ScotRail’s £400k bill for delays and disruption

SCOTLAND’S beleaguered rail operator has paid more than £ 00,000 in compensation claims since being nationalised, including tens of thousands in taxi bills.

From April this year until August 17, ScotRail settled 18,88 claims to the value of £ 13,128.

The figures, obtained under freedom of information laws, show the operator paid out a total of £257,975 for delays, cancellations or missed connections.

In March, ScotRail was taken into public ownership by the Scottish Government after the franchise operated by Dutch company Abellio expired.

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said the payments were a ‘huge waste of money’ for which the SNP was responsible.

In April, ScotRail paid £13,038 for 16 taxis – just under £80 per trip – and in May the amount more than doubled to £27, 05 to cover 289 taxi journeys for passengers hit by disrupted services.

Transport Scotland said: ‘Any disruption to passengers is regrettable and it is only right that ScotRail do all they can to compensate where journeys are delayed or cancelled.’