KEZIA DUGDALE has urged the Scottish Government to do more to help rail commuters who are paying more for a “shocking” service.
The Scottish Labour leader highlighted profits of £1 million a month from the Abellio-operated ScotRail franchise amid a rise in rail fares.
Ms Dugdale questioned whether a promise to passengers the deal would be a “world-leading contract to deliver for rail staff and passengers” had been kept.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, she said: “I doubt commuters on the morning train from Dundee to Edinburgh, or North Berwick to Edinburgh, or the nightly commute from Cumbernauld to Dalmuir, would agree that Scotland has a world-leading contract or indeed that the expectations of the public are being met.
“In the past few months Scotland’s rail passengers have faced cancellations, delays and overcrowding.
“New figures this week show that a third of all routes in Scotland have services that are late more often than they are on time and at the same time Abellio are raking it in – £1 million a month of profit from that franchise.”
Read our extensive coverage of the state of Scotland’s rail services:
Light at the end of the tunnel? ScotRail boss admits ‘we have to improve’
Up to one in 10 ScotRail trains have run late since Abellio took control
Wire fiasco leaves upgrade behind schedule and £32 million over budget
Ms Dugdale said the rail network “might be working for the transport bosses, it’s certainly not working for Scotland’s commuters”.
She added: “Since 2011 the average weekly earnings of commuters rose by only 6% but the Scottish Government’s cap on rush-hour rail fares increased by over 23%. That’s a rise four times faster than earnings.
“Those who travel by train for their work every day are paying more for a shocking service and Scottish commuters are fed up of the First Minister’s excuses. This is her responsibility, what is she going to do to get things back on track?”
Ms Sturgeon said the government had received an improvement plan from ScotRail and was continuing to invest significant sums of money in the rail network.
She said: “The contract was awarded because it was considered that it was the contract in the best interests of passengers across Scotland, but it is absolutely incumbent on Abellio as the holder of that contract to continue to make sure that they deliver services that meet the expectations of the travelling public and the Scottish Government will continue to liaise on an ongoing basis with ScotRail to make sure that is the case.
“We are absolutely committed to working with ScotRail to deliver a quality service to passengers. That is our responsibility and we are serious in making sure we discharge that responsibility.
“My job and the transport minister’s job is to get on with fixing the problems, not just to carp from the sidelines.”
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