History
National Express operated the ScotRail franchise from March 1997 until October 2004 as ScotRail.
On 28 July 2003 Transport Scotland announced Arriva, First and National Express had been shortlisted to bid for the new franchise.
On 11 June 2004 Transport Scotland awarded the new franchise to First with the services operated by ScotRail transferring to First ScotRail on 17 October 2004.
On 3 April 2008 Transport Scotland granted First Scotrail a three year franchise extension until November 2014.
In September 2008 Transport Scotland announced that all First ScotRail trains, including those operated by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, would be repainted in a new blue livery with white Saltire markings on the carriage ends. The rebrandeding put less emphasis on the First and is marketed as "ScotRail: Scotland's Railway". The first unit to receive the new livery was 170434, unveiled at Glasgow Queen Street on 22 September 2008.
Read more about this topic: First ScotRail
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