The SPICe Briefing Scotland’s Transport Networks: Winter Weather 7 December 2010 10/90 Alan Rehfisch Scotland‟s road, rail and air services have recently experienced severe disruption due to heavy snowfall and low temperatures. This short briefing looks at which organisations are responsible for the maintenance of these services during severe winter weather and highlights their duties to maintain these services and plans they have in place to cope with these conditions. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 PASSENGER RAIL SERVICES ................................................................................................................................... 3 ROADS, PAVEMENTS AND CYCLE TRACKS .......................................................................................................... 4 Trunk Roads ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Local Roads ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Private Roads ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Traffic Information ................................................................................................................................................ 5 AIR SERVICES............................................................................................................................................................. 6 SOURCES .................................................................................................................................................................... 7 RELATED BRIEFINGS ................................................................................................................................................ 8 2 INTRODUCTION Scotland‟s rail, road and air services have recently experienced severe disruption due to unusually heavy snowfall and low temperatures. This short briefing outlines which organisations are responsible for the maintenance of these services and where possible highlights what plans they had in place to deal with severe winter weather. PASSENGER RAIL SERVICES Responsibility for the operation and regulation of the Scottish rail network lies with several organisations. The key organisations involved in maintaining passenger rail services in Scotland during severe winter weather are: Scottish Ministers/Transport Scotland: Scottish Ministers are responsible for the letting and management of the Scottish passenger rail franchise, although this work is carried out on their behalf by Transport Scotland, currently operated by First Group. Transport Scotland is also responsible for setting the high level strategy for the maintenance and enhancement of the Scottish rail infrastructure by Network Rail. In common with other national rail networks, the Scottish rail network cannot cover its costs through fare and freight carriage revenue alone, so the Scottish Government provides funding to First Group and Network Rail to allow them to carry out their respective tasks, e.g. £315.2m to First Group and £331m to Network Rail in financial year 2010-11. Train Operating Companies (TOCs): Five passenger TOCs operate in Scotland. ScotRail operates 95% of Scottish rail services and its responsibilities in providing these in periods of severe weather are briefly outlined below. ScotRail services are provided by Aberdeen based First Group, which holds the franchise awarded by the Strategic Rail Authority and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive in 2004. Responsibility for the award of the ScotRail franchise now lies with Scottish Ministers, following the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority by the Railways Act 2005. The ScotRail Franchise Agreement (Strategic Rail Authority, Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive and First ScotRail Limited 2004) places an obligation on First Group to “use all reasonable endeavours to operate railway passenger services” including a requirement to “take reasonable measures to avoid and/or reduce the impact of any disruption to the Franchise Services having regard to all circumstances, including the reasonably foreseeable risks arising from the matters referred to in paragraph 9.2”. Paragraph 9.2 includes “variations in weather and operating conditions (including Network Rail‟s infrastructure being unavailable for any reason), which may in either case include seasonal variations.” The franchise agreement also places a duty on First Group to work with Network Rail and other train operators to minimise the impact of any disruption on passengers and to secure the provision of alternative transport services, usually bus replacement services, where appropriate. In practice, the franchise agreement requires ScotRail to ensure that its rolling stock is available for service and appropriate staff are available in the correct locations to operate those services. Severe and/or prolonged winter weather is likely to result in an increased number of rolling stock breakdowns and problems for staff getting to work, particularly in rural or remote areas, which will impact on the provision of rail services. Where it is not possible to operate rail services due to severe weather, ScotRail is required to secure alternative means of transport for passengers. 3 However, the provision of bus and taxi services can also be affected by severe winter weather. The Scottish Government/Transport Scotland is responsible for ensuring First Group meets the requirements set out in the ScotRail franchise and can ultimately impose sanctions if it fails to meet its obligations. The four other TOCs that operate in Scotland are East Coast Main Line Company, Virgin Trains, CrossCountry Trains and First Transpennine Express. These franchises are the responsibility of the UK Department for Transport. Network Rail: Network Rail owns the national rail infrastructure, which includes track, signalling, bridges, tunnels and stations. Network Rail is also responsible for the development of the national rail timetable and the production of route utilisation strategies. Severe and/or prolonged winter weather has an obvious impact on the rail network. Mechanical systems such as points and semaphore signalling, which is still used on parts of the Scottish network, can be affected by snow and ice. In addition, ice on rails can cause adhesion problems for trains and drifting snow can block tracks, especially where they are located in cuttings. Network Rail deals with such problems by technical means such as operating snowploughs, railhead treatment trains and point heaters and it will also deploy additional engineering staff around the network to deal with problems as they arise. Office of Rail Regulation: Although Network Rail operations in Scotland are funded by the Scottish Government, Network Rail is licensed and regulated by the UK Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). Network Rail‟s licence (Office of Rail Regulation 2010) requires it to secure the operation and maintenance of the network “…to the greatest extent reasonably practicable having regard to all relevant circumstances including the ability of the licence holder to finance its licensed activities”. Network Rail sets out how it will achieve this in its Delivery Plan (Network Rail 2009). The ORR is responsible for ensuring Network Rail meets its licence obligations and can impose sanctions if it fails to do so. The ORR also licences TOCs and the operators of other railway assets, but this licensing regime does not directly relate to the provision of services through severe winter weather. Rolling Stock Leasing Companies (ROSCOs): Virtually all the rolling stock operating on UK railways is leased by TOCs from three major ROSCOs. These are Porterbrook, Eversholt Rail Group and Angel Trains. These companies are not normally involved in the day-to-day maintenance of rolling stock, although they would normally be involved where major changes to rolling stock are involved, e.g. improvements to better deal with winter weather. ROADS, PAVEMENTS AND CYCLE TRACKS Roads in Scotland fall into one of three categories, trunk roads, local roads and private roads. Responsibility for winter roads maintenance of each is briefly outlined below. Trunk Roads Scottish Ministers own Scotland‟s trunk road network (including associated footways, footpaths and cycle tracks), although management of the network is carried out on their behalf by Transport Scotland. Transport Scotland has contracted out the maintenance, including winter road maintenance, of the network to three private companies: Scotland TranServ: Holds the contract for North West Scotland Amey Highways: Holds the contract for South West Scotland BEAR Scotland Ltd: Holds two contracts, for North East and South East of Scotland 4 Each trunk road maintenance contract contains detailed provisions regarding the winter service operations to be provided by each of the operating companies between 1 October and 15 May each year. These include requirements to produce a Winter Service Plan, appoint a Winter Service Manger, ensure that a Winter Service Duty Officer is available at all times during the winter period and operate Winter Service Patrols to