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The Franchise Agreement specifies that ScotRail report on performance by Sector Group and not specific route [made up of Express, Suburban West, Suburban East and Rural Sector].

The following table provides the relevant information. In terms of publishing - this information is published by ScotRail on a four weekly basis and is displayed at selected stations:

Progress on implementation of the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2015 is published annually, with the next report being due for publication in March 2017. The Progress Report for 2015, published in March 2016, is available from the following link: .

In addition, updates on the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2015 - Project Pipeline are published in March and September of each year and is available from the following link: .

The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), which outlined Scottish Ministers’ future strategic transport priorities, considered the “Glasgow CrossRail” proposal and concluded that it would not make best use of the rail network or integrate well with the menu of schemes required to satisfy the objectives of the STPR.

The STPR did however recommend the West of Scotland Strategic Rail Enhancements (Intervention 24), a £430 million investment project which provides better opportunities to enhance connectivity in and around Glasgow.

Although the Glasgow CrossRail proposal does not feature in the Scottish Government’s current £5 billion investment programme to 2019, we are committed to on-going improvements to rail services and connectivity. Projects will be considered subject to the Scottish Government’s investment priorities for the strategic transport network, a robust business case, affordability and other competing proposals.

The draft budget for concessionary bus travel in 2017-18 reflects a number of factors.

Bus fares and concessionary passenger journey numbers have risen by less than expected in the last two years. As a result, we have spent less than anticipated on reimbursing bus operators. The proposed funding cap for 2017-18 is just over 2% more than the latest forecast outturn for reimbursement claims in 2016-17, which is £192m.

The draft budget also reflects the possibility that options might be identified through engagement with stakeholders and consultation that start to ensure the long term sustainability.

The majority of the Glasgow suburban rail network is already electrified. Since 2007 the Glasgow electrified suburban rail network has already been expanded by the addition of through electric services to Edinburgh through Airdrie and Bathgate, followed by the electrification of the Paisley Canal route in 2012 and the Glasgow to Cumbernauld and Whifflet routes in 2014.

The Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) continues to make good progress, with physical electrification work on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High route nearing completion and the first electric trains expected to enter service in July 2017. The Shotts Electrification project, scheduled for completion by March 2019, will also make a significant contribution towards the main investment objectives of delivering improvements to strengthen the connectivity between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The electrification of the Stirling Dunblane Alloa lines (SDA) is also progressing, with the first electric trains expected to enter service in December 2018.

Further electrification schemes in the Glasgow area will be considered as part of the broader rail infrastructure strategy and investment priorities beyond 2019. Any investment decisions will be subject to business case and affordability.

Demand for concessionary bus travel, in terms of number of journeys, fell slightly between 2013-14 and 2015-16, from 146.9 million journeys to 145.2 million journeys. The latest forecast outturn suggests there will be around 144.4 million concessionary journeys in total during 2016-17. For the purposes of next year's reimbursement terms, we have assumed, following discussions with bus industry representatives, a slight increase in journey numbers in 2017-18, to 144.7 million.

Transport Scotland officials have met bus industry representatives on a number of occasions to discuss concessionary travel reimbursement terms for 2017-18.

In the coming months the Scottish Government will be consulting on ways in which to ensure the longer term sustainability of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme and on the implementation of our commitments to extend free bus travel to young modern apprentices and job grant recipients.

Transport Scotland will be engaging initially with stakeholders to get their views, so that we understand the social, equality and other impacts of any potential changes. This will help inform a formal public consultation later in the year.

People are living longer, staying healthy longer, and staying in work later in life. We want to ensure that our successful concessionary travel scheme continues to benefit those who have the greatest reliance on free bus travel. However, we do not plan to make any changes to the eligibility criteria for the scheme for those with a disability. We will also safeguard the position of existing card holders and ensure that any changes will not affect those already in possession of bus passes.

The Scottish Government and its agencies continue to work closely with Renfrewshire Council to support inclusive growth and employment opportunities in the area, responding to the potential impact of recent company decisions. We welcome Chivas Brothers' commitment to offering its permanent staff at its Paisley site posts at the Dumbarton facility and working with staff to address the practical issues associated with the transfer. We recognise that the relocation will have an impact on Paisley and I am convening a roundtable in February to explore workforce issues and the future use of the site to ensure we can deliver the best outcome for the workforce, Paisley and the Renfrewshire economy.

Following a series of meetings between Transport Scotland officials and representatives of the bus industry, agreement was reached on reimbursement terms for bus operators for the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People for 2017-18 on 24 January 2017. The agreement will be implemented by Statutory Instrument, which will enter into force on 1 April 2017 subject to Parliamentary approval.