Rail chiefs’ spending squeeze risks longer queues at stations

FINES imposed on ScotRail for poor service have more than doubled amid claims a cost-cutting drive is to blame.

Franchise operator Abellio has been hit with a £825,393 penalty for failing to hit performance targets.

Despite the fine, passengers could still face even longer delays as unions say a spending squeeze has left 250 jobs unfilled, raising the prospect of longer queues at barriers and ticket offices.

Scotrail posted a £3.5 million loss last year and sources suggest the operators are looking to cut costs. Union chiefs say around 250, or 5%, of all ScotRail jobs are vacant in what they claim is a deliberate move to save millions of pounds.

Four directors have left the firm in as many months, including last week’s surprise departure of finance boss Kenny McPhail, amid a big executive shake-up.

Kevin Lindsay, Scotland organiser for ASLEF, the main train drivers’ union, said: “Every penny is being pinched, things like getting uniforms replaced or withdrawing fruit and cereal bars for staff on early shifts, to pushing what is the third round of voluntary redundancy.

“Then you have all these vacancies which are not being filled.”

Fines are issued by Transport Scotland if ScotRail’s performance fails to come up to scratch.

The cash is then reinvested in the railways.

The company was hit with a penalty of £367,534 for failing to hit quality and performance targets between April and July last year.

Scotrail to put on almost 100,000 extra seats between Edinburgh and Glasgow in run-up to Christmas

Things got worse in the same period this year in a range of areas including ticket offices and machines, dealing with litter, and station toilet cleanliness.

An average performance percentage of 91.28% – against a benchmark of 93.12% – saw ScotRail hit with the £825,393 fine.

RMT Scotland union chief Mick Hogg said: “Passengers are getting held up at the gates or trying to buy tickets.

“These cuts are having a real impact on passengers.”

Industry insiders believe Abellio is on course to post a second consecutive year of losses and will ask for more taxpayers’ cash.

A ScotRail spokesman said: “We remain the best performing large operator in the UK, and earlier this year the independent national rail passenger survey by Transport Focus found that nine out of ten customers are satisfied with ScotRail.

“We’re investing nearly half a billion pounds building the best railway Scotland has ever had.

“In doing so, we will deliver 100,000 extra seats and faster journey times for passengers, significantly improving customer service standards.”

On the performance fines, he added: “These are not fines. It is a reinvestment fund. Every penny raised gets put back into Scotland’s railway.

“We’ve signed up to the toughest service quality regime in the UK – and it is right that we have.

“It means that standards are driven ever higher and customers get a better service.”

Meanwhile, it has emerged ScotRail is using £300,000 from the fines to buy body cams for staff.

The cameras form part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour but critics say ScotRail should be paying for them out of its own pocket.

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: “Any suggestion penalties accrued are withheld or misdirected is quite simply wrong as, in the current franchise, these are reinvested in customer-facing improvements.

“Forthcoming projects funded in this way include a pilot of new customer information screens, over 200 body cameras to improve onboard safety for staff and passengers alike, and a refit of four Class 170 trains to provide additional seating and improve capacity which will allow wider use of this train type.”