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Since 2007 the Scottish Government has invested substantially in successful rail improvements such as the Airdrie to Bathgate project, two new platforms at Glasgow Central, electrification of the Whifflet and Paisley Canal lines and the Paisley Corridor Improvements.

We are concentrating our continued investment in projects such as the electrification of Edinburgh – Glasgow (via Falkirk High) route, to Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane as well as the Shotts line. These improvements will increase capacity and improve journey time and quality on one of the busiest sections of the Scottish network.In addition, we are making substantial improvements to Glasgow Queen Street station to improve its operational capability and enhance the passenger experience.

The anticipated total cost of the contract to Design, Build, Finance and Operate the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project for 30 years remains at the £500 million I announced in February 2014. Under the terms of the contract, no payments are made until the roads are open to the public.

In addition to the costs associated with the provision of these services, there are other costs for the Public Sector account in delivering this important project, including those associated with the necessary land acquisition, public utility diversions and protection, design, site supervision and preparation works.

Prior to the start of construction the Public Sector costs incurred were: £37.85m.

Since the start of construction the Public Sector spend per year is:

The following table shows the amount paid by ScotRail on alternative transport for passengers due to delays or cancellations in each four-week period since April 2015. A breakdown by method of transport is not available.

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: www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/03/8126.

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: www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/Finance/18232/IIP.

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.