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Thursday 11 Dec 2025

Cross-border train operators strengthen collaboration across Scotland’s Railway

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

A new team of railway colleagues have begun working in Scotland’s rail operating centre this week, bringing cross-border operators into the state-of-the-art control room for the first time.

The eight train service managers will work within Network Rail Scotland's railway control centre in the north of Glasgow on a 24/7 basis, and focus on the live running and performance of cross-border services operated by LNER, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express, and CrossCountry.

The new arrangement builds on the already close collaboration seen across Scotland’s Railway, with Network Rail, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper and the British Transport Police already co-located in the control centre.

The new look control comes into effect this week, ahead of the new December 2025 timetable, which launches on Sunday, December 14.

The £200m rail operating centre works around-the-clock to manage the running of Scotland’s railway which operates over 2000 trains each day.

Introducing a new dedicated cross-border control team will help to improve performance on the vital East and West Coast Main Lines between Scotland and England.

The new role will help strengthen communication and foster stronger working relationships between control rooms in Glasgow, York, Birmingham, and Manchester. This will support faster decision making and action, particularly during disruption, ultimately keeping the railway running smoothly

Warrick Dent, LNER’s safety & operations director, said: “The initiative emerged from discussions between the cross-border operators and Network Rail to identify opportunities to improve performance. We know this role will be invaluable in times of disruption, but I also see it as a vital way of identifying and challenging issues and performance gaps as we’ll have the data and insight to drive change. This project is a truly collaborative effort by the industry and I see this as a significant step towards a way of working that is fully fit for the future.”

Simon Constable, Network Rail Scotland’s operations director, said: “This is another step forward for Scotland’s Railway, with the rail industry working together to further improve services for our  passengers and freight customers. Having dedicated Anglo-Scot train service managers within Scotland’s rail operating centre is a significant step, enabling real-time coordination and faster decision-making when disruption occurs.

“By embedding these specialist roles, we’re creating stronger links between train operators and ourselves as the infrastructure managers, ensuring that Anglo-Scottish services receive focused attention whilst maintaining the high standards expected across Scotland's Railway.”

Damian Briody, Transport Scotland’s Head of Rail Delivery, said: “Scotland’s Railway plays a vital role in our national life. Every day, passengers, businesses and communities rely on us to provide a railway that is safe, reliable, and resilient. This important development in bringing cross-border operators together in one control room, in Scotland, represents a step change in how we manage the network.  It strengthens communication, supports faster decision-making and helps us keep services moving when disruption occurs.

“No single operator can deliver performance improvements alone -it depends on shared insight, trust and a willingness to tackle problems collectively. The cross-border team embodies that approach and demonstrates what can be achieved when the industry works as one.”

Chris Liptrot, Avanti West Coast’s operations director, said: “These new roles will strengthen collaboration between Network Rail and train operators in Scotland, improving the day-to-day running of rail services and helping deliver more reliable journeys for customers travelling on our Anglo-Scottish route.

“Working closely with our Control team, these cross-border colleagues will play a key role in making timely decisions – especially during times of disruption - to reduce delays and keep customers moving."

Statement on behalf of TransPennine Express and CrossCountry:  “As cross-border train operators, it became apparent that we all experience many of the same issues, and ‘sticking points’, and so it made sense to come together to work on a solution. Now we’ve got a closer relationship with our colleagues at Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail, it's much easier for us to recover from disruptive incidents and get passengers moving again between Scotland and England. This is a huge step forward in delivering a resilient, better-performing railway for everyone”.