Nicola Sturgeon today told cross-Border train operators she expected them to maintain 1m distancing in Scotland after LNER scrapped it and wrongly claimed the move had been agreed with the Scottish Government.
(Permalink) COVID-19 LNER Nicola Sturgeon

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the news of the deaths of three people in the Stonehaven derailment was 'devastating'.
(Permalink) Carmont Derailment Nicola Sturgeon Stonehaven derailment

ScotRail is reminding customers making essential journeys that they must wear face coverings when travelling on Scotland's Railway from tomorrow (Monday, 22 June).

An announcement by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Thursday set out the rules for the use of face coverings, making them mandatory for everyone in public areas in stations and on trains, apart from children under five and people with specific medical reasons.
(Permalink) Covid-19 Nicola Sturgeon

Customers making essential journeys must wear face coverings when travelling on Scotlands Railway from Monday, 22 June, after the Scottish Government made their use mandatory on public transport.

The announcement by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set out the rules for the use of face coverings, making them mandatory for everyone in public areas in stations and on trains, apart from children under five and people with specific medical reasons.
(Permalink) Covid-19 Nicola Sturgeon

The RMT union has called on the Scottish Government to take urgent action to protect vital jobs on the railway in a letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Once Scotland went into lockdown, railway enhancement works fell under the same restrictions as the wider construction sector.
(Permalink) Covid-19 Nicola Sturgeon RMT

Since First Minister Nicola Sturgeon declared a 'climate emergency' in April, the political agenda has been moving inexorably - albeit too slowly - towards a radical transformation of Scottish transport investment priorities. Last month, a collaboration of seven sustainable transport campaigns came together to make the case for a fundamental reprioritisation, 'starting with an end to creating new trunk road capacity'.
(Permalink) Climate change David Spaven Nicola Sturgeon

Fed-up passengers have taken their complaints about under-fire ScotRail straight to the First Minister. More than 80 emails were released by the Government showing the level of anger at delays, overcrowding and cancellations. One pensioner, who supports the SNP, said he feared for his health after being stranded on platforms in poor weather while trains failed to turn up.
(Permalink) Nicola Sturgeon

Scotland's first minister has said she will consider freezing the country's train fares next year amid concern over the reliability of ScotRail services.
Nicola Sturgeon was responding to a Labour proposal to freeze fares in order to 'give passengers a break'.
ScotRail's regulated fares are due to rise in January.
The increases would see a passenger using an annual season ticket to travel between Edinburgh and Glasgow having to pay £71 more next year.
Speaking at First Minister's Questions, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale highlighted fresh disruption at Glasgow Central station on Thursday morning, with a points failure leading to delays and cancellations.
(Permalink) Nicola Sturgeon ScotRail

The first minister has apologised to rail passengers in parts of Scotland after a broken-down train in Edinburgh caused severe disruption.
Nicola Sturgeon said the 'deeply regrettable' problem was caused by 'an extraordinary set of circumstances'.
The early-morning breakdown between Waverley station and Haymarket affected services across the central belt.
It also caused delays to trains travelling to Inverness, Aberdeen and on the Borders Railway.
Speaking at First Minister's Questions, Ms Sturgeon told the chamber: 'I am sorry for the disruption that was caused this morning and also sorry for any disruption that any passenger faces on any day of the week, that is ScotRail's position and it is also mine.'
(Permalink) Borders Railway Nicola Sturgeon ScotRail

Public sector bodies will be able to bid to run Scotland’s railway next time the franchises come up for renewal, the Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said.
Before next month’s Holyrood elections, the SNP leader announced that her party would enact legislation, under new devolved powers of the Scotland Act 2016, to alter the “absurd” franchise rules that excluded the public sector in the UK from running trains but allowed a Dutch state firm to operate ScotRail instead.
Sturgeon announced the policy, which echoes a promise in Labour’s general election manifesto last year, in a speech to the Scottish Trade Union Congress conference on Tuesday.
(Permalink) Nicola Sturgeon ScotRail