Task force needed to press for investment on rail services between Inverness and central belt
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A major study is recommending a task force be set up to press for long overdue investment in the rail service between Inverness and Perth so it can compete with road travel on the A9 which is in line for a £3 billion upgrade.
The study by consultants Systra was commissioned by HiTrans, the regional transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands.
The report states that while the relative lack of progress on the 118-mile Highland Main Line can be seen as “regrettable through a combination of circumstances”, opportunities are emerging to address journey time and connectivity issues that previous investments have not resolved.
It recommends HiTrans enlist support from all potential stakeholders for a “task force” approach to developing a comprehensive cross-industry consensus based on local needs.
The report notes that a significant number of investment and service improvement promises have been made over the last decade but many of these have not been delivered.
Average journey times between Inverness and Edinburgh and Glasgow have not improved significantly since 2006 when aspirations were announced to cut the journey times to under three hours in the Scotland’s Railways report, and later the Strategic Transport Projects Review.
Also, while services between Inverness and Perth are more frequent they have not achieved the average two-hour journey time proposed in 2011 while promised investments at Inverness and Perth stations have yet to be delivered.
The report states without the promised improvements, the shift from road to rail and the wider economic benefits will continue to be out of reach.
The consultants argue that given the significant planned investment in dualling the A9, a complementary step-change level of investment is needed on the Highland Main Line that would deliver competitive journey times compared to road journeys.
The investment would also be in line with Scottish Government's declaration in 2019 of a climate emergency along with a commitment to decarbonise Scotland’s passenger rail services by 2035 through the continued electrification of the network.
“Electrification of the Highland Main Line would make a significant contribution to meeting both these key objectives, allowing the rail service to compete on journey time with the upgraded A9 corridor, delivering improved journey times, increased reliability and resilience, and delivering the zero carbon benefits that have been pushed to the forefront of the political agenda," the report states.
“Furthermore, providing low carbon freight services on an electrified route could instigate a modal shift from road freight, a sector in which decarbonisation is proving difficult."
The consultants recognise full electrification would deliver the greatest benefits and should remain the ambition but also acknowledge it may prove challenging from an engineering perspective or too costly to represent a value for money investment.
They suggest a discontinuous electrification programme – including the use of battery or hydrogen powered trains –should be considered as a potential first step towards the longer-term benefit of full electrification.
“In terms of station improvements, a programme of investment in the smaller stations along the route, creating high quality community centres – or localised mobility hubs, with linkages with local bus services, and vehicle and cycle charging stations – would provide benefits for the local rail users.
Significant station investment such as this at stations would also enhance the visitor experience at destinations such as Aviemore and Pitlochry, facilitating the growing rail tourism sector in this region," the report adds.
