Chamber News
The Future Of Our Rail Services
19 May 2025 • Sarah Medcraf
Earlier this month, Sarah had the pleasure of co-hosting an event welcoming Scott Prentice and his team from ScotRail. It was a great opportunity to bring together members of the business community to hear directly about the current landscape of rail travel in Scotland and what the future may hold.
Scott’s informative presentation shared key statistics and outlined ScotRail’s future plans with a refreshing level of openness that was very well received by everyone in the room. The discussion sparked some significant takeaways, especially when considering the transport needs of Moray and how they fit into the bigger picture.
There’s a clear need for investment in Moray’s infrastructure and improved rail connectivity should be seen as a complement to(not a replacement for) our ongoing asks regarding the A96. It’s not a matter of one or the other; both are vital to our region’s growth and accessibility.
A huge thank you to Scott and his team for joining us, and to Grant Campbell (Prosper) and Colin Marr (Inverness Chamber) for their collaboration in making the event a success.
Scott Prentice said: "The ScotRail team thoroughly enjoyed the discussion and constructive challenge from the participants. You've given us great feedback on where we can do better in the short term and the group really laid down a marker on the step change improvement needed in public transport to fully realise the range of opportunities for economic growth across the region.
We look forward to sharing our progress and helping the region shape its future transport plans. We briefed our colleagues in Network Rail today and they are as excited to support as we are"
New intercity trains are coming in the next few years and ScotRail are keen to work with the business community on setting priorities for a long-term rail future for our region.
These were the main messages from a packed business meeting in Inverness earlier this month which heard from Scott Prentice, Strategy and Planning Director for ScotRail about its new timetables, new trains, and long-term plans.
Sarah Medcraf CE, of Moray Chamber said: “We were pleased to welcome colleagues from Scotrail to discuss the importance of the rail network in the North of Scotland. Improvements are still required, so we need to work with partners across Moray, Scotrail and Transport Scotland to ensure that our region and the wider North has a service that is fit for purpose”
Inverness Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Colin Marr, then chaired a robust question-and-answer session where the audience voiced their frustrations with the current ScotRail service but welcomed Scott’s honesty and candour, and his willingness to keep talking to us to design the best possible service for the future.
The conversations covered the service and timetables between Inverness and the central belt and Inverness and Aberdeen, as well as the local services north of Inverness and around the Cairngorm National Park.
The room was delighted to hear that there are plans for new trains in operation between Inverness and the central belt. The procurement of these is already underway, and if a business case can be demonstrated, the first trains could start to enter service in around two years. While these trains won’t be brand new, they will be modern and completely refurbished before coming into service. We also heard that ScotRail is keen to ensure that a new fleet brings with it improvements to the passenger experience as well as improving the reliability of the service, meaning that passengers can rely on the train they expect always being available. That will reduce the occasions where there are no seat reservations, no catering or the toilets are not at an acceptable standard.
Scott advised members to look out for announcements next week on an exciting trial to improve digital connectivity on trains in rural areas. The recent timetable changes, with more to come, were viewed as positive, if small, changes.
There was disappointment that there won’t be a step change in frequency of trains or reduction in journey duration and that plans for these, along with more passing loops and electrification of the network, are still at a very early stage – with no certainty of timing or what the scale of the improvements will be.
However, Scott’s candour about the issues that ScotRail are facing and the difficulty of timetabling trains on single track routes was hugely appreciated – as was his clear willingness to work with the business community to plan on the best possible future.
The event was convened by Inverness and Moray Chamber of Commerce and Prosper. We will take the opportunity of Scott’s offer of continuing to work them to help plan a better rail future for all of us.