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| Scotland's transport minister apologises to rail travellers Scotland's transport minister apologises to rail travellers | |
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| Scotland’s embattled transport minister has apologised to passengers who have had “a bad experience on our railways” while insisting ScotRail had learned lessons as he made an emergency statement to Holyrood hours after Glasgow commuters faced severe disruption because of a damaged overhead power line. | Scotland’s embattled transport minister has apologised to passengers who have had “a bad experience on our railways” while insisting ScotRail had learned lessons as he made an emergency statement to Holyrood hours after Glasgow commuters faced severe disruption because of a damaged overhead power line. |
| Humza Yousaf, the Scottish government’s minister for transport and the islands, has come under increasing pressure in recent months as a catalogue of delays, overcrowding and disruption caused by major works from the Dutch-operated franchise has caused chaos across the country. | Humza Yousaf, the Scottish government’s minister for transport and the islands, has come under increasing pressure in recent months as a catalogue of delays, overcrowding and disruption caused by major works from the Dutch-operated franchise has caused chaos across the country. |
| Delivering an emergency statement on Wednesday afternoon, Yousaf was accused by critics of trying to avoid scrutiny while political attention was focused on the chancellor’s autumn statement in Westminster. | Delivering an emergency statement on Wednesday afternoon, Yousaf was accused by critics of trying to avoid scrutiny while political attention was focused on the chancellor’s autumn statement in Westminster. |
| Yousaf, considered a rising star of Nicola Sturgeon’s administration, had been mocked as out of touch after claiming earlier this week that Scottish travellers were not experiencing a poor service in comparison with the rest of the UK, while train drivers’ union Aslef last week called for him to be sacked. | Yousaf, considered a rising star of Nicola Sturgeon’s administration, had been mocked as out of touch after claiming earlier this week that Scottish travellers were not experiencing a poor service in comparison with the rest of the UK, while train drivers’ union Aslef last week called for him to be sacked. |
| The minister was then accused of trying to deflect attention from his own performance by announcing during a television interview on Sunday that he planned to invite unions and other political parties to talks on setting up a public sector train operator. | The minister was then accused of trying to deflect attention from his own performance by announcing during a television interview on Sunday that he planned to invite unions and other political parties to talks on setting up a public sector train operator. |
| Yousaf told Holyrood that while he did not intend to underplay the slide in service quality, overall performance for the last year – since Dutch firm Abellio took over the franchise – had been 89.8%, higher than the current UK average of 87%. | Yousaf told Holyrood that while he did not intend to underplay the slide in service quality, overall performance for the last year – since Dutch firm Abellio took over the franchise – had been 89.8%, higher than the current UK average of 87%. |
| He told MSPs: “The actions we are taking and the long-term transformation we have planned underlines this government’s commitment to improving the service received. That is why I instructed an improvement plan.” | He told MSPs: “The actions we are taking and the long-term transformation we have planned underlines this government’s commitment to improving the service received. That is why I instructed an improvement plan.” |
| ScotRail was ordered to produce a performance improvement plan in September after punctuality and reliability fell below expected standards. Abellio took over the franchise last year on a 10-year, £6bn contract that includes a break clause that Yousaf has said he would consider invoking. | ScotRail was ordered to produce a performance improvement plan in September after punctuality and reliability fell below expected standards. Abellio took over the franchise last year on a 10-year, £6bn contract that includes a break clause that Yousaf has said he would consider invoking. |
| Yousaf added: “We have accelerated £16m to upgrade key junctions, track and signalling equipment, for example at Glasgow central station. This week, points and circuits are being renewed at Cowlairs and Dunblane, while £14m is being spent to improve fleet reliability. | Yousaf added: “We have accelerated £16m to upgrade key junctions, track and signalling equipment, for example at Glasgow central station. This week, points and circuits are being renewed at Cowlairs and Dunblane, while £14m is being spent to improve fleet reliability. |
| “Overcrowding is frustrating, that is why, from mid-December, we have introduced more services to and from Inverness and are finalising details to provide more carriages on peaktime service on the Borders Railway.” | “Overcrowding is frustrating, that is why, from mid-December, we have introduced more services to and from Inverness and are finalising details to provide more carriages on peaktime service on the Borders Railway.” |
| The minister added that he stood by his invitation to discuss a not-for-profit bid for the franchise at a later date. | The minister added that he stood by his invitation to discuss a not-for-profit bid for the franchise at a later date. |
| But he faced further criticism as he set out a series of actions and investments, including 200 extra carriages by 2019 and 70 new electric trains from 2017 on the main Edinburgh–Glasgow route, none of which amounted to new announcements or involved fresh funding. | But he faced further criticism as he set out a series of actions and investments, including 200 extra carriages by 2019 and 70 new electric trains from 2017 on the main Edinburgh–Glasgow route, none of which amounted to new announcements or involved fresh funding. |
| Scottish Labour’s transport spokesperson, Neil Bibby, said: “Humza Yousaf had lots of promises to make about the future but very little to say about what action he was taking to deliver a better service for passengers now. What the minister announced today will do little to placate passengers facing a miserable commute this side of Christmas.” | Scottish Labour’s transport spokesperson, Neil Bibby, said: “Humza Yousaf had lots of promises to make about the future but very little to say about what action he was taking to deliver a better service for passengers now. What the minister announced today will do little to placate passengers facing a miserable commute this side of Christmas.” |
| Calling on the minister to publish his improvement plan in full and make a commitment to when services would get better, Bibby added: “The facts are that Humza Yousaf demanded an improvement plan and then ScotRail services have become worse. His handling of the rail crisis has seen him fall out with Abellio, Network Rail and the transport unions.” | Calling on the minister to publish his improvement plan in full and make a commitment to when services would get better, Bibby added: “The facts are that Humza Yousaf demanded an improvement plan and then ScotRail services have become worse. His handling of the rail crisis has seen him fall out with Abellio, Network Rail and the transport unions.” |
| Abellio also hit back at suggestions that it was profiting from poor services. It made public an email it had sent to Bibby, which read: “All of that money has been reinvested in the franchise, so you will understand our frustration that this fact is occasionally misrepresented. The notion that money is somehow being spirited to the Netherlands is not true and we will robustly challenge any suggestion to the contrary.” | Abellio also hit back at suggestions that it was profiting from poor services. It made public an email it had sent to Bibby, which read: “All of that money has been reinvested in the franchise, so you will understand our frustration that this fact is occasionally misrepresented. The notion that money is somehow being spirited to the Netherlands is not true and we will robustly challenge any suggestion to the contrary.” |
| Mike Connelly of Abellio UK told Bibby that the firm was dealing with a legacy of underinvestment and attempting to keep people moving at the same time. He added: “We believe it is unrealistic to expect the scale of infrastructure investment and modernisation to be undertaken (the largest of its kind since Victorian times) with little or no disruption to the travelling public.” | Mike Connelly of Abellio UK told Bibby that the firm was dealing with a legacy of underinvestment and attempting to keep people moving at the same time. He added: “We believe it is unrealistic to expect the scale of infrastructure investment and modernisation to be undertaken (the largest of its kind since Victorian times) with little or no disruption to the travelling public.” |