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Themes ScotRail Weather HS2 Flooding Ayr Station Hotel Cancellations Flying Scotsman Inverness Carlisle Perth Glasgow Timetable Avanti West Coast Aberdeen Compensation Peak fare Highland Main Line Dundee Caledonian MacBrayne Edinburgh MV Glen Sannox CMAL Caledonian Sleeper MV Glen Rosa Barrhead
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First Minister Humza Yousaf said he would 'look into the detail' but he did not think there had been a breach. Jenny Gilruth, who was promoted to education secretary in March, reportedly stopped rail improvement works taking place in her constituency when she was transport minister.
(Permalink) Dalmeny Haymarket Politics |
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Figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats show that the train operator paid out £647,077.71 in 38,592 different delay repayment claims.
(Permalink) Delay repayment Politics ScotRail |
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Opposition parties have called for concrete plans and a better vision for Scotlands rail services, on the first anniversary of Scotrail being brought back into public hands.
From April 1 last year, in what former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called a historic moment, the Scottish Government took back the franchise from Dutch State company Abellio after it was much criticised for poor performance. A government owned company, Scotrail Trains Limited, now operates the services, overseen by a new public body, Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd. (Permalink) Plans Politics ScotRail Scottish Rail Holdings |
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Avanti West Coast was handed millions of pounds of taxpayer-funded bonuses for a period in which it was Britain's worst train operator for delays, according to Labour party analysis. The analysis, which used Department for Transport (DfT) figures published on Thursday, found the company was awarded the highest possible rating for operational performance and customer satisfaction between 1 April and 18 September last year.
(Permalink) Avanti West Coast Department for Transport Politics |
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Exclusive: The Scottish Greens co-leader said the French policy - which curbs short-haul flights where there is a rail alternative - should be looked at by Tory ministers.
(Permalink) Domestic flights Green Politics |
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As fewer and fewer people use them, it seems railways are regarded as no longer essential especially in the north. Of all Britain's looming strikes, ministers seem least worried by the trains. When last week the Treasury and the transport secretary, Mark Harper, reportedly stopped the rail companies from upping their pay offer to the unions, they would have known the strike was on. They would have known that demanding new work practices alongside a fall in real-terms pay was never going to work. The pandemic devastated the railways, despite the government strangely paying to keep them running throughout. Taxpayers spent £16bn and goodness knows how much carbon transporting air round Britain.
(Permalink) Politics Strike |
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Jenny Gilruth told the Record train services across Scotland would be 'hammered' in December unless Tory ministers could quickly resolve a dispute with Network Rail.
(Permalink) Network Rail Politics |
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Avanti West Coast, which received £343m subsidy, had worst punctuality performance among train operators. Labour has called on ministers to claw back £12m in dividends paid by Avanti West Coast to its shareholders last year, when it was subsidised by 343m by the taxpayer.
(Permalink) Avanti West Coast Politics |
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SNP MSP seeks cross-party support at Holyrood to bring rail to Peterhead, Ellon and Fraserburgh.
(Permalink) Ellon Fraserburgh Peterhead Politics |
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Just as near record numbers of passengers are taking a key Scottish rail route, its never been so uncertain as to when they can travel.
(Permalink) Edinburgh-London LUMO Politics |
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Failed franchises are causing daily misery and costing local economies billions. If this was London, it would be a national scandal. If you want to truly understand the full extent of this country's present dysfunction, forget about the chaos going on in Westminster and instead spend a day trying to travel across the north of England.
(Permalink) North of England Northern Politics |
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The prospect of bringing rail back to Peterhead and Fraserburgh has made a significant step forward after Karen Adam MSP secured unanimous support from delegates at the SNP's 88th Annual Conference earlier this month.
(Permalink) Formartine and Buchan Railway Fraserburgh Peterhead Politics |
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Scottish Ministers have set out in the strongest terms their opposition to the Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth has written to the UK Government to reiterate the Scottish Governments position that they will not support any proposals that seek to undermine legitimate Trade Union activity. (Permalink) Politics Strike Trade Union Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill |
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Railways minister Jenny Gilruth admitted train journeys in Fife take too long as she revealed her own commuting frustrations.
(Permalink) Commuting Fife Politics ScotRail  Inverkeithing: A class 170 for Edinburgh from the Dunfermline line calls at Inverkeithing on 19 May 2021. The HST seemed to be held up for an unnecessary amount of time to let it into the station, but I'm sure they ... |
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A direct ferry link between Rosyth and Belgium would revive Scotland's ties with Europe after Brexit, the SNP conference heard.
(Permalink) Politics Rosyth Ferry |
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The north-east is due to take centre stage at the upcoming SNP conference in Aberdeen as Karen Adam MSP has secured a policy debate to reach an agreement on re-establishing rail links in Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
(Permalink) Ellon Fraserburgh Peterhead Politics  Fraserburgh: Fraserburgh in the summer of 1964. An NBL Type 2 awaits departure, and a Cravens diesel unit is just visible beneath the station canopy. |
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Unions to join forces on Saturday to coincide with start of Conservative party conference in Birmingham. The biggest rail strike in Britain for decades will bring most trains to a halt throughout Saturday, with unions combining industrial action for the first time this year. No trains will run in many areas, with no direct services at all on some intercity routes between London to Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
(Permalink) Politics RMT Strike |
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With works down on the Newhaven line extension still in progress, officials are set to put forward the proposals, which would see the tram operate on a north-south tram line.
(Permalink) Edinburgh Council Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Railway Edinburgh Trams Ferry Granton Kirkcaldy Newhaven Politics Proposals  Princes Street [Tram]: Edinburgh trams 275 and 256 meet at the Princes Street stop on 23 September.  Granton Pier: A look 'ashore' along Granton Middle Pier where the wooden station was situated to the right of the newer brick building. Nowadays this is more of a quay than a pier as the West Harbour has been fille ...  Newington [NBR]: A diverted Waverley - Queen Street service passing west through the site of Newington station on Sunday 2 April 2006 on its way round the 'sub' to join the E&G main line at Haymarket West Junction. |
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Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar raised the plight of commuters having to fork out for taxis due to the rail crisis.
(Permalink) ASLEF Driver shortage Overtime Politics Rest days ScotRail Timetabling |
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Swinney said he was 'very confident' extra services would be put on for the Scotland v Ukraine match next week.
(Permalink) ASLEF Driver shortage Overtime Politics Replacement bus Rest days ScotRail Timetabling |
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Publicly-owned bus services, supporting a Clyde Metro and reducing the impact of the M8 are among the pledges made by political groups in Glasgow.
(Permalink) Blochairn Cathcart Circle Clyde Metro Finnieston Glasgow District Subway Ibrox New station Parkhead Politics SPT |
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Craig Mackay, who is seeking to reclaim his SNP seat in the town, says he and the community have been shunned by station chiefs Network Rail.
(Permalink) Network Rail Politics Reconstruction Troon  Troon: The 1036 Ayr to Glasgow calls at Troon on 2nd August 2021 following service resumption after the disastrous fire.
 Troon: The 11.06 for Ayr runs in to Troon on 10th November 2021. No change on the up side platform yet.
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Ariane Burgess wants better integration on public transport systems.
(Permalink) Integrated Transport Politics Rural depopulation |
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Trams could connect Aberdeen's two university campuses - if the Scottish Greens have any say in the running of the next council.
(Permalink) Aberdeen trams Politics |
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The Glen Sannox and as yet unnamed hull 802 will be delayed until at least next year - five years later than planned.
(Permalink) CMAL Ferguson Marine Politics  Newark Shipyard: Looking across the River Clyde to the MV Glen Sannox tied up alongside the Ferguson Marine yard in Port Glasgow on 28 June 2021. The ship is still to enter service with Cal Mac years after being launc ... |
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New rail routes in Dyce, Ellon, Fraserburgh and Peterhead could be installed in Aberdeenshire under the Lib Dems as they pledge to improve transport in their manifesto.
(Permalink) Ellon Fraserburgh Peterhead Politics |
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An extension to Granton and the Royal Infirmary could begin if the party is returned to power in the capital in May
(Permalink) Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Edinburgh Trams Granton Politics |
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The Scottish Conservatives are focusing on rebuilding communities as the party says councillors will lobby the SNP Government to fund free travel for young people and pensioners on public transport links.
(Permalink) Edinburgh Trams Free travel Glasgow District Subway Politics |
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Jenny Gilruth is expected to meet with campaigners and north-east Conservative MSP Liam Kerr at Dyce Station on June 24 to discuss the proposals.
The Scottish Governments major transport review failed to include reinstating the Buchan and Formartine rail link within its recommendations. This is despite a feasibility study being promised as part of the co-operation agreement between the SNP and Greens. (Permalink) Dyce Ellon Formartine and Buchan Railway Fraserburgh Maud Peterhead Politics  Fraserburgh: A mixed train preparing to leave Fraserburgh for Aberdeen in April 1955. Locomotive in charge is BR Standard 2-6-4 tank no 80004, delivered new to Kittybrewster shed two and a half years earlier.  Udny: EE Type 1 no D8031 stands at Udny station on 15 August 1960 at the head of the Peterhead - Aberdeen goods. The locomotive had been delivered new to Kittybrewster shed at the beginning of the year.  Newmachar: View north from the footbridge at Newmachar station on 15 August 1960 as B1 4-6-0 no 61352 waits at the platform with empty stock on its way to Ellon for storage on the stub of the Boddam branch. The ... |
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SNP councillors have pledged to push ahead with tram extensions to the north and south of Edinburgh if they are returned to power in the local elections next month.
(Permalink) Edinburgh Trams Politics |
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Communities all across the north-east left isolated by the closure of railways have long campaigned to have their local stations reopened.
(Permalink) Ellon Fraserburgh Peterhead Politics  Ythan Viaduct: The viaduct at Ellon over the River Ythan is now on The Formartine and Buchan Way.  Peterhead: Ex-GER B12 4-6-0 no 61511 arriving at Peterhead on 4 July 1951 with a train from Aberdeen.  Udny: NBL Type 2 D6150 photographed near Udny on 15 August 1960 with a fish and parcels train on its way from Fraserburgh to Aberdeen. |
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ScotRails takeover by the Scottish Government on Friday could turn it into CalMac on wheels, Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Graham Simspon has told MSPs.
(Permalink) Nationalisation Politics ScotRail Trains Scottish Rail Holdings |
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The trains need to go where people want, when people want and at a reasonable price. This in essence is our approach to rail travel and should surely be the mission statement of those in charge.
(Permalink) Fares Nationalisation Politics ScotRail Trains Scottish Rail Holdings Ticketing |
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The SNP in Aberdeen said they will work to open a new train station in Cove if they gain power in Aberdeen City after May's council elections.
(Permalink) Cove New station Politics  Cove Bay: View through Cove Bay station on 4 April 1961 with a breakdown train approaching on its way north. The locomotive in charge is Perth based Black 5 4-6-0 no 44720. |
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The First Minister has come under more pressure over her involvement in the management of a contract for two CalMac ferries that are £150 million over budget and incomplete.
(Permalink) CMAL Caledonian MacBrayne Politics |
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Audit Scotland is expected to give its spending findings this week on the Ferguson Marine shipyard
(Permalink) Audit Scotland CMAL Caledonian MacBrayne Politics |
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Urgent talks to avert a ScotRail strike that would halt most of Scotland's trains during COP26 were today demanded by the Scottish Conservatives.
(Permalink) COPS26 Industrial Action Politics ScotRail Scottish Conservatives |
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Sunday train services have been badly disrupted for several months amid dispute with union.
(Permalink) Industrial Action Politics RMT ScotRail |
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Passengers on Scotland's railways have faced months of misery with weekend services slashed and no end in sight to industrial action.
(Permalink) COP26 Industrial Action Politics RMT ScotRail Scottish Government |
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ScotRail strikes which have left passengers with no Sunday trains since March were condemned today by Scottish Labour as a 'national humiliation'.
(Permalink) Industrial Action Politics RMT ScotRail |
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SNP plans to nationalise Scotland's rail service next year come with big risks, according to Britain's former railways minister, business and passenger groups. Tom Harris, the former Labour minister.
(Permalink) Nationalisation Politics ScotRail |
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'People of Strathspey deserve to know why the funicular fell into disrepair and who is responsible for this failure.'
(Permalink) Cairngorm Mountain Railway Politics |
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The Scottish Liberal Democrats have said it should be full steam ahead on plans to reopen railway lines including Deeside and Peterhead.
(Permalink) Deeside Railway Formartine and Buchan Railway Politics Scottish Liberal Democrats |
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