By Lucy Ashton
Following the one year anniversary of ScotRail being taken into public hands, Jackie Baillie has accused the SNP of having “no vision, no ambition and no plan” for rail.
ScotRail was taken into public hands this time last year following a long campaign by Scottish Labour – however, the party warned the SNP is “squandering the opportunity”.
Latest figures show the number of trains being run is still more than 10 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels – a cut of on average 250 trains every day. Figures released to Jackie Baillie at the end of last year showed that 6000 services had been cancelled locally since 2022 – equating to 250 a week on the lines terminating at Balloch and Helensburgh
Cuts to ticket offices are still looming, with the Scottish Government yet to make a decision on a controversial ScotRail consultation which proposed cutting hours at 117 ticket offices across Scotland.
The plans would see a reduced staff presence at Dumbarton Central, Alexandria, Balloch, Dalreoch and Cardross.
At Helensburgh Central, ScotRail plan that staff will remain onsite for the current ticket office opening hours but they may not be at the desk itself.
As well as the issues surrounding reduced staffing at the ticket office, the SNP have failed to reveal their plans for fares, or set out details on their promised pilot to scrap off-peak fares.
Decisions on a range of key issues are routinely being kicked into the grass, with Ministers hiding behind the ongoing “national conversation” on rail.
Labour accused the SNP of “dragging their heels” on public ownership in the past – including First Minister Humza Yousaf, who was critical of Labour’s calls for rail to be re-nationalised when he was Transport Minister.
Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie, left, said: “One year on from ScotRail being nationalised, the SNP’s woeful lack of ambition has left our railways to decline.
“Staffing at local ticket offices remains under threat which undermines passenger safety and the Scottish Government is failing to make this sustainable method of travel attractive to more people.
“After dragging their feet for years on nationalisation, they are now squandering the opportunity we have to deliver a railway that truly works for Scotland.
“The SNP has no vision, no ambition and no plan for our railways. While Ministers kick decisions into the long grass, it is passengers who are ultimately paying the price.
“We need a reliable and affordable rail network to drive down emissions, link up communities and revive our struggling economy.”
ScotRail trains planned:
| Financial period | Trains planned | |
| 2019-20 Period 12 | 63,166 | |
| 2022-23 Period 12 | 56,160 | |
| Change / % | 7,006 / 11% |
Source: Table 3124 https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/
Ticket offices:
ScotRail consulted on plans to reduce opening hours at 117 ticket offices and close 3 altogether; after 99% of respondents opposed the plans ScotRail were forced to scale back the plans. However, the Scottish Government has still not responded to the consultation and confirmed their plans.
When challenged to support public ownership of ScotRail in 2018, then Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf called the question of ownership a “red herring” and insisted “the private model can work”:
“I would suggest that the ownership question is, frankly, a red herring. There are public franchises that might well cost money in real terms and there are private companies that will deliver.”
“[Our public sector rail bid] should compete with private entities as well. The private model can work and the public model absolutely can work as well, and therefore I think that it is important for them to compete in that space.”
http://archive2021.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11539&i=104674&c=2093694#ScotParlOR