In conjunction with the wider Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme, Abellio ScotRail introduced the Class 385 electric trains, which were faster and had more capacity than preceding diesel traction on the route; however, short-term difficulties with the new fleet led to disruption and delays.

The operator was also unable to introduce its new Intercity timetable due to the late than planned delivery of refurbished Inter7City trains.

On multiple occasions through the franchise period, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) organised industrial action, including strikes, that negatively impacted Abellio ScotRail's operations, to the point where Sunday operations were mostly abandoned over a seven month period in 2021.

During December 2019, it was announced by the Scottish government that Abellio ScotRail's franchise would end in 2022 due to alleged poor performance.

The franchise ended on 31 March 2022 and was replaced by ScotRail, an operator of last resort (OLR) owned by the Scottish Government.

In November 2013, Transport Scotland announced that Abellio, Arriva, FirstGroup, MTR Corporation and National Express had been shortlisted to bid for the new ScotRail franchise.

On 6 September 2015, Abellio ScotRail opened the Borders Railway, a non-electrified largely single-track line roughly following the alignment of the northern part of the long-closed Waverley Route.

As a result of overcrowding, Abellio ScotRail quickly started running trains with up to six carriages at peak hours and leased additional parking space near Tweedbank station.

[11] During January 2017, the Scottish government and Abellio ScotRail's management clashed over a government-directed scheme to compensate rail passengers for disruptions on the rail network with free tickets; funding for the scheme had not been agreed before the government publicly spoke on the effort leading to tense talks between management and MSPs.

[15] In April 2018, Abellio ScotRail announced that it would be implementing all 20 recommendations produced by an independent review of the company's operations, headed by the former TransPennine Express managing director Nick Donovan.

One month later, ticket examiners were balloted for the same dispute, the majority of trains operated by ScotRail did not run on Sundays as a result.

From 10 December 2017, Class 380 EMUs were introduced onto services between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Falkirk High (also serving Croy, Polmont, Linlithgow and Haymarket).

[needs update][28][29] Early on in the franchise, Abellio ScotRail publicly stated its intention to introduce a brand new fleet of 46 three-car and 24 four-car Class 385 electric trains from December 2017, which would operate services on the lines that were being electrified as part of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme.

[35] From October 2018, Abellio ScotRail introduced former Great Western Railway HSTs on services between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness, branded as "Inter7City" in reference to Scotland's seven main cities.