In another step towards delivering a safer, more reliable, and greener railway, Network Rail and ScotRail have signed a new agreement, building on a previous arrangement signed by Network Rail and Abellio ScotRail nine years ago.
Within the Alliance Agreement and as part of the high-level output specification – through which the Scottish Government outlines the investment priorities for Network Rail Scotland – a range of projects are underway that require the two rail organisations to work more in tandem.
Spring 2025
At the same time, work is being done to identify areas where passengers and freight customers would benefit from better integration – a recognition that both companies will remain separate. The results of this work will be reported to the Alliance Executive (the joint Executive Committee of ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland) by the end of March 2025.
Overall oversight will be provided by the Alliance Board which has representatives from:
- ScotRail
- Network Rail
- Scottish Rail Holdings
- Transport Scotland
Managing director at Network Rail Scotland, Liam Sumpter, explained: “Through taking more opportunities to work together and collaborate, we can continue to develop a safer and more reliable railway, which will be to the benefit of Scotland’s economy, our environment as well as our passengers, customer and colleagues long into the future.”
Integration
Integration and collaboration are already evidenced in a number of areas, including the integrated control centre, the joint climate action plan, and the work being done to replace ScotRail’s fleet over the coming decades.
Managing director at ScotRail, Joanne Maguire, added: “The best way to deliver a safe, reliable, and green railway in Scotland is for ScotRail and Network Rail to work together as much as possible, while recognising that we remain two separate companies.
“The signing of a strengthened Alliance Agreement is a great opportunity to work even more closely with Network Rail. We are committed to greater integration to ensure the best possible service for our passengers and freight customers.”
Read the new agreement here.
Image credits: iStock and Network Rail
