FIRST SCOTRAIL

'First ScotRail' is the brand under which First Group PLC runs its railway franchise to operate all domestic passenger services within Scotland, as well as the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London. First ScotRail's Headquarters is situated in Glasgow on Waterloo Street in a refurbished building called Atrium Court, they moved here from Caledonian Chambers again situated in Glasgow. First Group has its headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland.
On 17 October 2004 the franchise was transferred to First Group from National Express resulting in the rebranding from ''ScotRail'' to ''First ScotRail''. This was the first time the franchise has been renegotiated since the privatisation of British Rail. Franchises are now controlled by the Scottish Executive but on this occasion was dealt with by the Strategic Rail Authority as their agent.

Contents

Network

Fleet

Performance

See also

References

External links

Network

The First ScotRail network is a mixture of long-distance, commuter and rural lines, totalling 2,729 km (1,696 miles), handling 66.1 million passenger journeys in 2003-4.
The densest part of the network is the suburban network around Glasgow, consisting of 183 stations — the second largest suburban rail network in the UK after London. Much of it is 25kV AC electrified. Glasgow’s main terminal stations are Central Station and Queen Street Station. Although First ScotRail operate the trains in this area, they do so under the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) brand.

Edinburgh’s suburban network is less dense than Glasgow’s, but is still relatively extensive. Edinburgh’s main station is Waverley Station.
Express services operate between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen. The Highland Main Line links Inverness to the south.
Rural lines include the scenic West Highland Line, Kyle Line and Far North Line. These are not generally well used, but are kept open for a variety of reasons, including social necessity, tourism and political considerations.
The company also operates some services that venture south of the border; principally the Caledonian Sleeper services to London Euston, along the West Coast Main Line, and a twice daily cross country service between Newcastle upon Tyne and Stranraer via Carlisle and Kilmarnock.
The majority of Scotland’s 340 passenger stations are operated by First ScotRail with Network Rail retaining ownership — the exception being Prestwick International Airport station, which is both owned and operated by the airport. Only three other stations in Scotland are not operated by First ScotRail: Dunbar (GNER), Edinburgh Waverley (Network Rail) and Glasgow Central (Network Rail). Curiously, they operate Lockerbie railway station but none of their services call there.

Fleet

The present diesel fleet comprises a mixture of Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter units, which were acquired during the British Rail era, and Class 170 Turbostar sets acquired post-privatisation.
The present electric fleet includes Class 314, Class 318, Class 320, Class 322 and Class 334 Juniper units.
The Scotland-Euston overnight services comprise ex-InterCity Mark 2 and Mark 3 sleeper coaches, which are hauled by EWS locomotives.
During 2005, the Edinburgh-North Berwick line were operated by EWS-Class 90 electric locomotives with former Virgin Trains Mark 3 coaches. In late 2005, Class 322 units were reintroduced onto the line. A refurbishment program is taking place for these units. It is considered bad use of resources to use diesel trains on an entirely-electric line, thus precluding the use of shorter Turbostar units.
The previous operator of the Scottsh franchise (National Express - ScotRail) have previously operated Class 101 and Class 117 diesel units, and Class 303, Class 305 and Class 311 electric units, but these were all been withdrawn prior to First ScotRail taking over the franchise..
ScotRail has also operated Class 150 diesel but these have transferred to other operators following deliveries of new trains.

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 156 ''Super Sprinter''		Diesel multiple unit	75	120		Glasgow - Oban/Fort William Fort William - Mallaig Glasgow - Stranraer Glasgow - Carlisle Newcastle - Stranraer Glasgow - Paisley Canal Glasgow - East Kilbride Glasgow - Whifflet	1987 - 1989
Class 158 ''Express Sprinter''		Diesel multiple unit	90	145		Glasgow - Edinburgh Glasgow - Perth/Dundee Edinburgh - Aberdeen Aberdeen - Inverness Inverness - Kyle of Lochalsh Inverness - Wick	1989 - 1992
Class 170 ''Turbostar''		Diesel multiple unit	100	160		Glasgow - Edinburgh Glasgow - Aberdeen Glasgow - Inverness Edinburgh - Aberdeen Edinburgh - Inverness Edinburgh - Fife	1999 - 2004
Class 314		Electric multiple unit	75	121	14	Cathcart Circle Glasgow - Neilston Glasgow - Newton Glasgow - Gourock Glasgow - Wemyss Bay	1979
Class 318		Electric multiple unit	90	145	21	Glasgow - Ayr Glasgow - Largs Glasgow - Ardrossan Glasgow - Wemyss Bay Glasgow - Gourock Dalmuir - Lanark Airdrie - Helensburgh Milngavie - Springburn	1986
Class 320		Electric multiple unit	75	121	22	Airdrie - Helensburgh Airdrie - Balloch Springburn - Milngavie	1990
Class 322		Electric multiple unit	100	160	5	Glasgow - North Berwick Edinburgh - North Berwick	1991
Class 334 ''Juniper''		Electric multiple unit	90	145	40	Glasgow - Ayr Glasgow - Wemyss Bay Glasgow - Gourock Dalmuir - Motherwell Dalmuir - Lanark Milngavie - Larkhall Airdrie - Helensburgh Dalmuir - Coatbridge	2000
Mk. 2 Coach		Passenger Rolling stock	100	160		London - Aberdeen London - Edinburgh London - Fort William London - Glasgow London - Inverness	1969 - 1974
Mk.3 Coach		Passenger Rolling stock	125	200		London - Aberdeen London - Edinburgh London - Fort William London - Glasgow London - Inverness	1975 - 1988

Performance

The performance figures for National Express’s last quarter as franchise holders, July to September 2004, are:

★ 82.8% of trains arriving within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. Down 4.2% on the same quarter the previous year.

★ 84.2% of trains arriving within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. Down 1.0% on the previous year as a whole.
The performance figures for First Group’s first quarter as franchise holders, October to December 2004, are:

★ 79.8% of trains arriving within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. Down 1.9% on the same quarter the previous year

★ 83.7% of trains arriving within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. Down 0.5% on the previous year as a whole.
Note: First Group did not start operating the franchise until 17 October 2004.
The latest performance figures to be released by the Office for Rail Regulation (ORR)^[1] of the last quarter of the financial year 2006/7 are as follows:

★ 88.7% of trains arriving within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. Down 0.9% on the same quarter the previous year

★ 88.8% of trains arriving within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. Down 0.2% on the previous year as a whole.
Note: the percentage change figures are not the actual increases in % but the percentage increase in the % value.
These values are very similar to the sector performance level.

See also

Caledonian Sleeper

References

★ Scottish Executive. ''Scottish Transport Statistics No. 24: 2005 Edition''. Accessed on October 2, 2005.

★ Scottish Parliament Information Centre. ''Changes to the regulation of Scotland's railways''. Accessed on October 2, 2005.

★ RailBritain.com. ''First ScotRail fleet size as of December 2004''. Accessed on October 2, 2005.

External links

★ First ScotRail

★ Strategic Rail Authority announcement on the franchise transfer to First Group

★ First ScotRail Recruitment Website