Details of £5bn rail funding package unveiled

The Scottish Government is to invest £5bn in improvements to the rail network over five years, transport minister Keith Brown has announced.

The plans include extending the life of the rail franchise from seven years to ten, to encourage long-term investment, and splitting off the Caledonian Sleeper service, which will run on a 15-year franchise.

The government also wants to electrify 100km (62.1 miles) of track a year between 2014 and 2019 and improve links with other public transport services and the cycle network.

The £5bn package, announced in a statement to the Scottish Parliament, includes £1bn of government-backed industry investment and an additional £1bn for the ScotRail and Caledonian sleeper franchises.

The Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvements Programme (EGIP), the Borders Railway project, the Aberdeen to Inverness corridor and the Highland Main Line are all slated for upgrades.

The Wi-Fi connection trialled on the Edinburgh to Glasgow line will be extended across the country and new ticketing systems introduced.

£60m of the money has been earmarked for improving journey times.

A £30m investment fund to upgrade railway stations across the country has already been announced, along with a £100m investment package for the night sleeper service.

Mr Brown said he wanted to create a "21st-century rail service for Scotland".

He said: "We will expect new operators to deliver improved journey times, increased reliability, a roll out of Wi-Fi across the network and smart ticketing systems across the country.

"I particularly want to see a fully-integrated transport network to improve connections across Scotland and the new franchise will demand that operators ensure rail timetables synchronize with local buses and ferries and that infrastructure is in place to connect up train and cycle journeys.

"I am calling on the industry to work together to deliver high quality, reliable and resilient services in a way which maximises value for money for rail users and taxpayers.

"Increasing rail travel is vital to this Scottish Government's key objectives of supporting economic growth, protecting the environment and improving links between Scottish communities and their access to employment opportunities."

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