THE successful bidder for the new ScotRail franchise will be expected to provide a new 42-minute express service between Glasgow and Edinburgh and a smart ticketing system for passengers.
The minimum requirements for the franchise period, which begins in 2015, have been outlined in the draft Invitation To Tender handed out to the five shortlisted companies in the running to manage the ScotRail network.
They include the quicker service between the country's two main cities and a system to allow passengers to switch between trains, buses and ferries.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said the specifications included a "heavy emphasis on quality" as well as affordability, and would improve access for cyclists.
The firms shortlisted to bid are Aberdeen-based First Group, which has operated the current ScotRail franchise since 2004, and National Express, which first adopted the ScotRail brand when it took over the running of the domestic railway during privatisation in 1997.
The remaining three include the Dutch state-owned rail firm Abellio, German-based Arriva, and MTR, which operates the Hong Kong metro.
They are required to submit their final proposals by spring next year, with the winning bid to be announced in the autumn. The new franchise will come into operation from April 2015.
Faster trains are among the Scottish Government's key demands, including a 42-minute express service between Glasgow and Edinburgh. It would cut eight minutes off the current fastest connection between the cities.
There are also plans for accelerated services to Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen.
The winning bidder will also be expected to bring in existing smart ticketing technology across all ticket-types. It will also have to play a full part in developing a smart ticketing scheme that can be used across all Scottish public transport as part of plans to create a more integrated system.
Commuters will also benefit from below inflation fare rises on off-peak services, which will be pegged to Retail Price Index -1% under the seven-year franchise term. Peak fares will increase in line with RPI, but not above.
The new franchisee will also be required to fit wifi in all trains, improve storage facilities for bikes at train stations, and provide greater access for cyclists on trains to leisure destinations at the weekend.
There should also be greater comfort for passengers on longer journeys, with on-board catering reflecting local Scottish produce as part of efforts to attract more tourists on to the railways.
The winning bidder must also commit to paying the Living Wage to anyone directly employed by ScotRail and will be required to put in place apprenticeship schemes for more than 100 recruits in customer service and engineering.
Mr Brown said: "The specification I have set is challenging, but it will deliver real benefits to passengers, as well as meeting the needs of the taxpayer for greater efficiency in the use of our resources."
John McCormick, chairman of the Scottish Association For Public Transport, said plans for a more integrated transport system were "particularly welcome".
He added: "The shortlisted bidders have extensive experience of running "metro style" operations worldwide and we expect this will bring new ideas for integrated transport in Scottish cities."
Paul Tetlaw, of sustainable transport group Transform Scotland, said: "The new franchise offers a unique opportunity to deliver major improvements to the railway in Scotland."
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