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 £200 million 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
Simon Constable, Network Rail Scotland’s operations director, commented: “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.”
Image credit: Network Rail
