No 'significant changes' proposed for Caithness railway timetables
ScotRail says it is seeking public opinion on a revised timetable that shows it is "not proposing to make significant changes on the far north line" next year.
The rail operator will be unveiling plans, as part of a public consultation, for new timetables from May 2022 as customers return to using the service.
A company spokesperson said: "ScotRail is not proposing to make significant changes on the Far North Line from the current timetable and the May 2022 timetable will continue to operate four trains per day to Wick and Thurso with additional peak and off-peak services at the southern end of the route."
They went on to state that "the future timetable will be developed as part of the delivery of the Far North Line corridor enhancements".
It comes almost 18 months after Scotland went into its first Covid-19 lockdown, leading to the worst financial crisis the rail industry has experienced as passenger numbers dropped by 90 per cent.
ScotRail has been able to continue to operate during the pandemic thanks to significant financial support of more than £400million from the Scottish Government. During the pandemic, the train operator responded to shifting travel patterns and demand as lockdown restrictions were revised and adjusted. ScotRail made twelve timetable changes during a period when normally there would only be three.
There has been a gradual increase in the number of customers returning to the railway due to the easing, and now the ending, of the majority of coronavirus restrictions.
Passenger journeys have risen to around 50 per cent of their pre-Covid levels, however, evidence shows that, in future, customers will be using the railway in different ways by travelling at different times and for different purposes.
The train operator is proposing a new, better performing, timetable operating around 2100 services per weekday as the foundation to encourage a return to public transport following the pandemic. Most customers will find the number of calls at their station and the destinations served are similar to today. However, there are some areas where there is greater change, which is being done for several important reasons.
ScotRail analysis shows prior to the pandemic, on a number of routes across the country, significantly more seats were being provided than were required for the number of passengers travelling.
Returning to a pre-pandemic timetable would result in trains operating 26 million more vehicle miles each year for little customer benefit. As well as increased emissions, that would increase ScotRail costs to the taxpayer by £30million to £40million each year.
The consultation is open from August 20 to October 1, to seek opinions on the proposed timetables.
The ScotRail website has more information and includes a link to a survey, which went live this afternoon, where customers and communities can give their views: www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/fit-future