Transport: 90% of rail passengers say they are satisfied.

Study shows that Scotland’s railway operator is eightbest in the UK

Passenger satisfaction with ScotRail has equalled a record high in an independent survey.

A Watchdog Transport Focus survey in the spring found 90% of passengers were satisfied with their journeys, up from 83% last autumn.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said the increased satisfaction rate showed a rail improvement plan implemented last year was working.

The national rail passenger survey (NRPS) found 92% of passengers are satisfied with the speed of ScotRail journeys, 85% with punctuality and reliability, 82% with ScotRail train facilities and 54% are satisfied with how the operator deals with delays.

The UK average passenger satisfaction in the latest NRPS is 83%.

Mr Yousaf said: “While Scotland’s railways compare well with the rest of other UK operators, it is important ScotRail not only meets customer expectations but also strives to deliver improved services, trains and facilities across Scotland.”

An improvement plan was created last year amid a turbulent period for the ScotRail Alliance when it faced calls to be stripped of its £7 billion 10-year franchise to run Scotland’s railways after performance slipped below contracted standards.

The survey ranked ScotRail the eighth-best rail operator in the UK.

Alex Hynes, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, said: “This equals our best-ever result, and shows that the vast majority of our passengers are satisfied with the work ScotRail is doing to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.”

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Jamie Green said: “It’s welcome to see that overall satisfaction is increasing and it’s important to acknowledge the efforts of ScotRail staff in achieving this.

“However, these results show that there are still several areas of concern, with passengers still not feeling like they are getting value for money.”

Scottish Labour’s transport spokesman Neil Bibby welcomed the figures but said more work is needed.

The Greens said the challenge for ScotRail is to maintain the satisfaction rates.

The results of a survey suggesting 90% satisfaction levels with ScotRail’s performance this spring may be surprising to some who have used the country’s network recently.

The Scottish Government and the operator itself were more than satisfied with the findings, which marked its best showing since autumn 2015.

It is an independent report and staff involved in the improvement from the recent dip must be congratulated.

However, drill into the headline figure and less satisfactory trends start to appear.

Value for money remains an issue and there are concerns about safety in carriages, which may deepen if plans to subsume British Transport Police operations into Police Scotland are pushed through.

There is also a major problem with ScotRail’s reaction when things go wrong – a little over half of passengers were satisfied with the response to delays.

It must also be borne in mind that this is an overall national survey and problems remain at a local level in Tayside and Fife.

Trains between Edinburgh and Fife are inadequate, not least at busy weekend times, and there has been no resolution to the so-called “Tay Tax” which sees Dundee travellers pay disproportionately more than others across the country.

90% satisfaction is good but more still needs done.

Picture: Getty Images. No room for complacency as ScotRail gets the thumbs up from its customers.