MIND THE GAP, HUMZA
Train chiefs edge closer to end of line
Crisis- hit ScotRail are e performing so badly that t operators Abellio risk k being stripped of the e contract.
The abysmal levels of performance are nearing the trigger point at which Transport Minister Humza Yousaf can pull the plug on the Dutch operators’ 10-year deal – worth £7billion.
Official data for the four weeks up to last Saturday show that only 86 per cent of trains arrived within five minutes of their intended time.
The figure is down from 90.3 per cent for the previous four-week period.
If it falls as low as 84.3 per cent for three consecutive months, or for four out of 13 months, the Scottish Government can cancel the franchise.
The figures are the latest blow for the beleaguered rail operator following a week from hell on Scotland’s rail network.
ScotRail admitted 225 trains – one in 10 – were cancelled during major disruption fol lowing a breadown on Thursday.
In an interview with the Sunday Mail last month, Yousaf vowed to terminate Abellio’s deal if the situation deteriorated further.
A petition calling on ScotRail bosses to improve or be stripped of their contract last week reached 20,000 signatures.
Gordon Martin, the Scottish organiser for the Rail Maritime and Transport union, said yesterday: “What the latest performance figure means for the travelling public is inconvenience, missed appointments, people late for work, school and college.
“It’s a clear failing on the part of Abellio ScotRail and we would once again demand they are taken into public ownership as soon as possible.”
The latest statistics do not include the figures from last week when the network went into meltdown after a train broke down outside Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. The incident sparked chaos across Scotland and prompted calls for Yousaf to resign. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon reiterated her confidence in Yousaf – but repeated her threat to look at measures to pull ScotRail into public ownership if performance does not improve. Further figures released last week show only 53.8 per cent of trains arrived within 59 seconds of their booked time at Edinburgh, with simi lar problems at other major stations.
Glasgow Central’s figure was 54.1 per cent, Glasgow Queen Street was 55.8 per cent , Inverness stood at 55.6 per cent, Dundee was at 61.3 per cent and Stirling was 62.3 per cent.
The figures revealed services at 23 out of 73 destinations were late more often than on time.
The latest timing figures are the lowest of 2016 although they are higher than the 83.3 per cent for the same period last year.
Scottish Labour’s transport
spokesperson Neil Bibby MSP said: “The clock is ticking for Mr Yousaf.
“Passengers are fed up with the shoddy service from ScotRail – which led to an improvement plan being submitted more than two months ago.
“Since then, things have not improved. They’ve got worse.
“Commuters will be astonished to discover hundreds more trains have been late and performance has plummeted since that improvement plan was presented.
“With winter round the corner, passengers deserve less spin and more substance from the SNP, with a guarantee they will see improvements to the punctuality and reliability of services in the coming months.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We have put in place measures to ensure we are fulfilling our Railways Act obligation of securing ongoing rail functions, as the operator of last resort, should a franchise terminate early for any reason and not be replaced.
“Separately, a manifesto commitment was made to facilitate a public sector bid for our railways.
“Ministers are committed to this and will be working with appropriate stakeholders to take this forward.”
Yousaf said : “This SNP Government secured the right
for a public sector operator to bid for the franchise at the next opportunity after being repeatedly denied that by successive Labour and Tory Governments.
“We are already delivering on our very clear commitment to ensure there can be a public sector bid for future franchises.
“Work to deliver that public sector bid is already under way and I will work with anyone who is serious about improving rail services, rather than simply playing political games.
“Right now, our priority is making sure commuters get the standard of service they have the right to expect.
“That is why we are monitoring ScotRail’s performance on a daily basis and have ordered them to carry out an improvement plan. We must also support frontline staff who are working hard on a daily basis to support passengers and improve journeys.”
A ScotRail Alliance spokesman said: “Over 93million journeys a year are made on our railway and around nine out of 10 trains run to time.
“Scotland’s railway is among the most punctual in the UK at 89.8 per cent, compared to 87.9 per cent for England and Wales.
“We are going through the biggest change and improvement in our railway infrastructure since the Victorian era.
“When it is all in place, we will have transformed rail travel in Scotland.
“However, there is no doubt that we need to deliver better punctuality and reliability. Our Performance Improvement Plan contains 246 individual actions to make things better every single day.”
With winter round the corner, commuters deserve less spin and more substance