Minutes 16 Feb 06

SCOTTISH RAIL STRATEGY STEERING GROUP

BUCHANAN HOUSE
16th February 2006

Present
Malcolm Reed TS
Frances Duffy TS
Janet Egdell TS
Denise Manzor TS
Ron McAulay NR
Nigel Wunsch NR
Richard Eccles NR
Gerard O’Hanlon First Scotrail
Paul Hadley ORR

Apologies
Peter Fuller

Agenda Items

1. Minutes of last meeting

Minutes of 1 December were approved without amendment.

2. Action Points

No action points outstanding.

3. Rail Strategy Timeline

Janet Egdell presented an timeline giving an overview of how all elements of the forthcoming Strategy fit together. The overarching National Transport Strategy (NTS) will be issued for consultation hopefully in March, finalised in the autumn. The rail and freight strategies will sit under the NTS and the Regional Transport Strategies will flow from these.
It is hoped that the scoping study for the freight strategy will be completed in the spring.
Richard Eccles has a presentation with HLOS key dates and he will forward this so these can be added to the timeline. There was a discussion that the deadlines needed to be firmed up.

Action Point: Richard Eccles to forward HLOS Powerpoint presentation with key dates. Janet Egdell to firm up deadlines.

4. Scottish Planning Assessment

ARUP are working on another draft of the Scottish Planning Assessment (SPA). The next draft should hopefully be much more strategic and therefore accessible for the Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs). It was noted that Dept for Transport are also in the process of having some Planning Assessments reworked and it was suggested that perhaps the specifications should be changed.
The SPA will be subject to Ministerial clearance before publication and it is hope that the SPA, and the consultation analysis will be published simultaneously.

5. Progress with the RUS

Nigel Wunsch told the group that a further meeting of the Stakeholder Management Group has been held. At this meeting, ARUP gave a presentation on the baseline and it was agreed further work should be done including input of Train Operating Companies and Network Rail information. It is intended that the baseline pack and demand information will be reissued before the next meeting on 15th March to enable it to be signed off at that meeting.

Apart from the baseline work, the gap analysis has started as has timetable work on the GSW. Next will be the inter-urban network Glasgow/Edinburgh to Aberdeen. Previous work done on this will be fed in.

The demand forecast for the Freight RUS has now been agreed by Network Rail and the Freight Operating Companies. This will be used in subsequent RUS’s. Nigel offered to arrange for the Freight RUS team to give a presentation at a future Steering Group meeting.

6. Network Rail Discretionary Fund

Nigel advised that business cases for the Network Rail Discretionary Fund are being finalised.

7. Network Rail Route Plans

As part of the Business Plan, Network Rail will publish Route Plans at the end of March. These will be split into 26 sections, 3 wholly in Scotland and 2 anglo-Scottish.

It was agreed that care must be taken to ensure that Network Rail and Transport Scotland Business Plans complement one another. It may be useful if both organisations shared drafts of the plans.

8. Future Stakeholder Forum

Janet Egdell suggested we hold another Stakeholder Forum to summarise the consultation, Scottish Planning Assessment etc. The opportunity could also be taken to discuss outcomes from the RUS.

It was agreed that this would be useful. Network Rail and Transport Scotland will discuss timing.

Action Point: Denise Manzor to investigate suitable dates

9. Rail Priorities Consultation

Denise Manzor advised that 157 responses were received to the recent consultation and circulated a list of those organisations who responded.

Analysis of the responses is ongoing. The report will be circulated when available.

10. Future RTP workshop

Janet Egdell advised it is the intention of TS to hold a workshop with Regional Transport Partnerships on the rail industry and outlined the content. It is also intended that this will bring clarity over Transport Scotland/Transport Group split.

11. Assessment of Growth Potential

Gerard O’Hanlon advised that Steer Davies Gleave had done an evaluation of demand for First ScotRail Services over the franchise, including the main opportunities for growth.

Gerard agreed to forward a copy of the report.

Action Point: Gerard O’Hanlon to forward a copy of the SDG report.

12. AOB

None

13. Date of next meeting

It was agreed that the next meeting would be rescheduled.
The revised date is 10th April at 2:30 in Meridian Court, Glasgow.