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Train delays cost ScotRail more than £100,000 in two months, figures show

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorIona Young
Published date26 June 2022
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
Figures revealed through a series of freedom of information requests show 7,770 claims were paid out to travellers who had experienced disruption between April and May

The rail service, which was nationalised by the Scottish Government in April, has forked out a total of £107,439.49 in the two months.

Travellers have been hit by weeks of disruption as ScotRail cut hundreds of services amid a pay dispute between rail unions and employers.

Train drivers' union Aslef has now accepted a 5% increase from ScotRail, along with more money for rest day and Sunday working, and members will be balloted on the offer.

However a separate dispute over pay, jobs and conditions with Network Rail has caused 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union to strike, resulting in significant further disruption for travellers.

The Lib Dems said the figures show that in the first two periods of the 2016/17 financial year, ScotRail's Delay Repay scheme paid out £54,676.42, with more than £45,000 paid out in the same periods of 2017/18.

In 2018/19, the service, then run by Abellio, reimbursed £87,186.13 in the first two periods.

A total of £165,305.12 was paid out in the same periods of 2019/20, while subsequent years were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the Delay Repay scheme, ScotRail divides each financial year into 13 periods.

The fee paid out to passengers in the last two months is higher than the equivalent payments in the first two periods of the 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years, the party said.

And it warned thousands more rail passengers may be due reimbursements but have not made a claim.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail's head of customer operations, said: "Providing the best possible service for customers is at the...

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