The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Sturgeon issues apology for ScotRail shambles
Service beset by delays and cancellations
Nicola Sturgeon has apologised to passengers for ScotRail’s shambolic performance.
The first minister also suggested that nationalisation could be the saviour of the service, which has been beset by delays, cancellations and overcrowding.
The Scottish Conservatives challenged the SNP leader at First Minister’s Questions with figures revealing ScotRail was responsible for 35,000 cancellations or part cancellations since 2011.
Jackson Carlaw, the Tories’ interim Scottish leader, asked Ms Sturgeon yesterday if commuters were owed an apology.
She agreed, adding: “We’ve seen a significant and unacceptable number of delays that are clearly the responsibility of ScotRail.
“I can report to parliament that cancellations of this type have fallen as the week has progressed from around 144 on Monday to an estimated 40 today.
“Progress is being made but it is not good enough, we expect, indeed we demand, better from the rail operator and the transport secretary continues to work closely with them to ensure that we continue to see improvements in the days to come.”
The first minister said her government will plough ahead with work to allow a public sector bid for the next rail franchise, as she took aim at the Tories as the “architects of privatisation”.
Ms Sturgeon added: “We will continue to argue for full devolution of all powers over the railways so we are responsible for Network Rail, as well as ScotRail, and so that this parliament does have the opportunity to nationalise our railways and to undo the damage of privatisation caused by the Tories.”
Passenger misery escalated this week, with Monday seeing at least 18 services to Courier Country stations affected by staff shortages.
A signalling problem earlier in the day in Perth caused commuter chaos, with Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness affected.
Speaking after FMQs, Mr Carlaw said: “Punctuality on our trains is at its worst in more than a decade, and thousands of cancellations have been revealed.
“Train passengers are owed an apology from the SNP for this disgraceful level of service.”
ScotRail Alliance chief Alex Hynes said earlier this week that commuters “can expect an improvement in the coming weeks” after staff training and a union dispute had an impact on services.
“We’re sorry to customers for the disruption to services in recent weeks,” he added. “We know the impact this has on your day and are working flat out to get things back to normal.”