All ScotRail articles

  • ScotRail operated a VIP preview run from Aberdeen to Edinburgh with its first refurbished HST set on October 10. (Photos: Tony Miles)
    Rail Business UK

    Scottish government scales back electrification ambition to focus on fleet renewal

    2025-11-24T04:00:00Z

    UK: The Scottish government has issued a revised rail decarbonisation plan that shifts the focus away from electrification to emphasise a reduction of rolling stock emissions.

  • ScotRail Class 318
    Rail Business UK

    ScotRail launches suburban battery and electric train fleet procurement

    2025-11-07T11:00:00Z

    UK: ScotRail has formally started the process of procuring a fleet of electric and battery-electric suburban multiple-units to enter service in the early 2030s.

  • gb ScotRail Class 318
    News

    ScotRail battery-electric train procurement plan confirmed

    2025-09-05T14:50:00Z

    UK: ScotRail has been authorised to initiate the procurement of 69 electric and battery-electric trains, Scottish government Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop has confirmed.

  • ScotRail Class 318 EMU
    Rail Business UK

    Level boarding included in ScotRail’s fleet replacement plans

    2025-07-10T15:07:00Z

    UK: ScotRail has begun market engagement for its planned procurement of electric and battery-electric multiple-units.

  • ScotRail train (Photo: Tony Miles)
    Rail Business UK

    Scottish government to abolish peak fares

    2025-05-07T12:32:00Z

    UK: The permanent abolition of peak fares, the end of the alcohol ban and an allocation of funding for rail freight are included in the Programme for Government 2025-26 presented by Scortland’s First Minister John Swinney on May 6. Enabling cheaper off-peak fares to be used ...

  • ScotRail Class 156 DMU HVO trial (Photo ScotRail)
    Rail Business UK

    Hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel DMU trial

    2025-03-18T05:00:00Z

    UK: ScotRail is working with leasing company Angel Trains and fuel supplier Crown Oil to test the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil instead of diesel to power a Class 156 diesel multiple-unit. The operator envisages that HVO could offer a transitional step towards reducing greenhouse gas ...

  • ScotRail Tap&Pay routes
    Rail Business UK

    ScotRail launches Tap&Pay ticketing app

    2025-02-05T11:00:00Z

    UK: Following a six-month pilot scheme, ScotRail has launched a Tap&Pay pay-as-you-go ticketing app developed by Tracsis Rail Technology & Services using its Hopsta platform. The app is initially available for travel on ScotRail services in the Strathclyde area and between Strathclyde and Edinburgh. If the deployment ...

  • gb-scotrail-385s-Haymarket-180828-TM
    Rail Business UK

    Digital twins help ScotRail reduce station and depot energy consumption

    2025-01-10T05:00:00Z

    UK: ScotRail has partnered with Optimise AI to create digital twins of its stations and depots which will help the operator identify opportunities to save energy. The technology monitors energy usage and carbon emissions in real time, assesses the data against the UK Energy Performance Certification ...

  • ScotRail Highland Explorer Class 153 and Class 156 (Photo ScotRail)
    Rail Business UK

    Scottish diesel operations to continue to 2045

    2024-12-18T11:00:00Z

    UK: The deadline for removing diesel powered passenger trains from the Scottish rail network has been put back from 2035 to 2045. The Scottish government is undertaking an update of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan which it published in July 2020 in collaboration with Network ...

  • ScotRail has formally begun the procurement of trainsets to replace the current fleet of 25 HST sets used on Inter7Cities services.
    Rail Business UK

    ScotRail begins HST replacement process

    2024-12-18T09:45:00Z

    UK: ScotRail has formally begun the procurement of trainsets to replace the current fleet of 25 HST sets used on Inter7City services. On behalf of Transport Scotland, the operator is seeking proposals for the supply of a single class of existing rolling stock to operate a ...

  • ScotRail train
    Rail Business UK

    ScotRail and Network Rail sign strengthened Alliance Agreement

    2024-10-16T11:00:00Z

    UK: Scottish government-owned passenger train operator ScotRail and infrastructure manager Network Rail have signed a ‘strengthened’ Alliance Agreement, updating the partnership signed by former franchisee Abellio ScotRail in 2015. The purpose of the Alliance is ‘to integrate track and train in order to deliver the best ...

  • ScotRail is to procure trains to replace the ageing High Speed Train fleet
    Rail Business UK

    ScotRail to replace inter-city HST fleet

    2024-09-04T11:24:00Z

    UK: ScotRail is to procure trains to replace the ageing High Speed Train fleet used on routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, the Scottish government announced on September 3. ScotRail’s procurement and fleet teams are working with its parent body Scottish Rail Holdings, Transport Scotland ...

  • Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail Class 385 EMU
    Rail Business UK

    All-day off-peak fare trial fails to achieve modal shift goals

    2024-08-21T11:12:00Z

    UK: A pilot scheme which removed peak fares on ScotRail services in favour of offering cheaper off-peak fares all day is to end, after analysis found only ‘a limited degree of success’ in achieving modal shift from cars The Scottish government spent £40m subsidising the ScotRail ...

  • Scotrail train
    Rail Business UK

    Scotland’s Railway publishes five-year Climate Action Plan

    2024-08-12T04:00:00Z

    UK: The Scotland’s Railway partnership of Network Rail and ScotRail has published a five-year Climate Action Plan setting out aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2024-29. There are five priority areas: Climate ready: preparing the railway and organisations for anticipated changes in the ...

  • Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail Class 385 EMU
    Rail Business UK

    ScotRail introduces emergency timetable

    2024-07-10T09:30:00Z

    UK: Following the rejection of a pay offer and a decision by many drivers not to make themselves available for overtime work, ScotRail is to introduce a temporary timetable from July 10 which removes around 600 services. The company said the changes are ’a result of ...

  • Glasgow Subway Stadler train (Photo SPT) (3)
    Rail Business UK

    Scottish transport ticketing goes digital

    2024-07-09T04:00:00Z

    UK: Unicard has migrated paper-based ZoneCard tickets valid on ScotRail, Glasgow Subway and bus services in the west of Scotland to its ITSO-compliant smart ticketing platform. Strathclyde Partnership for Transport awarded the contract with the aim of improving the passenger experience and reducing the complexity of ...

  • Levenmouth reopening ceremony (Photo Transport Scotland)
    Rail Business UK

    Levenmouth rail link officially opened

    2024-05-29T14:28:00Z

    UK: The reinstated Levenmouth railway was official inaugurated by Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney on May 29, ahead of the start of passenger services on June 2.

  • Glasgow Queen Street ScotRail Class 385 EMU
    Rail Business UK

    Separate MDs appointed for Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail

    2024-04-10T13:13:00Z

    UK: Separate Managing Directors have been appointed for infrastructure manager Network Rail in Scotland and for passenger train operator ScotRail, though the organisations have stressed their commitment to the current alliance model of close co-operation. Both Managing Director roles are currently held jointly by Alex Hynes, ...

  • Motorola Solutions body camera
    Rail Business UK

    ScotRail offers all front-line staff body-worn cameras

    2024-04-05T04:00:00Z

    UK: ScotRail has equipped its front-line staff with more than 1 000 Motorola Solutions VB400 body-worn cameras, building on an initial deployment in 2017. ‘We are making body cameras available to all of our front-line staff, and any team member who wishes to use one can ...

  • Alex Hynes (Photo Network Rail)
    Rail Business UK

    Alex Hynes appointed DfT Director General Rail Services

    2024-03-18T16:47:00Z

    UK: The Department for Transport has appointed Alex Hynes as Director General Rail Services. He is due to join on a two-year secondment from his current position as Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway on April 15. Interim Director General Anit Chandarana will return to Network Rail ...