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The purpose of the ScotRail Peak Fares is broader, to find out whether such a measure helps move people from car to rail use, but also to help passengers facing cost of living pressures. We know that price and simplicity is crucial for people when choosing how to travel.

Many passengers will enjoy significantly reduced fares, with fares that are available all day, every day, which will hopefully encourage more people to reduce their car use and to use more public transport instead, in line with our Programme for Government commitment to encourage a shift towards sustainable transport.

Officials at Transport Scotland meet regularly with Scottish Rail Holdings, who manages and oversees ScotRail services on behalf of the Ministers, to discuss various matters, including safety.

The Member may wish to note that accessibility is a matter reserved to the UK Government.

In line with the Scottish Government guidelines to disclose the names, job titles and salary details of senior management within Non-Departmental Public Bodies, the requested information is published online and can be found here:

Statutory-Director-Salaries.pdf (sleeper.scot)

Our vision is that all disabled people can travel with the same freedom, choice, dignity and opportunity as other citizens.

Whilst staffing levels are an operational matter for ScotRail, the importance of staff being deployed appropriately in stations and on trains to enhance the passengers’ experience, including accessibility, is clear.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-21967 on 18 October 2023.

An interim value for money assessment, which includes cross-modal impacts, using a multimodal evaluation of current travel patterns and impact to date in line with His Majesty’s Treasury Green Book principles to be undertaken of value for money is underway. At the end of the Pilot a final evaluation will be undertaken and the Scottish Government will carefully consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of such a proposition.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

(A) Specific allocations for the Rail Enhancement programmes and projects in 2024/25 continue to be considered. The 2024-25 budget allocations for the portfolio of enhancements projects will be made in the coming months.

(B) The Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan commits to all passenger diesel trains being replaced with zero emission alternatives; the order and programme in which that is done continues to be subject to appropriate business cases and available budgets. Funding decisions for Rail Decarbonisation projects are, and continue to be considered against budgets and forecast funding availability.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly for this information.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The Little Minch Infrastructure Programme includes works at three ports; Tarbert (Harris), Lochmaddy (North Uist) and Uig (Skye). The programme of works is essential in replacing life expired infrastructure and improving the capacity, reliability and resilience for the long term benefit of the route.

Tarbert (Harris) works were completed in January 2023. The Lochmaddy works were completed November 2023 and the works at Uig are expected to be completed by Winter 2024.