More delays signalled for Scotrail’s new trains
The Scotrail Alliance has admitted further delays to its train improvements as its punctuality fell for the eighth month in a row.
Managing director Alex Hynes revealed to MSPS the first of its refurbished Intercity trains on the Aberdeenedinburgh would not enter service until at least July, rather than May as planned.
He also said a planned tenminute cut in journey times to 42 minutes on the main Edinburgh-glasgow line would not be fully introduced until next year.
Only some trains would run at the faster time in December as scheduled.
Mr Hynes told the Scottish Parliament’s rural economy and connectivity committee that the troubled brand new Hitachi electric fleet for the line and other routes was still months away while new windscreens were fitted and software problems solved.
The setbacks came as new figures showed a further fall in the key punctuality measure on which Scotrail is judged.
A total of 89.3 per cent of trains arrived at their destinations within five minutes of schedule in the year April.
That is down 0.2 percentage points on the previous month and nearly 2 points lower than last August.
However, 92 per cent of trains hit that target during April, up 1.1 points on March and the highest since September.
There was further misery for passengers yesterday with an electrical fault near Rutherglen causing widespread disruption to cross-city trains in Glasgow, which has the biggest network outside London.
The latest of a series of problems followed Glasgow Central – Scotland’s busiest station – being shut on Saturday night by overhead line damage, and signalling faults in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Mr Hynes said refurbishment of the 40-year-old Intercity trains, which have come from Great Western Railway, had been a “challenge”, but he wanted to get the first completed one to Scotland from the works in Doncaster as soon as possible.
He said they would transform travel between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness with more carriages, legroom and tables, and seats better aligned with windows.
He said Scotrail’s performance problems were partially becausescotrailhaddramatically cut the number of trains which skipped stops during disruption to minimise knockon delays to other trains.
Mr Hynes said the 70 per cent reduction in skip stopping last month had resulted in a corresponding fall in passenger complaints, but it had meant the rail network took longer to return to normal.
He said the shortage of trains caused by the Hitachi delays, and others coming to end of their leases, would be more than offset by ten new trains going into service in July on the main Edinburgh-glasgow line.
New windscreens are being fitted to the Hitachi trains to remove a “slight double imaging at night” which drivers said caused problems with seeing signals clearly.
Mr Hynes said: “An alternative design is being fitted to the trains this week.
“Initial indications are the windscreen is much better than its predecessor.”
Mr Hynes said fines levied
0 The cut in journey time between Glasgow and Edinburgh will not be introduced until next year on Scotrail for failing to meet quality standards, such as on CCTV, litter and train seats, would be spent on improvements such as waiting room upgrades on the main Edinburgh-glasgow line and information screens on the Inverness-thurso/wick route.
A total of £1.6 million was charged in the last three months of last year under a regime which Mr Hynes said was the toughest in the UK.
Scottish Labour connectivity spokesman committee member Colin Smyth said: “Two thirds of targets are being missed and behind those targets are hard pressed passengers being hit by increasing fares for a decreasing level of service.”
Liberal Democrat committee member Mike Rumbles said: “Scotrail has had an appalling start to the year and no amount of positive spin can mask the facts. These are the worst results since Abellio took control of the franchise and they are indicative of wider problems in our rail network in Scotland.”