Network Rail has unveiled its plans for the next five years, including a £4 billion investment to improve rail infrastructure.
Key developments for Scotland include the electrification of the Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street route which is expected to shorten journey times and increase capacity.
The completion of the Borders Rail Link will see 30 miles of track reopened between towns in the Borders with Edinburgh at a cost of £360 million.
Additionally, the route between Aberdeen and Inverness will be improved to deliver better commuter services as well as new stations at Kintore and Dalcross. These Scottish projects are part of a £37.5 billion plan to run and expand the UK railways for 2014-2019.
If approved by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), the plan will provide 170,000 extra commuter seats at peak times by 2019, by which time the railways could be carrying as many as 225 million more passengers than at present.
But despite the big investment plans, Network Rail envisages no overall improvement in train punctuality compared with the trains-on-time target for 2009-2014.
A figure of 92.5% punctuality was set for the period 2009-2014 - a target which NR has failed to meet.
In its business plan, the company said it expects to achieve a trains-on-time figure of 92.5% "by the end" of the period 2014-2019. The plans come at a time of passenger anger at the above-inflation 4.2% season ticket average fare rises this month.
David Simpson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, said: "In Scotland, rail travel is more popular than ever and demand is predicted to continue to grow rapidly in the future. A wide range of enhancements have been identified which will continue to grow capacity and extend the reach of rail in the years ahead while driving down costs, increasing cross-industry co-operation and improving value for both passengers and taxpayers.
"As an industry we have achieved a huge amount, but we are already seeing the benefit of working more closely together with our customers and suppliers and that must remain at the heart of everything we do. Our aim is to be a trusted leader in the industry as we work to build a better railway for a better Britain."
