Railways
Scotland has an extensive railway network using cross country links across the country, and connections to England; local commuter links to the major cities; and freight. Only 29% of the rail network in Scotland (by routes miles) is electrified, as opposed to 40% across Great Britain as a whole. This results in many trains being run on diesel fuel rather than by overhead electricity.
The railway network is owned by Network Rail, the non-profit organisation responsible for all of the railway infrastructure. Rail services are provided under franchises awarded by the government. The current holder of the Scottish franchise is First ScotRail, a division of Aberdeen-based FirstGroup plc. Intercity services are also operated by CrossCountry, First Transpennine Express, East Coast and Virgin Trains.
On 1 January 2006, a new agency Transport Scotland was created that would oversee the regulation of railways in Scotland, and administer major rail projects. The Scottish Government, in its time, committed itself to the expansion of the railway network in Scotland, with planned links to the main Scottish airports, and reopening of disused lines in Clackmannanshire and the Scottish Borders.
Read more about this topic: Transport In Scotland
Famous quotes containing the word railways:
“There is nothing in machinery, there is nothing in embankments and railways and iron bridges and engineering devices to oblige them to be ugly. Ugliness is the measure of imperfection.”
—H.G. (Herbert George)