Far North Line On Track for Improvement Progress

13th March 2015

Highland (Scottish Labour) MSP, Rhoda Grant met earlier this week with Mike Kean, who led the successful Abellio bid for the ScotRail franchise, ahead of the formal handover from First at the beginning of April.

Mrs Grant who had sought the meeting, which took place in Parliament, focused discussion on what improvements far north rail line users could expect from Abellio, when they become the new ScotRail train operating company. Over the past year the 12 months the line has suffered severe service problems with around 200 services cancelled or unable to complete their journey over the past year.

The far north line is due to receive a raft of benefits including improvements to the 158 Class trains which service the route, including mechanical upgrades to increase train speed and reliability and there will also be a customer focused overhaul with improved seating and on-board facilities including improved Wi-Fi, power points and catering provision.

Following the discussion Rhoda Grant MSP, hailed the planned improvements as a campaign victory saying :

"I welcome the fact Abellio took the time to meet with me in Parliament and discuss the issues I have long campaigned on which face rail users across the length of the far north line."

"I have been calling for improvements to this service for a considerable time now and I was determined to ensure the far north line was given the priority and a promise of the improvements it deserves by the new ScotRail franchise operator ahead of the 1st April handover from current operator First.

"The meeting covered a comprehensive range of issues from train track infrastructure, train improvements to customer service, experience and improvements to stations, in particular Wick and Thurso."

“Abellio ensure me that we will start to see improvements along the line and we can expect a dramatically improved service by the end of 2018. I will continue to lobby for further investment in station improvements well before then."

“Going forward it is important that we see the far north line in the longer term and begin to lobby for capital investment expenditure on the line now, so that we can put pressure on Transport Scotland and Network Rail Scotland for considerable investments to be made in key infrastructure improvements such as signalling and at least two dynamic passing loops north of Inverness during the next spending round beginning in 2019.”