Business Leader
News of a solid set of results for FirstGroup next week may be good news for shareholders in the company and the Scottish economy. But what cheer for Scotland’s commuters?
The rail operator clocked up 75 million passenger journeys last year. Delays, although still a problem, were cut by 30%. But faulty toilets on trains and at stations are an enduring problem it seems and the company was fined a hefty £308,963 for its failures.
However on a number of measures including ticket collection and on-train information, it scored 100%. And the headline penalty was actually down £50,000 on the last quarter’s figure. But there is still some way to go to return to the level of punctuality of the mid-1990s.
Mary Dickson, managing director of First ScotRail, the lady who doesn’t just talk the talk but famously rides the rails as well, is rightly proud of her achievements to date.
However, the daily grumbling of passengers will continue, and with a near monopoly position in Scotland’s transport system, the target is ScotRail.
In Scotland, we have one dominant commuter train service in First ScotRail and one dominant city bus company in FirstGroup’s bus division. Little room for manoeuvre here for the poor commuter to take their custom elsewhere, should they find themselves at odds with the service being offered. And what options exist for those living in remote areas?
Margaret Thatcher’s dream of a free market transport system was never supposed to look like this. But to target ScotRail as the source of commuters’ pain may be unjustified.
ScotRail merely operates the trains. Network Rail, together with Transport Scotland, are in control of the infrastructure. It is these bodies which control the capacity.
Many travellers in remote areas are facing the prospect of a slimmed-down service as Network Rail has proposed closing 23 stations in low-density areas in order to maximise the throughput of trains between our major conurbations.
At risk also is the proposed Glasgow Crossrail scheme which could see the prospect of links between Ayr and Edinburgh and Dundee and Paisley being abandoned.
Passengers looking for real improvements to their daily service should direct their anger into the consultation process on the future of Scotland’s transport that is due to conclude next week.
Comments (1)
I commute daily from Glasgow (East End) to Edinburgh Park.
Weekly cost in my humble diesel 1.4 = £36
Weekly cost using Scotrail = £62 + (£8 for the weekly bus ticket) = £70
I would love to go to work using public transport, and thus be able to read and study and reduce my personal CO2 emissions. However I am a rational consumer and I don't want to pay twice for the privilige of sharing a crammed train with sweaty strangers and getting to Edinburgh Park in 1h20m instead of the usual 45-55m with the car.
Once rail prices go down to a rational level, people will leave the cars at home and start using public transport.
For as long as rail fares are more expensive than commuting by car, (surely a case unique in Europe), people will vote with their feet.
ScotRail: market a weekly season ticket at £45 (i.e: marginally above the cost of car driving) and hundreds of people driving to the East Coast from the Glasgow area will start using the rail service.
The current rail fares are a massive rip-off and the most expensive in Western Europe. As a member of the public, I think this is a disgrace.
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on November 13, 2006 12:02 AM report comment