28 February 2014
Tom Hart's news notes, 28 February 2014
Scottish Transport News Notes December 2013 to 28 February 2014
WIDER ISSUES
The future of public funding underpinned by taxation remains a major UK and EU issue with considerable cross-party agreement that greater restraint in public funding is likely for a considerable number of years unless borrowing charges can be recouped through some rises in taxation, public/private partnerships and greater reliance on other sources of public income – for which there may be opportunities in the transport sector. The Scottish Government, if independence is supported, is committed to a ‘growth and stability fund’ from oil and gas to strengthen the economic base and future tax flows but retaining constraints on current spending. The UK government argues that the best prospects for growth lie with a continuing UK but with no commitment to the earmarking of funding from oil and gas sources.
Major differences exist on energy policy with shared worries over an ‘energy crunch’ but differing views on solutions and on trajectories towards low carbon. Concerns over both the slow pace of greenhouse gas cuts and the failure to meet EU standards for localised air quality have suggested that tougher action may be required to constrain aviation growth and to avoid airport and urban road proposals aggravating emissions. Unusually high rainfall and high winds since November have prompted pleas for greater provision in transport spending to mitigate the impacts of changing weather.
Apart from the issues of added disruption from cross-border checks, progress on Anglo-Scottish High Speed Rail and the future of Air Passenger Duty, transport has had a low profile in the independence debate but this is changing with the Scottish Government publication on ‘Scotland’s Future: a future for transport’. This looks at 13 existing GB or UK transport organisations and outlines phased changes. A long-term Scottish role is seen for the Traffic Commissioner and Passenger Focus with a medium-term role for the ORR and CAA in Scotland ‘while options for regulation are examined further’. Some ORR functions may transfer sooner to new options for economic regulation and competition law. The future of Network Rail (Scotland) requires further discussion in the light of the recent decision with public accounting rules that Network Rail must be treated as coming within the public sector.
AVIATION
In December 2013, the Interim Report of the UK Airports Commission recommended further study of three options for the net addition of one runway in SE England by 2030– two being variants for Heathrow and one being an extra runway at Gatwick with the possibility of a further option in which a Thames Estuary Airport could replace Heathrow. All other airports could operate within existing runway capacity to 2030 or for longer periods. Decisions on low carbon and improved air quality may lower forecasts of aviation growth already revised downwards. The Report seeks improved access to airports with the public transport share rising – it makes particular mention of the need for improved access to Glasgow Airport.
Scottish reaction has seen Edinburgh supporting the Gatwick option while Glasgow business interests favour improved links to Heathrow. As the fifth most used UK Airport (after Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester), specific calls have been made for study of ways of placing Edinburgh Airport directly on the Scottish rail network by 2030. SAPT has argued that, through measures to encourage greater shifts to High Speed Rail and to regional airports, no new runway for the south-east is likely to be needed within the next 20 years though with Stansted seeing increased use.
The Scottish Government has completed the purchase of Prestwick Airport and is embarking on a rebranding and flight development exercise. Glasgow Airport has expressed concern about possible conflict with state-aid rules while other comment, though agreeing that Prestwick has a future role (including aircraft repairs and training), sees Prestwick as having a relatively limited role skewed towards the leisure market.
Ferrovial (part owner of Heathrow Holdings) is reported to be in talks about gaining full ownership of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports. Glasgow City Council is contemplating a grouping including the Strathclyde Pension Fund to acquire Glasgow Airport.
From summer 2014, BA is boosting flights from Edinburgh to London City from 8 to 10 per day. An enlarged £1.5m executive lounge has opened at Edinburgh Airport. Environmental campaigners have praised the Scottish Government for cutting flights by ministers and civil servants by more than 20%
FERRIES & SHIPPING
Prof. Neil McKay has quit the Scottish Government’s expert ferry group saying it has sidelined the interests of passengers. Shetland(1984) Co.is seeking damages for losing out on the mainland ferry service contract.
Transport Minister Keith Brown has stated that, even with independence, there would not be a return to cheap ferry fares for commercial vehicles
Users of the Arran ferry have complained about severe disruption of the ferry service due to bad weather since November. They are seeking study of either plans to ensure more reliable access to Ardrossan in bad weather or a shift, either permanent or in emergencies, to a suitable alternative port.
In their 40th year of trading, Western Ferries report a 17% rise in profits, aided by the withdrawal of the rival state-run vehicle ferry between Gourock and Dunoon
Scottish ports report an upturn in the market with a 5% rise in trade flows expected in 2014. Cruise passengers are expected to rise to 390,000 in 2014
RAIL
The review by Sir David Higgins, HS2 Chair, of the delivery programme and costings is due in March. It is speculated that this will advance sections of new line north of Birmingham from 2033 to 2026 with priorities for 2026 including:-
- extension of new HS line from Lichfield to Crewe
- extension of Manchester PIccadilly station but with initial HSR services using
the existing line from Crewe to Manchester
- new HS line from Leeds to Derby/Nottingham with services then utilising existing line
being electrified from the East Midlands to London St Pancras and from Derby to Lichfield
Plans to improve HSR services to Scotland are still being assessed but the extension of new line north to Crewe and other improvements between Crewe and the Central Scotland belt may permit 3 hour trip times between both Glasgow and Edinburgh and London by 2030. The HSR Scotland Group is seeking separate hourly trains from both Edinburgh and Glasgow to London rather than half-hourly services, merging at Carstairs into one train between there and London. It also hopes that some Edinburgh-London HSR services to London will use the East Coast route via Newcastle but then join new HSR line in the Leeds area.
The costs and benefits of HS2 remain a controversial issue but with opinion favouring a major review of new terminal stations not linking well with local public transport and wider plans for the rail network.
The Conservative Transport Group and others have called for greater use of 200m trains (joining as 400m trains on some sections of new route) but also facilitating a better meshing of improving inter-regional and longer-distance commuting services into and through major cities rather than a focus only on London.
The UK Government has short-listed three bidders for the East Coast rail franchise – East Coast Trains (First), Eurostar/Keolis and Inter-city Railways (Stagecoach/Virgin). Trade unions and several MPs prefer continued public operation.
Consultation has started on £120m plans to upgrade Queen St station as part of the EGIP project and redevelopment adjacent to the station improving access to Buchanan Galleries. SPT has reservations about the detail of these plans but accepts that they will involve demolition of the present SPT headquarters in Consort House. There are conflicting views on whether the design should include platforms able to take 7, 8 or 9 coach trains and also concerns about the timescale and plans to minimise service disruption. SPT wants plans to include early Maryhill line electrification but Transport Scotland sees this as coming after 2019. Disruption concerns have risen due to the announcement that renewal of slab track into Queen St HL will require complete closure of the station for four months plus closures related to EGIP (H 27 Feb). SPT is seeking a much clearer transport and land use strategy for the Scottish Central Belt and sees itself as able to develop and deliver such a role in the west.
Network Rail has found that much proposed electrification in Scotland offers poor value on purely financial assessments while the EGIP Business Case prepared for Transport Scotland by Ernst & Young concludes that value is considerably less than £1 per £ spent but that the scheme can still be justified by wider benefits. Work on the improved concourse at Edinburgh Haymarket station, also part of EGIP, has been completed.
The Business Case outlines completion of Phase 1 of EGIP by 2019 with a possible Phase 2 starting from 2024 dependent on the conclusions from separate Scottish Government studies of Edinburgh-Glasgow HSR and links with HSR services to England. Phase 2 could either restore previous plans for grade-separated junctions on the line via Falkirk plus a new chord to give direct access to Edinburgh Gateway station on the Fife line or an alternative HSR route further to the south but also permitting fuller use of the Falkirk line by rising numbers of intermediate passengers (since most present through passengers would divert to the HSR route). It is proving difficult to develop an agreed strategy for key Scottish rail and road corridors.
Physical progress is now evident on the Central Borders rail route with details of timetables and fares also announced though the debate continues about likely usage south of Gorebridge. The Strathspey Railway Company is making progress on restoring the last section of the tourist railway from Aviemore into Grantown-on-Spey. Campaigners are strengthening calls for a change in the balance of proposed road and rail investment from Inverness to Aberdeen and to Perth is favour of accelerated rail improvement, shorter trip times, improved passenger frequency and expanded rail freight. Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Liz Smith and Transform Scotland are seeking restoration of a direct rail route from Edinburgh to Perth as a means of cutting rail trip times below motorway times.
Though staying high, the National Rail Passenger Survey has found that overall satisfaction with ScotRail has fallen from 90% to 87%. A Which survey has found only 56% satisfaction with ScotRail, seventh among 19 UK rail operators. Across Britain, surveys have also found that many passengers are unaware of their rights to partial or full refunds if trains are more than 30 minutes late. Operators have promised better publicity. Network Rail has agreed with ORR plans to improve punctuality and cut costs by 20% over five years.
Due to subsoil problems and heavy coal trains, major track repairs on the Stirling-Alloa-Longannet line costing £15 to £20m will be needed over the next five years. Work has started on a £3.8m scheme to upgrade Gleneagles station in time for the Ryder Cup
Since the alcohol ban on evening and early morning services, alcohol-fuelled crime on ScotRail trains has fallen by one-third
TACTRAN has found a positive case for relocating Invergowrie station to an adjacent site, West Dundee, with prospects for doubling usage. There may also be justification for relocating Bridge of Allan station closer to housing in north Stirling. Applications to the small Scottish Government fund to assist with new or improved rail stations are being prepared but only a few stations are likely to benefit. Kintore, Inverness Airport, Winchburgh, East Linton, Reston and Robroyston may have stronger prospects but no early action is expected on sites at Bonnybridge and Grangemouth. SWEStrans has expressed interest in new halts at Eastriggs, Beattock, Thornhill and Dunragit with the last of these possibly gaining from fairly low costs and a good fit with a Community Rail and Bus Partnership for the area south from Ayr and Girvan.
BUS, TRAM & TAXI
Following Iain Gray’s Bus Bill, there are indications that this may be replaced by a Scottish Government Bus Bill in 2015. The government is committed to a higher level of rail, bus and ferry co-ordination. £4.2m of funding has been announced to assist 13 bus projects over the next three years
Fare complaints have included pleas for bus conductors and an end to ‘exact fares’ requiring multiple coins and resulting in passengers overpaying. But the best way forward is seen as an extension of smart ticketing supplemented by simpler flat fares in local travel zones. Lothian Buses report an encouraging takeup of paperless travel with users downloading etickets to their iPhones and Android devices. The system will also apply on the new tram route. SPT has also experienced a greater than expected takeup of electronic card registrations entitling users to lower fares on the Glasgow Subway. Users of conventional tickets now pay a premium and this has encouraged a shift to smarter tickets in a system designed to incorporate extensions into regionwide rail and bus travel with options for wider use in Scotland,
Complaints continue about an excessive use of penalty fines for cars using bus lanes when evidence on the effectiveness of many bus lanes in cutting bus travel times is uncertain. Edinburgh Councillor Lesley Hinds, lead member for transport, says that there may be future opportunities to reduce the number of bus lanes.
Stagecoach has gained a £500,000 contract for bus provision related to the Gleneagles Ryder Cup in September. Plans are now well advanced with rail and bus operators for the introduction of free travel for ticketholders for Glasgow Commonwealth Games events in July. Free travel will be available within specified distances of events in association with strict parking controls
Edinburgh Bus Station is to be renovated. It is used by 800 buses a day with annual running costs of £2.2m.
Usage of Lothian Buses has risen from 110.7m passengers in 2012 to 115.4m in 2013. Bus use is now back to a level last seen in 1988. Use of Edinburgh night buses is 40% up on levels last July
Stagecoach has introduced a new bus service from Edinburgh to North Queensferry while Lothian Buses plan an orbital route using the City Bypass from the Gyle to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
Practice running of the Edinburgh trams is now taking place on the entire route. To encourage use, fares from the Ingliston park and ride stop are to be cut from £2.50 to £1.50. Over time, business and housing developments, as well as airport traffic, will contribute to rising usage with opinion on tram extensions also becoming more favourable. Further tram/bus co-ordination is expected.
After Glasgow City Council approval, a 3.3% rise in city taxi fares was applied in February. Taxi drivers in Glasgow now have permission to install CCTV cameras in efforts to deal with assaults and fare disputes.
A new feature of taxi comment has been disquiet about inadequate taxi rank provision at major rail stations, especially Waverley, Haymarket, Glasgow Queen St and Glasgow Central. Due to anti-terrorism precautions, taxi entry to Waverley is now severely restricted with many forced to walk to and from external taxi ranks. Similar problems arise in the newly announced proposals for Glasgow Queen St.
In the longer-term, there are expectations that the level of taxi use to and from major airport and rail stations will fall due to improved local public transport yet an important market for taxis will remain, as will a need for disabled access to and from taxis. An opposing trend is that the numbers of taxis and minibuses could rise as operators see opportunities for taxi-type services to displace conventional city bus services.
This has already become a controversial local issue in Liverpool
ROADS & PARKING
Transport Scotland has agreed contracts for a £310m package of M8/M74/M73 improvements, including completion of the M8 on a mainly new route between Baillieston and Newhouse. An additional £190m is being spent on other aspects of the project, including land acquisition. Completion is scheduled for 2017 with some Glasgow-Edinburgh trip times at peaks being cut by as much as 20 minutes. Funding will come from the European Investment Bank and a group of other investors with repayments over 30 years but the contracts also include ongoing maintenance over this period. This is the first UK roads project to use bond finance since the credit crunch.
Despite strong previous support, Labour’s infrastructure spokesman, James Kelly, has branded the new Forth Crossing a ‘vanity project’ with few benefits for Scottish companies. Transport Minister Keith Brown hopes that sections of the £653m Aberdeen bypass can open early. A preferred bidder will be announced this summer with the aim being completion of the entire project by spring 2018.
Despite some £7.5m spent on protecting the A83 from landslides and providing a relief road, a further landslide has affected the road on the north side of the section previously most affected.
Scottish Government is proceeding with plans for average speed cameras on single-track sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness associated with a three-year trial cutting maximum speeds from 60mph to 50mph but also raising HGV speed limits from 40 to 50 mph. Cameras should be installed by autumn 2014. Scrubland is also to be cleared from the sides of the road. The busiest sections of the A9 already carry 21,500 vehicles a day with further growth expected and supported by plans for full dualling by 2025. Critics have queried whether traffic volumes and economic benefits justify full dualling and have called for a corridor package encouraging greater shifts of passengers and freight to an improved railway. Phil Flanders of the Road Haulage Association has queried the view that it would be straightforward to shift significant freight volumes on this corridor from road to rail and argues that keeping the (unenforced) HGV limit at 40mph would be less safe than a 50mph maximum for all traffic.
Variable speed limits on the congested approaches to the Forth Road Bridge have cut accidents from 12 a year to 2 ‘slight injury’ incidents with traffic flow also smoothed. Speed limits fall as low as 30mph at times of heavy traffic. The mandatory system was installed in December 2012.
The Scottish Government is consulting on the introduction of 20mph limits on sections of trunk road in Biggar, Langholm, Largs, Maybole and Oban.
North Ayrshire Council is planning B714 improvements in phase with completion of the A737 Dalry Bypass to improve access from Glasgow and the Erskine Bridge to Saltcoats/Ardrossan
Drivers in six more rural postcode areas in Scotland are set to have fuel prices cut by 5p a litre subject to EU approval. However, there is already evidence that the gap between urban and rural fuel prices has narrowed from 5p a litre to 2p a litre with average UK petrol prices now just under 130p per litre
Potholes are still costing Councils £1,600 a day in vehicle repair claims – actual costs to users are considerably higher with much work still to be done to improve maintenance.
Conservationists are seeking the application of planning controls to stop, or require reinstatement of, estate tracks blighting scenic areas.
Glasgow City Council is considering cuts in annual parking charges for West End residents from £135 to £50 but businesses will have to pay more for parking and on-street charges for non-residents rose in January.
The aim is to ease traffic flow, improve safety and raise net income. Police Scotland is planning to withdraw traffic warden funding, leading either to increased problems related to parking or to replacement funding from cash-strapped local authorities. More may move to secure income by decriminalising parking but this process can take up to three years. The Scottish Parliament is considering a Bill to tackle misuse of blue badge parking for those with disabilities.
WALKING & CYCLING
There have been reactions from walkers against poor behaviour by cyclists, especially in relation to illegal cycling on pavements often at quite high speeds. Police action against irresponsible behaviour is sought. On the other hand, Glasgow City Council has been attacked for ‘ridiculous and unenforceable’ proposals to limit cyclists to 5mph in city parks. In Easter Road in Edinburgh, a cycling MSP claims traffic levels are too high for safe on-road cycling despite the contrary opinion of a Transport Scotland official. Motoring groups have welcomed a 20% rise in fines for road offences by cyclists yet cycling groups are unhappy about insufficient provision for cyclists on Princes St, partly due to work required to accommodate the trams.
A £10m cycle path is planned across Edinburgh from Roseburn to Leith. Edinburgh City Council is proposing a 20mph speed limit on residential streets, in main shopping streets and on other routes well used by pedestrians and cyclists from 2017 – following a successful pilot in three parts of the city in 2013.
In a Scottish ‘first’, East Lothian Council has imposed a total car ban near school opening and closing times on roads adjacent to three primary schools in Haddington. The Helix canalside development near Falkirk is nearing completion and is being linked with a £1m fund to encourage more canal-related activity, including walking and cycling along canal banks. Canalside sections are incorporated in the £2m 130 mile John Muir Way from Helensburgh to Dunbar due to open in April on the centenary of John Muir’s death.
The John Muir Way is expected to become Scotland’s most popular walking route with over 1m annual visitors, overtaking the present most popular route, the Fife Coastal Way with 500,000 annual users and the West Highland Way.
PLANNING & PROPERTY
Four Scottish Parliament committees are considering responses to the draft National Planning Framework (NPF3) before approval by Parliament. Views expressed have included a poorly evidenced choice of National Projects and weak links with Budget Strategy. Glasgow Chamber of Commerce considers that there has been a downgrading of the importance of Glasgow Airport and of Clyde Waterfront and Clyde Gateway developments - an east of Scotland bias is detected. Transform Scotland has welcomed the National Project designation of long-distance walking and cycling routes but wants Scottish inter-regional passenger and freight rail development to have National Project status. This is also advocated by SAPT but with development of city-region public transport and active travel included as a National Project
P D Stirling and Carnbroe Estates are seeking permission for a £250m expansion of the Eurocentral rail/road freight interchange adjacent to the new M8 between Baillieston and Newhouse. The project makes provision for the operation of 90 box container trains compared to the present 30 box maximum at Eurocentral. By cutting operating costs, this is seen as necessary to encourage greater shifts of trunk freight from road to rail.
Glasgow City Council is on course for a City Deal with Whitehall related to development around Queen St station and Buchanan Galleries. Activity in both the commercial and housing sectors across the Central Belt is accelerating from a low base – including developments adjacent to Haymarket and the Edinburgh tram route, hotel and office developments in central Glasgow and Dundee Waterfront. Oil related developments around Aberdeen continue to be strong but with an increasing emphasis on plans to transform the city centre, including a canopy for parts of Union St.
Glasgow has been hailed for the best inward investment strategy in Europe. The Financial Services District has gained 15,500 new jobs since 2002.
RESEARCH & STATISTICS
Transport Scotland is appointing consultants to evaluate the impact of the Larkhall-Milngavie rail project.
The Scottish Government has appointed infrastructure finance expert Romain Py to report on options for Prestwick Airport within three months.
Data for 2012 shows 10m air trips between Scotland and other UK destinations compared to 7.5m cross-border rail trips. Within Scotland, there were only 1.3m air trips compared to 79m rail passenger trips.
The Aecom report to Transport Scotland, Glasgow Airport and adjacent local authorities has recommended immediate action to improve bus links to Paisley rail station plus the longer-term aim of a tramtrain link from the airport joining the existing line from Paisley to Glasgow Central.
Tracked Electric Vehicles (TEV), based at Prestwick, is pushing the case for segregated, automated roads – possibly at some point allowing vehicles also to operate on ordinary roads. Scott Le Vine and Prof. John Polak have examined prospects for automated cars able to use ordinary roads. These could have a huge impact on lifestyles with potential to re-accelerate road traffic growth and erode public transport, especially over shorter distances. However, consumer preferences are hard to predict and slow but steady progress towards greater automation is recommended rather than the adverse impact of incidents arising if faster change is attempted. Various administrative issues also need to be overcome (LTT 21 Feb)
Young people in Scotland qualifying to drive have fallen from 32,898 in 2003 to 26,431 in 2013. Part of this is attributed to the impact of recession but other changes in the behaviour of young people are also relevant. According to the AA, the dip in petrol prices since autumn 2013 has failed to stimulate extra purchases. Surveys of household spending also show that spending on housing and home heating/power has overtaken transport spend. Taking inflation into account, weekly family spending on transport has fallen from £87.10 in 2001 to £64.10 in 2012 despite a real rise in petrol prices
New car sales in Scotland are running ahead of UK sales yet are having only modest impacts on totals for kilometres travelled by car. January new car sales in Scotland were up 9% compared to 7.5% for UK. There is an increasing trend to replace old cars with more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Data from the Scottish Retail Consortium shows a continuing fall in footfall in most shopping centres (both in and out of town) with increasing impacts from the rise of online shopping. Shopping areas, with varied degrees of success, are adapting to have a larger leisure and ‘event’ element and an element of ‘viewing’ items bought on line
January saw strong revival in air passengers with Edinburgh up 11.7%, Aberdeen 10% and Glasgow 6%
Edinburgh’s performance included a 9.4% rise in domestic passengers, boosted by Virgin Atlantic’s service to Heathrow. Glasgow saw a 4% rise in domestic traffic but international was up 9%
ScotRail passenger growth in the SPT area continues to exceed 3% with 2010/11 passenger totals of 50m expected to reach 57m in 2013/14. ORR data shows Glasgow Central as the busiest Scottish rail station with a 2.2% rise in annual passenger numbers to 27.18m in 2012. After a period of marginal decline, late 2013 data shows a 9% rise in Glasgow Subway patronage, influenced by the move to smart ticketing. For the first time since 2010, patronage in 2014-15 may exceed 13m
2011 Census shows an 11.2% rise in Highland population since 2001, including considerable growth in remoter rural areas.
The Island Visitor Survey shows a rise in visitors in 2012-13 to 425,000 bringing £100m into local economies, Edinburgh’s tourism industry is also exceeding key targets, Overseas visitors to Scotland rose 19% in July to September 2013 with their spending up 29%,. VisitBritain and Glasgow in particular (with the Commonwealth Games & Homecoming) expects a tourism boom in 2014 .
Models for movement forecasting have some under increasing attack for failing to correlate with actual outcomes. Post-opening Project Evaluations (POPES) have led to downward revisions in road traffic modelled forecasts but there are still uncertainties over the reasons for much reduced (or reversed – as in the case of London) road traffic growth and rail forecasts well above original estimates. GB Road Traffic growth estimates from the mid-1990s originally suggested total traffic up between 30% and 37% by 2012 but actual growth has been 13%. Another issue is whether rail growth in a temporary blip with rail usage beginning to stabilise in the same way as road traffic. A new ‘scenario’ approach was adopted by the UK Airports Commission – designed to better reflect the differing outcomes of decisions on capacity constraints, other policy measures and the impact of seeking larger greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. This approach has still to be more widely applied.
A particular problem with rail passenger trip data is that this exaggerates actual growth in rail use since, with multiple operating companies and changing ticket systems, what was formerly counted as one trip may now be counted as 2 or even 3 trips. However, data on rail passenger kilometres, though itself having defects, suggests that growth in rail passenger kilometres may only be slightly less than passenger trip data (or, on some corridors, higher due to a shift towards longer-distance travel on a unified ticket). More data is available in the delayed annual volume Scottish Transport Statistics, The volume for 2012 was published in February 2014 as No 32 2013 Edition (see Appendix).
BUSINESS & PERSONNEL
EasyJet reports a 7.7% rise in first quarter revenue with particular benefits in shifts of business travel to EasyJet services
Stagecoach has hiked dividends 11% on the base of strong US performance It has joined with Richard Branson in a bid for the East Coast rail franchise. Despite poor weather in the latter part of the 40 weeks to 2 February, Stagecoach UK bus revenue is up 4.6% with passenger volume up 1.2%
The American school bus business of First is holding back progress on debt reduction. UK bus has seen a 2% rise in revenues due to resumed passenger growth Rail revenue grew 6.3%, mainly due to patronage growth First has placed a £70m order for new buses for UK use outside London. 100 buses are coming from Alexander Dennis of Falkirk and 300 from Wrightbus in Northern Ireland.
TUI Travel has beaten profit forecasts with strong sales of more expensive holidays
Simon Kirby is new Chief Executive of HS2 – formerly MD for NR Infrastructure Projects
David Simpson has left as NR Scotland Chief Executive with David Dickson, NR Scotland West, as a temporary replacement
Ann Faulds, Steve Cassidy and Tony Depledge have been appointed non-executive Directors of Transport for Edinburgh Ann is Transport Convener for Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and also chair of Lothian Buses. Councillor Lesley Hinds is Chair of Transport for Edinburgh.