Er, what’s French for the last train’s gone?
New rail operator to give free foreign language lessons to staff
EVERY member of staff on Scotland’s trains is to be offered free foreign language classes to make rail services more appealing to visitors from overseas.
Dutch firm Abellio will this week take over the ScotRail contract to run most of the country’s trains.
One of its priorities will be to teach its 4,500 inspectors, drivers and ticket office staff French, German and Spanish.
When a staff member becomes fluent in a foreign language, they will be asked to wear the flag of that country on their uniform.
Abellio, which will replace FirstGroup as the operator of ScotRail on Wednesday, was unable to say how much the initiative will cost.
Critics said regular rail users would prefer to see cheaper fares and better services, rather than initiatives aimed at tourists.
The franchise agreement, signed by Abellio and Transport Scotland, includes the pledge to provide ‘alternative language training’.
During last year’s Commonwealth Games, huge efforts were made to encourage visitors to use public transport – only for staff to struggle to communicate with them on board.
Scottish Tory transport spokesman Alex Johnstone said: ‘Passengers won’ t mind this approach as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of cheap ticket fares and quality of service. Those areas must be the priority.’
The £6 billion ScotRail franchise i is the biggest single contract e ever awarded by the Scottish Government. Praising the rail firm’s language plan, Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: ‘Abellio are looking at ways to really exploit the tourism potential of Scotland’s stunning rail routes, and those visiting from abroad will truly appreciate this. For staff, this is a great way for them to broaden their skills base and that can only be a good thing for the employee, the organisation, the industry and the passenger.
‘We’ve been clear that this new franchise has to be central to giving us a railway fit for the future, and I am excited to see all of these plans develop over the coming years.’
A source at Abellio said: ‘We want to attract visitors to Scotland from different countries with different languages. We think it gives a further degree of comfort for those people who are visiting Scotland and demonstrates that we are willing to go the extra mile.’
UNEMPLOYED people will be given free rail tickets after Abellio takes over Scotland’s railways.
It was announced yesterday that, as part of the franchise deal, job seekers will be allowed free travel to two job interviews a month – and those who secure a job will then be eligible for one month’s free travel.
Mr Mackay said: ‘The Scottish Government was clear that this franchise should be about more than delivering a rail service – it should be an important contributor to communities up and down the country. Abellio are getting this off to a great start by offering a huge helping hand to those looking for work.’