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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 10 July 2025
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Displaying 5973 contributions

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Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

I am looking round the table but do not see anyone else who wants to come in.

We have had a wide-ranging discussion, and we have heard quite a bit about Edinburgh, Glasgow, Winchburgh and Aberdeen, but witnesses have failed to talk about Inverness, which is a subject close to my heart. The dualling of the A9 also requires the dualling and double tracking of the railway. That is an idea that we can develop outside this meeting.

Thank you very much for your time. I am sure that we will see you again.

12:10 Meeting continued in private until 12:37.  

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

I call Mark Ruskell.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

Will you clarify that for me? I am a little confused. In the last year of the franchise, when ScotRail was going to be nationalised, Abellio could make decisions on wages provided that those were approved by the Scottish Government. It could not make a decision without approval from the transport minister, because that was part of the agreement.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

That would require the development of new trains. I remember that, when the 125s or HSTs came up six years ago, you said that they were a great step forward. The new Hitachi trains took quite a long time to develop and come into service. We are now in 2023, so 2030 is seven years away. If the design process and the procurement process started now, would the trains be available by 2030?

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

So if an issue is on track, you go to the minister, and if it is on passenger service delivery, David Lowrie goes to the minister. Is that right? Perhaps I am complicating things; I am trying to see what the pyramid looks like.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

Good morning and welcome to the 19th meeting of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee in 2023. The first item on the agenda is to decide whether to take in private item 3, which is consideration of the evidence on the railways that we will hear today. Do we agree to take item 3 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

I thank all the witnesses for coming this morning. Your passion for the subject has been clear to all. Thank you for your evidence and for explaining to me the complex structure of how the whole system works.

I briefly suspend the meeting to allow for a change of witnesses.

10:42 Meeting suspended.  

10:47 On resuming—  

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

I very much take that point.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

Mark Ruskell can ask a short question to one person.

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Transfer of Operation of ScotRail

Meeting date: 30 May 2023

Edward Mountain

When Abellio was in charge, there used to be the service quality incentive regime fund, which got lots of money from Abellio in fines. That was used to increase and upgrade infrastructure across the network. Does that fund still exist and do you have to contribute to it? If it does not exist, has the Scottish Government made up the moneys that have been lost from that fund?