing a new train fleet, ScotRail should also consider other aspects of InterCity services that should be upgraded to attract more passengers:
Faster, punctual and more reliable journeys could boost rail’s advantage over car or coach travel. The current HSTs have not improved journey times. For instance Edinburgh-Inverness journeys take an average of 10 minutes longer than previously despite faster acceleration and the £57 million Highland Main Line enhancement programme. A national timetable reconfiguration would identify if pathing delays can be reduced and faster, reliable schedules can be designed. The new trains will have a top speed of 125 mph but curvature on most ScotRail lines limits speed to 100 mph or less. Progress on raising speeds is being made through track and signalling upgrades. Network Rail’s enhancement budget should be increased when resources allow to eliminate some level crossings on InterCity routes, further raising speeds on well-aligned stretches of line.
Regular Timetables giving standard departure times are easier for people to remember and enable connections on a repeating pattern. Most continental and GB intercity routes already operate regular interval schedules, including the new East Coast London-Edinburgh timetable to be introduced in December 2025. But many ScotRail InterCity departures are off-pattern, eg:
Aberdeen-Glasgow at 0639 0724 0835 0944 1044 1137 1245 1346 1435 1535 1632 1743 1836 1946 2037
Redrafted timetables for the replacement Inter7City fleet should focus on regular departure times with an hourly frequency, or better, on all intercity routes.
The replacement train fleet should have lower fuel consumption, increasing the viability of an hourly frequency on the Highland Main Line south from Inverness. On the Inverness-Aberdeen line, an hourly Intercity frequency will need the passing loop at Orton to be re-instated. The A96 Inverness-Aberdeen road dualling project costing £2.5 -£5 billion is now scaled back, so an Orton loop costing about 1% of the road project should be prioritised in CP8 (2029-2034) to compensate. An hourly rail service taking around 2 hours will be highly competitive with the 2.5 hour road journey via the A96, attracting significant modal shift from car.
Quality of service should be an important differentiator from road travel. Services are now provided by a mix of HSTs and Class 170/158s. The future I7C fleet should operate every intercity departure to give consistent high InterCity quality, easy access, sufficient toilets, and good wifi. The fleet should be large enough to operate all I7C services as well as covering for maintenance, avoiding the need to transfer commuter trains from other routes. Scottish InterCity lines have high tourist appeal, for instance the Forth and Tay Bridges, the Cairngorms and East Coast seascapes. Train design should ensure most seats have unobstructed views, an important selling point
The standard of catering on longer distance journeys deserves attention. A quality “taste of Scotland” InterCity menu could be a popular feature. The ban on alcohol should be reconsidered by the Scottish Government to allow drinks to be bought from the trolley or buffet. This would improve viability of catering services, particularly if bringing carry-outs on board is banned.
These recommendations aim to boost passenger numbers on Inter7City trains to well above pre-covid levels and get value from investment in trains and infrastructure. The need to recharge electric cars on long journeys will increase the competitiveness and economic benefit of fast regular InterCity trains, contributing to government goals of cutting car mileage and emissions.
