Sturgeon’s ‘last-chance saloon’ performance warning to Scotrail

Scotrail has been warned by Nicola Sturgeon it is in the “last-chance saloon” over poor performance.

The First Minister said the train operator ran the risk of being stripped of its franchise if punctuality did not improve.

The first of two remedial plans, following high numbers of cancellations on routes into Edinburgh, is due to be published shortly. A second, over poor passenger satisfaction ratings, has also been ordered by ministers.

The official measure of Scotrail’s punctuality improved in February for the first time for 19 months, but is still nearly 5 percentage points below target.

A total of 87.6 per cent of trains arrived on time over the year to 2 March, 0.3 points better than in January.

Ms Sturgeon told MSPS Scotrail’s cancellations and delays were “unacceptable”. At First Minister’s Questions, Borders SNP MSP Christine Grahame said of the remedial plans: “Plans don’t drive trains.

“Isn’t it time the Scottish Government told Scotrail Abellio it is in the last-chance saloon?”

Ms Sturgeon said: “Scotrail should treat a remedial plan very much as a last-chance saloon – that’s the very nature of it. Scotrail has been left in no doubt that its recent performance, particularly in the Borders and Fife, have been completely unacceptable.

“In the event Scotrail does not achieve improved performance or fails to deliver on its contractual commitments, it does of course run the risk of the franchise being terminated early.”

Scotrail has blamed the cancellations on the late delivery of two new fleets of trains and industrial action which had delayed staff training.

Dutch state railways offshoot Abellio’s ten-year franchise is due to end in 2025.

Meanwhile, industry chiefs announced today trains will be classed as late from April if they arrive more than one minute behind schedule rather than the current five or ten minute leeway.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the industry, said the move next month to class trains as on time if they arrived within one minute of schedule, or “right time”, was to improve performance.

Trains will also be measured to the minute at each stop en route in what it called the most transparent reporting process in Europe.

The RDG said: “Rail companies will be using ‘to the minute’ train performance data as the primary method of measuring punctuality.”

Scotrail said it would comply with the changes, but its punctuality would continue to be officially measured as within five minutes.