Question reference: S5W-34114
- Asked by: Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 16 December 2020
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the changes to Scotland's railway since the current franchising policy statement was published in 2012, what plans it has to review the policy.
Answer
We had originally planned to undertake this review once the outcomes from the UK Rail Review (‘Williams Review’), due in Autumn last year, were known. However, it is unclear when this will now take place and the Covid 19 outbreak continues to have a significant impact on rail passenger transport. Against this background, the Scottish Ministers will shortly require to take decisions as to the provision of ScotRail services after the expiry of the current franchise agreement in 2022.
As the Scottish Government has stated for some time now, it is our view that the current franchising system is no longer fit for purpose. However, we must act in accordance with the current UK rail legislation, which requires a relevant Franchising Policy Statement to be in place. We have therefore undertaken a review of the current Franchising Policy Statement and from tomorrow will launch a focused consultation with key stakeholders on a revised draft Statement.
The revised draft Statement can also be accessed on the Transport Scotland website from tomorrow.