17.03.16
ScotRail to introduce 200 additional services from 2018
ScotRail will introduce 200 additional services from 2018 after being granted extra funding from the Scottish government.
The funding means ScotRail can keep 13 three-carriage Class 170 carriages beyond 2018.
It will allow Abellio ScotRail to run additional services for Tayside, Stirlingshire, Perthsire, Aberdeenshire and Borders after 2018, with 20,000 seats daily.
Transport minister Derek Mackay said: “The retention of these units will complement the arrival of our new high speed trains, which will allow for new and improved intercity connections.
“They will also make our rail network more resilient, creating opportunities to run faster services on key commuter routes and offering better connectivity for regional areas.”
Phil Verster, managing director of Abellio ScotRail, added: “I really cannot overstate just how big a change to our service that this announcement represents. This is not a slight amendment to the way we do business, it is a fundamental change.
“These new trains will allow us to completely recast our timetables, meaning more regular, local services combined with a high speed intercity offering.
“This transformation means that we can set about delivering on our vision of a railway that connects people with jobs, businesses with customers and communities with the opportunity to grow and prosper.”
Hitachi are also building a new fleet of Class 385 trains for ScotRail, the first of which is to start testing next month.
(Image c. Danny Lawson from PA Images)