Scotrail, Abellio and April

[pdeaves]

It has oft been said that Abellio stops running Scotrail from April with the Scottish operator of last resort taking over. Things have been quiet recently.

An article published 23 March at https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/t...for-scottish-passenger-services/61227.article has this statement (regarding post-April operation):

Abellio and Serco will continue to receive payments to cover the difference between revenue and operating costs

Is the reference to Abellio a simple slip-up in the article, or will the company continue after all?

 

[stantheman]

Are ScotRail Limited a subsidiary of Abellio ?

 

[pdeaves]

Abellio Scotrail Ltd, the current operator, is a subsidiary of Abellio (obviously!).
Scotrail Trains Ltd, previously understood to take over in April, is a subsidiary of Scottish Rail Holdings (ultimately Scottish government).
Scotrail Ltd, according to Companies House, was set up in 2010, dissolved in 2021 and was dormant the whole time. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC372897

 

[John Bishop]

Are ScotRail Limited a subsidiary of Abellio ?

No.

 

[Davester50]

From the noticeable clean patches on the doors, they've started the job of peeling off the operated by Abellio stickers.

 

[MacCookie]

It has oft been said that Abellio stops running Scotrail from April with the Scottish operator of last resort taking over. Things have been quiet recently.

An article published 23 March at https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/t...for-scottish-passenger-services/61227.article has this statement (regarding post-April operation):

Is the reference to Abellio a simple slip-up in the article, or will the company continue after all?

The original press statement may be clearer:

Ministerial statement - Additional funding support for rail services | Transport Scotland

www.transport.gov.scot

Ministerial statement - Additional funding support for rail services​

The Emergency Measures Agreements, which temporarily varied the terms of the franchise agreement with Serco and Abellio ScotRail, expired on 28 February 2022. New arrangements are necessary to maintain rail services beyond this date.
A Temporary Measures Agreement (TMA) has been put in place for Abellio ScotRail which will ensure the continuation of passenger services until 31 March 2022 ahead of the new arrangements for ScotRail Trains Ltd coming into effect on 1 April.
The new TMA for the Sleeper will be in place until 31 March 2023 and will ensure continuity of Caledonian Sleeper services and job security for staff throughout this period
Under the new agreements Serco and Abellio ScotRail will continue to receive payments to cover the difference between revenue and operating costs, assessed as necessary in light of the continuing impact of the pandemic on rail use, together with a small incentive payment linked strictly to good performance.
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said:
“Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited has responded well to the lifting of Covid-related restrictions through 2021 and has mobilised to support the opening-up of Scotland’s tourism market. However it has not yet reached a stable financial position and that is why I have extended the current franchise support arrangements through a Temporary Measures Agreement.
“This TMA will run up until 31 March 2023 and will continue to protect rail services and support Sleeper staff through this period. I have also put in place a short-term agreement for Abellio ScotRail until 31 March ahead of the new arrangements on 1 April.
“These short-term measures will allow us to better understand the wider market and post-Covid recovery. They will also help maintain value for money through the current franchise and allow us to focus on our immediate industry priorities which includes the long-term stability of all our rail services.”

 

[Scotrail314209]

From the noticeable clean patches on the doors, they've started the job of peeling off the operated by Abellio stickers.

It looks grotty. At least First actually cleaned the filthy surroundings when they stripped the logos off.

 

[Davester50]

It looks grotty. At least First actually cleaned the filthy surroundings when they stripped the logos off.

Sums up the Abellio term, and the governance of them and their franchise.
Funny to think back in fond terms of First, but they actually ran ScotRail considerably better than this lot ever have.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Sums up the Abellio term, and the governance of them and their franchise.
Funny to think back in fond terms of First, but they actually ran ScotRail considerably better than this lot ever have.

They were good really. Their Commonwealth Games timetable was absolutely flawless. Abellio would probably just add extra carriages and call it a day.

 

[mcmad]

I do wonder how much was Abellio's fault and how much the dead hand of Transport Scotland. I know of some baffling decisions from the latter, where the NR and Scotrail staff in the meeting just looked at each other and raised eyebrows.

 

[Davester50]

I do wonder how much was Abellio's fault and how much the dead hand of Transport Scotland.

I think that's a very good point.
How many of TS will still be making key decisions in the Brave New World of public ownership? And what will really change (for the better)?

 

[Blindtraveler]

First were far better with ScotRail then abellio have ever been. Although it's been pointed out that transport Scotland may well have had a hand in this I still think a lot of the problems have been strictly abellio. That having been said, the new arrangements don't exactly fill me with confidence

 

[pdeaves]

The original press statement may be clearer:

Ministerial statement - Additional funding support for rail services | Transport Scotland

www.transport.gov.scot

Thanks; looks like the Railway Gazette writer got a bit carried away!

 

[John Bishop]

I think that's a very good point.
How many of TS will still be making key decisions in the Brave New World of public ownership? And what will really change (for the better)?

Don’t hold your breath for any earth shattering improvements. Unfortunately the history and past record of TS is not pretty and riddled with incompetence at most levels. Let’s see how they deal with the forthcoming pay talks, that will be their first true test of performance. I suspect there may be trouble ahead!

 

[Blindtraveler]

I'm inclined to agree. Transport Scotland had the potential to be BA real force for good but bungling incompetence and people playing at knowing about anything transport and travel related seems to be the order of the day most of the time. Occasionally they play an absolute blinder and you wonder exactly where they dug the manager who played it up from and what happened to them afterwards

 

[Davester50]

Don’t hold your breath for any earth shattering improvements. Unfortunately the history and past record of TS is not pretty and riddled with incompetence at most levels.

"Ferry" good point.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Loving your work there my friend.


Seriously though, I wonder what staff morale and industrial relations will be like under the New order? Reading between the lines I got the impression that abellio was not the happiest of ships to sail on from an employee's point of view


See what I did there?

 

[John Bishop]

Loving your work there my friend.


Seriously though, I wonder what staff morale and industrial relations will be like under the New order? Reading between the lines I got the impression that abellio was not the happiest of ships to sail on from an employee's point of view


See what I did there?

The reality is, for the staff at the coalface, day to day management is still the same people in their posts, some good, some not so good, some awful. The only change is at a very high level of management.

 

[tbtc]

I do wonder how much was Abellio's fault and how much the dead hand of Transport Scotland

As a Northern Rail passenger (brought up in Scotland), I'd be careful what you wish for - the publicly operated Northern has been worse than the Arriva/ Serco/ Abellio/ Arriva franchises - but a lot of people are more focussed on political ideals than the boring practicalities of running a train service well, so they tend to get away with it

Then again, we live in a world where the Green Party came to (joint) power and imposed some big cuts in train services...

"Ferry" good point.

Nice

 

[Class 170101]

Moving the deckchairs on the titanic and sinking ships spring to mind here.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

As a Northern Rail passenger (brought up in Scotland), I'd be careful what you wish for - the publicly operated Northern has been worse than the Arriva/ Serco/ Abellio/ Arriva franchises - but a lot of people are more focussed on political ideals than the boring practicalities of running a train service well, so they tend to get away with it

Then again, we live in a world where the Green Party came to (joint) power and imposed some big cuts in train services...

Yup both points well stated.

 

[PG]

See what I did there?

Or possibly sea what you did there?

 

[Christmas]

It appears that Abellio are not quite out of favour entirely as they are still providing rail replacement services and staff for ScotRail beyond 1st April.

 

[Blindtraveler]

This I can only assume has as been a tendered contract which they just happened to win in in competition with all the usual suspects and independent operators.

 

[InOban]

I thought that the lead for rail in Transport Scotland is Bill Reeve, and that he had a rail background? Seemed a decent guy when I've met him.

 

[PG]

I thought that the lead for rail in Transport Scotland is Bill Reeve, and that he had a rail background? Seemed a decent guy when I've met him.

He can only work with what he's given and within the constraints set by TS overall.

 

[Bald Rick]

I thought that the lead for rail in Transport Scotland is Bill Reeve, and that he had a rail background? Seemed a decent guy when I've met him.

Decent guy. But he has to do what Ministers want him to do. And presumably there’s no money.

 

[Davester50]

And presumably there’s no money.

Pre-pandemic, there always seemed to (me at least) be plenty of money for road schemes, while rail expansions like the Borders were pruned.

 

[Bald Rick]

Pre-pandemic, there always seemed to (me at least) be plenty of money for road schemes, while rail expansions like the Borders were pruned.

Scotland’s railway has done very, very well for rail investment the last decade and a half.

The Borders railway would not have been built anywhere else in the U.K., and wouldn’t be built in Scotland now if it were to be proposed now. Scotland is very lucky to have it, due to an alignment of two specific political issues, a very determined politician, and a desire to put one over Westminster.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Scotland’s railway has done very, very well for rail investment the last decade and a half.

The Borders railway would not have been built anywhere else in the U.K., and wouldn’t be built in Scotland now if it were to be proposed now. Scotland is very lucky to have it, due to an alignment of two specific political issues, a very determined politician, and a desire to put one over Westminster.

It's just a shame they seem to want to cut frequencies, which will make investment go to waste.