Our third Scottish Transport Conference aims to provide a valuable forum for discussion of the opportunities and challenges arising from the Strategic Transport Projects Review and the latest developments in Scottish transport policy and delivery.
A safe, integrated, and efficient transport infrastructure is vital to delivering increased social inclusion and sustainable economic growth for Scotland, in particular in the light of the current global downturn. This conference will explore the ways future prosperity depends on providing strong connections between Scottish cities and towns as well as the rest of the UK and global markets.
Maximising efficiency and tightening project costings will be of heightened concern for both Transport Scotland and contractors in the current economic climate. Bringing together key decision-makers from across the transport sector, Scottish Transport 2009 will provide a showcase for major project updates and an opportunity to explore best practice in project delivery and collaborative working.
National Transport Strategy
Scotland's National Transport Strategy was published in December 2006. The NTS is the product of consensus achieved through wide consultation with key stakeholders (business, transport and wider interests, general public). The NTS introduces three key strategic outcomes which support the purpose of Government and respond directly to the five strategic objectives:
- Improve journey times and connections between Scotland’s cities and towns and global markets to tackle congestion and provide access to key markets
- Reduce emissions to tackle climate change
- Improve quality, accessibility and affordability of transport, to give people the choice of public transport and real alternatives to the car
These factors all contribute to the Scottish Government’s aim of increasing sustainable economic growth. A short summary version of the National Transport Strategy is also available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Transport/NTS.
The National Transport Strategy is supported by a number of other documents:
- Scotland's Railways - sets the vision for rail in Scotland for the next 20 years and beyond. It focuses on making journeys faster, connecting our major towns and city regions and improving the quality of the total journey experience. It identifies the short, medium and long term projects which will meet our vision for a world class railway. It builds on the major investment programme already underway in Scotland and reflects Ministers' commitment to a sustainable and efficient rail network which supports economic growth and protects the environment.
- Bus Action Plan - as part of the development of the National Transport Strategy an overview of bus policy in Scotland was carried out. The outcomes from the bus policy overview are contained in the Bus Action Plan which sets out 17 actions to achieve a step change in bus service provision and infrastructure.
- Freight Action Plan - The Freight Action Plan sets out our vision for Scotland to be a place where the movement of freight throughout the supply chain is efficient and sustainable - so enabling Scotland's businesses to compete and grow in a global economy. The Action Plan identifies 20 actions aimed at achieving this vision.
Projects such as the M74 completion, Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, Glasgow Airport Rail Link, Borders Railway and support for the delivery of the Edinburgh Trams project are all either underway or in advanced planning stages. The £120m Clackmannanshire Bridge across the Forth opened to traffic in 2008.
Scottish Climate Change Bill
On December 5, 2008 the Scottish Government published the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill. Bringing forward a Bill is a key commitment for the Scottish Government and places Scotland at the forefront of global efforts to tackle climate change.
The Bill will create a long-term framework that will:
- introduce a statutory target to reduce Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050
- establish an interim target of 50 per cent emissions reductions by 2030;
- establish a framework of annual targets; and
- include emissions from international aviation and international shipping.
This framework will help build a sustainable future for Scotland. It will contribute to the country's sustainable economic growth by moving the public and private sectors towards a low carbon economy. The Bill was developed following a public consultation which received over 21,000 responses.
The Bill is currently being considered at Stage 1, and has been referred to the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee as lead committee, and to the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee as secondary committee.
Integrated Ticketing: A Strategy for Scotland
Published in May 2008, this consultation document outlines the ways in which Scotland can harness the benefits of Smartcard Ticketing. It sets out options for a framework to introduce a range of new smartcard-based integrated ticketing products across Scotland, on buses, trains andn ferries, and some of the key challenges, such as costs, pricing, marketing and adminstration of integrated ticketing.
It also states that it is envisaged that much of this strategy can only be achieved through strong partnership working between the Scottish Government, transport operators, local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships
High-speed Rail lnquiry
The Scottish Parliament’s Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee, is holding an inquiry into the potential benefits of high-speed rail services. The inquiry will focus on five key areas -
- To identify the potential economic and environmental benefits to be gained through the development of a high-speed rail network linking Scotland with major English conurbations, London and Europe via High Speed 1;
- Options for ensuring that the existing rail network within Scotland can connect effectively with any high-speed network;
- The practicalities and costs of constructing a high-speed line and the different options for routes and train types;
- The potential for high-speed and improved links to achieve modal shift away from domestic aviation and long distance driving, as opposed to meeting increased overall demand; and
- To identify any barriers to the development of improved high-speed rail links.
The Rt Hon Stewart Stevenson earlier this year informed the group that the Rail Minister, Lord Andrew Adonis, had contacted him shortly after his appointment to the role and that he was taking a ‘keen interest’ in the deliberations of the committee.
In January, Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Transport, announced that a new company, called High Speed 2, would initially develop proposals for a new high-speed line between London and the West Midlands. This line could connect with services to Scotland, either by building a new line or using existing lines with new trains.
Network Rail has also established a team to examine the options when network capacity runs out in the next 10 – 20 years, including the viability of high-speed rail.
Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR)
The STPR began in summer 2006 with scope to recommend the major land-based strategic transport projects to be taken forward between 2012 and 2022. It focused on the projects that could most effectively contribute to the Government’s agenda to create sustainable growth. The findings were published in December 2008.
The Review complements both the emerging National Planning Framework 2 and the delivery of the three strategic outcomes identified in the National Transport Strategy:
- Improving journey times and connections – to tackle congestion and lack of integration which impacts on economic growth, social inclusion, integration and safety
- Reducing emissions – to tackle the issues of climate change, air quality and health improvement which impact on the environment and improving health
- Improving quality, accessibility and affordability – to give people a choice of public transport in terms of better quality and value for money.
The STPR proposes 29 transport packages to enhance the network in key locations across the country, including:
- Replacement of the Forth Crossing at a cost of around £2 billion with the existing Forth Bridge made a dedicated public transport corridor
- A new rail station at Gogar to integrate with the Edinburgh tram network/Airport
- Electrification of the rail network
- Major enhancements to the Edinburgh-Glasgow line, reducing journey times
- Key components of Aberdeen Crossrail scheme delivered
- Glasgow rail improvements including new city centre stations and development of Metro / Light Rail network across Glasgow
- Faster, more frequent rail services linking Fife, Aberdeen, Inverness, Edinburgh, Perth and Glasgow – reducing journey times
- Upgrading Haymarket interchange
- Upgrades to A96 including new Nairn bypass and Inveramsay Bridge
- Programme of improvements for A9 including upgrading dual carriageway
- Upgrades to the A82 including road widening on selected sections
- Improvements to the A90 between Aberdeen and communities in North East.
- Upgrades to A75/A76/A77 to boost economic/tourist links with port of Stranraer
- Proposals for new Dundee city bypass or upgrade of Kingsway
- Strategy for new national park and ride sites
- Plans for national integrated ticketing scheme
- Rail and road infrastructure improvements to improve freight links from major terminals of Grangemouth, Mossend and Coatbridge to key points across Scotland and into England.
The Forth Replacement Crossing will be the largest transport infrastructure project in Scotland for a generation. It will be taken forward via a Parliamentary Bill by the end of this year.
For the full STPR, see: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/projects/strategic-transport-projects-review
The Scottish Futures Trust
The SFT is an initiative from the Scottish Government aims at improving the system for investing in public infrastructure projects.
The SFT would be an incorporated company able to provide private finance and other related financial services to public authorities and public service providers. Any surplus money will be re-cycled for further investment and community benefit under Non-Profit Distributing (NPD) principles.
It is intended to provide a better deal for taxpayers than PFI projects by combining opportunities for maximising investment levels and reducing costs.
Finance Secretary John Swinney has said: "Efficient investment in Scotland's infrastructure is needed to create a more successful country, through increasing sustainable economic growth. The Scottish Government believes there is a more effective way of funding our vital public infrastructure than traditional costly PFI. We have already started that change by using a Non-Profit Distributing model for schools and health projects.
"By placing NPD principles at the core of the new arrangements for the Scottish Futures Trust, we can finally remove the element of PFI that delivered the most extreme and unwarranted profits."
The Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson has indicated that the Scottish Futures Trust will play a significant role in the future of future transport projects.
Announcing findings of the STPR in December 2008, he said: “As a centre of expertise which facilitates project collaboration, it will help release up to £150 million a year in extra investment in the fabric of Scotland’s public services. To ensure effective delivery, we will take forward an action programme with key delivery bodies in the New Year.”