Rail system not fit for purpose
ScotRail’s proposed new timetable has proven extremely controversial among Perth commuters, and with good reason.
Among other changes, the already lengthy journey between Perth and Edinburgh will be increased by twenty minutes thanks to a new diversion via Dunfermline. Journeys between Kirkcaldy and Perth will also take up to half an hour longer and require a long change over at Ladybank.
Anyone who has taken the train since Abellio took over the franchise in 2015 will understand that the operator faces deep systemic problems. Services have been unreliable, ticket prices are high, and bosses are currently locked in an industrial dispute with a number of trade unions over a whole host of issues across the network.
While rail use naturally declined during the pandemic, a popular and accessible rail network will be a vital component in our response to the climate emergency. Transport remains one of the biggest polluters in Scotland and as we recover from the pandemic it’s vital we get more people out of cars and on to trains.
After ScotRail announced their consultation on the new timetable I organised an online public meeting, which gave people from across the region a chance to voice their concerns directly to ScotRail bosses who came along to explain some of their choices.
A common theme throughout the meeting was people telling ScotRail’s representatives that increased journey times mean that they can’t justify taking the train, and instead feel they have no choice but to return to taking their cars.
At the meeting passengers were told by ScotRail that their offering was“not competitive”when compared to the M90 and the Queensferry crossing. That’s cause for concern. It’s clear that an unpopular service won’t experience a revival if those in charge simply make it worse in response.
This has been a common theme in the modern history of rail services in the UK. Cuts lead to a decrease in the quality of the service, which in turn leads to declining passenger numbers, which are then used to justify further cuts.
It’s important to recognise that the UK’s attitude to rail is an outlier in terms of our European neighbours. Other countries recognise the value of rail travel, especially in the context of a climate emergency.
If we want to deliver a service that meets people’s needs then the services must be co-designed by the people who need it and work on it. Some changes will be needed but it is too early to predict how much rail will bounce back after the low demand caused by COVID lockdowns. Where acceptable savings can be found, they need to be reinvested to drive improvements rather than driving people away.
Next year the franchise will finally come into public ownership and that presents us with an enormous opportunity to finally instil confidence in the railway and turn it into a central pillar of our recovery from the pandemic.