Sturgeon’s showdown with train bosses
Nicola Sturgeon calls crunch talks over flagship project Government frustrated with lack of progress
Nicola Sturgeon told train bosses to get their act together at crunch talks after yet another delay to the introduction of electric services on the flagship Edinburgh to Glasgow line.
The First Minister called a summit with Hitachi, which is building 70 electric trains for ScotRail, after the Japanese firm was hit with production problems.
A full electric train service is now unlikely to run on the Glasgow to Edinburgh route until May next year.
Ms Sturgeon held talks earlier this month with Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, and Alistair Dormer the global chief executive of the rail firm.
It is understood the First Minister stressed that further delays would be unacceptable.
Yesterday, the Scottish Government said the meeting was positive adding: “The First Minister impressed upon Hitachi the ongoing Scottish Government commitment to building the best railway Scotland has ever had, and the importance of introducing the new fleet to the ScotRail franchise and Scottish economy as soon as possible.”
Hitachi argued that delays to the building and testing of the newly electrified route has also significantly contributed to delays on the overbudget £795 million scheme.
A senior railway industry source said: “ScotRail won’t have enough new trains to run a fully electric Edinburgh to Glasgow service until the timetable change next May.
“Talk about line testing is a smokescreen for Hitachi’s production problems.
“Hitachi has told ScotRail they will only have half the units required by December.”
The fleet of Hitachi Class 385 trains, whichhich is to cost £ 370m, was meanteant to be up and running a full timetable this autumn. This was then put back until December and is now going intoto next year. Before the Class 385 trains run, ScotRailotRail plans to operate electric trains borrowed fromom other lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
However, this plan has also beenen delayed at least four times.
Scottish Labour transport spokespersonesperson Neil Bibby said: “The SNP government must come for-forward with an apology and provide answersanswers as to why passengers have been let downn yet again.”
ScotRail previously pledged that all Edinburgh to Glasgow journeys will be operateded by the new trains from December.
Asked when a full electric servicece will operate on the line, a spokesman said: “Onlyy when we are confident there will be no negative impact on our performance, service, and customerer satisfaction will the trains run.”
The Sunday Post put the detail of the produc-production problems to the firm and thehe spokesman added: “There’s nothing in our currentent production programme that we believe preventsvents us from entering the trains into passengerr service, and we’re confident the trains will continuetinue to per-perform well when they commence andnd complete full testing.”
Hitachi was left embarrassed last week when the first of a fleet of new trainsns it built for the Great Western Railway serviceice was hit by delays and a faulty air conditioning.
Hitachi Rail said: “The first waveve of new trains will be introduced into pas-passenger service after we’ve beenen granted access to the newly electrifieded network.
“We’re confident our trains are safefe and reliable.”