Question reference: S5W-22666
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 16 April 2019
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 May 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what most recent assessment it has made of the impact of Abellio ScotRail's performance on the economy, and when it will next carry out another one.
Answer
The ScotRail Franchise plays a key role towards the economic wellbeing of the Scottish economy. A report which was published in 2016 for Transport Scotland (The Oxera report) estimated that the rail sector’s contribution to Scotland’s economy included:
- contributes up to £670 million in gross value added per year
- employs around 12,800 people
- makes an estimated tax contribution of £292 million per year
- total user benefits of up to £1 billion per year
A follow up assessment on the impact of the rail network on the Scottish economy has not yet been scheduled.