Major rail upgrades feature in Scottish transport review

Development of a Glasgow Metro system, extensions to Edinburgh Trams, improved accessibility, and delivery of the rail decarbonisation programme are among the key recommendations in the Scottish Government’s Strategic Transport Projects Review 2, published in early February.

Under initial ideas for the Glasgow Metro, a combination of tram, light rail, metro rail and buses is suggested to improve public transport in Glasgow,

East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, North and South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire.

Options include new alignments, reopened railways, and conversion of some railways to a different mode. Integration with major stations and Glasgow Airport is also proposed.

In Edinburgh, it is expected to improve connectivity from Granton, north of the city, to the south eastern extremities of the city boundaries. A south suburban railway could be introduced, as well as a cross-Forth Light Rail Transit system to Fife.

Station upgrades are proposed at Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central, Perth and Inverness, to address capacity constraints, improve access and better integrate with other modes.

Rail decarbonisation will be addressed in its first phases by electrification of the East Kilbride and Barrhead routes (already under way), the Borders Line and Fife Circle lines - driven by the imminent life expiry of the Class 156 diesel multiple unit fleets.

Better infrastructure for rail freight is also supported, with gauge clearance on the Glasgow & South Western and Annbank routes proposed, and analysis required to identify future works on the West Coast Main Line, routes in Central Scotland and at freight terminals at

Aberdeen, Inverness and in Fife.

In addition to longer-term strategic policies, ScotRail says it will ‘shortly’ introduce a fuel additive that will cut diesel consumption by 3% and reduce carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions.

SR says it has cut its carbon footprint by around 46,000 tonnes over the past two years, and by a further 10,000 tonnes between December 2020 and May 2021.

It says 75% of passenger and 45% of freight journeys are electrified, with rail contributing 1% of Scotland’s overall transport carbon emissions.

See Analysis, pages 30-31.