Scotrail Franchise - Abellio

[route101]

it happened. Was Saturday early evening. Drivers that sign Gourock also sign 320s so it must be a Route Clearance issue that didn't allow it to run. Gourock and Bays are timed for 314s which accelerate much quicker than 318/320 so even if a 320 were to work one it would be late due to their poor acceleration.

Ah i see , i thought it might of been an interworking off a Newton service . I thought 320s were cleared but drivers not cleared on them

 

[Carntyne]

They are cleared for Gourock AFAIK. Only barred from Neilston now.

 

[380gk]

it happened. Was Saturday early evening. Drivers that sign Gourock also sign 320s so it must be a Route Clearance issue that didn't allow it to run. Gourock and Bays are timed for 314s which accelerate much quicker than 318/320 so even if a 320 were to work one it would be late due to their poor acceleration.

No gourock drivers sign 320s.
It's not a route clearance issue, 320s went to gourock on Christmas Eve and Hogmanay - you just need to be very careful you do not end up with a Gourock driver being stepped up to take it.
320s have recently been stepping in for 314s due to reliability issues...maybe someone stepped up a 320 and forgot about gourock men not knowing 320s.
All Inverclyde trains are timed as a 314, but don't think there would be much difference between a 314 and 320s timings given the padding some schedules have.

 

[clc]

'Big improvement in Scotrail performance'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-38595883

 

[Highland37]

It seems the boot up the bottom has done some good. To be honest, Abellio weren't that bad but First weren't either.

 

[clc]

Network Rail is responsible for the majority of journey time delays on ScotRail services, the Transport Minister has said.

Humza Yousaf said Network Rail, which deals with railway infrastructure, has caused 54% of ScotRail delay minutes.

Delay minutes discount the first five minutes of any train delay in line with national rail regulations.

Mr Yousaf is calling for further devolution of Network Rail's functions such as capacity planning, major projects delivery, timetabling, and legal and property management relating to Scotland, which he said would save around £100million a year and provide greater "efficiency and effectiveness".

He will be giving evidence to Holyrood's Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on Wednesday.

He said: "The Scottish Government have been arguing for greater accountability of Network Rail in Scotland - we fund and set out its objectives, yet as an organisation it remains unaccountable to Scotland's Parliament. That position is simply untenable.

"I have stated my case again to the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, but he has been unwilling to consider further changes here in Scotland until the Network Rail routes in England and Wales achieve what we currently have in Scotland.

"In other words, he is saying that what we have in Scotland is the way forward. I, however, cannot sit on my hands - in the interests of Scotland's rail passengers, we must act now.

"Further devolution will bring substantial savings of around £100million every year, so it is incumbent on us to seek to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness across our railway."

Figures published last week showed ScotRail has improved the reliability and punctuality of services but is still failing to hit a yearly target.

The yearly punctuality target for the past 12 months was at 90%, short of the 91.3% required in its franchise contract with the Scottish Government, which instructed the train operator to put in place an improvement plan last year to tackle performance problems.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "The ScotRail Alliance, which has existed for 18 months, already provides a dedicated and devolved rail network to Scotland through Abellio and Network Rail working together to improve rail services across the country."

https://stv.tv/news/politics/137833...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[NotATrainspott]

It seems the boot up the bottom has done some good. To be honest, Abellio weren't that bad but First weren't either.

Alternatively, and probably far more likely, is simple regression to the mean. The law of averages means that sometimes performance falls, but it is then likely that it will return to normal. Interventions normally happen at the trough where things aren't going to get any worse, so it's hard to tell whether or not an intervention was actually useful or not.

 

[47271]

Oops, no wonder Humza phoned in sick today

ScotRail 'can't vouch' for passenger compensation scheme

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-38670417

A government scheme to compensate rail passengers with free tickets may not go ahead unless it is fully funded.

The government wants to offer rail season ticket holders a "free week" in the wake of criticism of services.

ScotRail boss Phil Verster told MSPs talks are ongoing over how the plans will work and how they can be funded.

He said he had been told to use money from a rail improvement fund already earmarked for other projects, and "couldn't vouch" for it going ahead.

The Scottish government said it "remains absolutely committed" to the initiative.

The £3m scheme was announced as part of the Scottish government's draft budget, in a move to compensate passengers after a series of delays and disruptions on the rail network.

Appearing before MSPs on the rural economy and connectivity committee, Mr Verster said he first heard of the project "two to three weeks" before Transport Minister Humza Yousaf announced it.

He told members there were plans to use £1.8m from the Service Quality Incentive Regime (Squire) railway improvement fund, which is controlled by Abellio ScotRail alliance and built up through fines and penalties imposed for delays and other infractions.

The cash had already been earmarked for "other initiatives".

SNP MSP Christine Grahame asked Mr Verster if the firm, as a private company, could tell the government "you're not having it" over the Squire cash.

He told her: "We are busy discussing this with Transport Scotland and I prefer not to commit to a position yet."

Ms Grahame said: "So the scheme might not go ahead because you've not decided 'Yes, we're going to do this'?"

Mr Verster replied: "I can't vouch for whether the scheme goes ahead or not. I can just comment on whether we will make that decision, and when we'll make the decision in the next couple of weeks in terms of how we will deploy the Squire fund."

He said talks were ongoing about how the scheme would be funded, and said he had not thought of using the Squire money until it was suggested by the government.

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant said: "This is quite extraordinary. I was going to say this is policy made on the back of a fag packet, but I don't think it's even reached that stage of development."

Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles said he had assumed the Scottish government would be paying for the free fares scheme.

He said: "It's not new money that the Scottish government is using, it's money that you were going to invest in the railways."

He said it was "completely inappropriate" for the transport minister to ask for the money and it should up to Abellio ScotRail how to spend it, not the government.

Mr Verster replied: "We have a very constructive relationship with Transport Scotland and the Scottish government. A very open relationship.

"Now while we set may priorities of what we think would be best for customers, if Transport Scotland engages with us and makes alternative suggestions, of course we consider that.

"I don't think there's anything inappropriate about that. I think what is important is only one thing and that is customers in the end."

Mr Yousaf was also originally scheduled to give evidence to the committee, but this was postponed as he was unwell.

A spokesman for the Scottish government said it "remains absolutely committed" to the scheme.

He said: "A free week's travel will be offered this year and further discounts for daily, weekly and leisure travellers.

"The ScotRail contract permits Squire funding to be directed to initiatives that improve the customer service experience, and we are currently negotiating the terms of the fares initiative with ScotRail through Transport Scotland, with the details expected to be finalised and announced in the coming weeks."

 

[WatcherZero]

Its so sad its funny isn't it. The 'free' giveaway the Scottish Government promised to compensate season ticket holders for poor performance may not go ahead because the companies performance has improved such that the Government received less than expected in fines. But even worse was the Government was raiding £1.8m from an existing fund set up to recycle performance related fines in to franchise investment to fund their £3m giveaway pledge. So they were taking money away from improving performance to give back to customers to compensate them for poor performance.

 

[HH]

But even worse was the Government was raiding £1.8m from an existing fund set up to recycle performance related fines in to franchise investment to fund their £3m giveaway pledge. So they were taking money away from improving performance to give back to customers to compensate them for poor performance.

I don't think Mr Verster was amused.

 

[amcluesent]

MSPs were angered after the train operator said it had yet to agree to contribute to the £3 million scheme to offer a free week for passengers with monthly and annual passes.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Mike Rumbles said: "Passengers were told this free week came courtesy of the generosity of the Scottish Government. Instead, we find out today it is being funded by a raid on the fund for rail improvements."

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transp...l-s-free-travel-compensation-scheme-1-4342585

The contract will Abellio doesn't have any provision for Humza makes off-the-cuff promises on national TV to hand out cash.

 

[Carntyne]

Humza Yousaf isn't going to last long in this job, proving to be a disaster and sticking his nose in to much to save his own face with the "free week"

 

[HH]

If I were Abellio, any deal that involved me putting cash into this hare-brained scheme would include a gagging order on Humza. I struggle to even comprehend what he was thinking about announcing the free week when he hadn't even spoken to ScotRail.

 

[92002]

Humza Yousaf isn't going to last long in this job, proving to be a disaster and sticking his nose in to much to save his own face with the "free week"

Perhaps the new Scot-rail/Network Rail Alliance Director.

 

[IanXC]

I have moved a number of posts relating to the resignation of Phil Verster to the dedicated thread, here: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=140734

 

[Blindtraveler]

I'll appologise in advance if this is in the wrong thread but the question now is what next for Scotrail? By this I dont so much mean who should take over as thats maybe best in tother discussion but more what should his/her prioritties be once in post?

I must say Im not sorry to see Phill go but thats as far as Im gunna go that one.

 

[Mulberry2016]

Rumours are Alex Hynes is leaving Northern and going to head-up Scotrail

 

[Bletchleyite]

Good for Northern, but the Scots should be very, very afraid if they don't go for false promises and bluster.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sandyravage]

Alex Hynes has announced he is leaving Northern Rail to head up the Scotrail Alliance.

 

[Butts]

Alex Hynes has announced he is leaving Northern Rail to head up the Scotrail Alliance.

As long as he does not bring any Pacers with him he is most welcome

 

[Bletchleyite]

As long as he does not bring any Pacers with him he is most welcome

It will be interesting to see, to be fair, if he can deliver on his typically large promises in a situation like ScotRail where more funding is likely to be forthcoming.

It will also be interesting to see what the new Northern MD will change there.

 

[47271]

I've looked very carefully and I can't see anything from Neil Bibby in today's media. Maybe he's away. [emoji38]

The truth is of course that they've probably had some of the easiest winter weather for years, but let's not let that get in the way of some good news.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/news/scotrail-performance-continues-rise

SCOTRAIL PERFORMANCE CONTINUES TO RISE

Monday, 13 February 2017

Punctuality in last four week period has risen to 91.6% - 1.9 percentage points better than the previous period

Annual average performance also rises to 90.1%

Average performance in Scotland now 2.7% ahead of England and Wales

The ScotRail Alliance today confirmed its train performance has shown another sharp rise.

The industry standard public performance measure (PPM) statistics show that in the four weeks to
4 February:

Performance rose to 91.6% - a 1.9 percentage point increase on the previous period, and 2.3 percentage points better than the same period last year.

The ‘Moving Annual Average’ figure rose to 90.1%

Performance in Scotland continued to outperform other parts of the UK – the annual average for England and Wales remained at 87.4%

This is the fourth period in a row that ScotRail has delivered improved performance.

During the four weeks to 4 February, ScotRail handled 7.4 million passenger journeys on around 57,000 train services.

Notable incidents affecting performance included a First Transpennine Express train breaking down at Cambuslang on 9 January; a fire that was started deliberately on the rail line near Blackridge on 18 January, a track issue at Lesmahagow on 21 January, and a points failure at Newton on 26 January.

Perry Ramsey, ScotRail Alliance operations director said:

“Right now, across Scotland, we are working round the clock to deliver improvements that will transform our railway. This is one of the biggest, most ambitious upgrades of the network since it was built in Victorian times. Today’s figures show that, despite the huge challenge of this work, we are continually improving the service we deliver to our customers, every single day. This is demonstrated by the fact performance is up, not just on a month to month basis, but on the same period last year.

“It is now clear that the Performance Improvement Plan, introduced late last year, is working and we will continue to keep customers at the heart of everything as we seek to consistently improve our performance.

“Over the coming months, passengers will see the work of the past year start to deliver. New trains are being tested in Scotland, major projects - like the electrification of Glasgow to Edinburgh are almost complete, and a host of new smart ticket products are about to be rolled out. This will mean more seats, faster journeys and hassle free travel through better stations. This is what our customers want and it is what we have all been working so hard to deliver.”

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said:

"It is encouraging to see that performance in this period is significantly better than last period, and above the same period last year.

"For the year as a whole, the Moving Annual Average has improved again this month and it also remains above the GB average, but is not quite where we would want it to be yet. It is however encouraging to see four continued periods of improvement, especially during the winter period.

"Working with the industry, we remain focussed on ensuring the performance improvement plan is implemented effectively and real improvements continue to be seen over the next few months.

"It is also important to recognise the real efforts made by ScotRail staff who are working hard round the clock, in all types of weather, to lift performance and deliver rail services which passengers both desire and deserve."

 

[Clansman]

Been very impressed with the punctuality of Scotrail over the past couple of months. Noticed a big improvement, from the staff to operations side of things - it's great to see things improve after months of speculation and news reports on Abellio's future.

Onwards and upwards

 

[JohnR]

If you look at the individual station punctuality, there are still some which have shown no improvement. For example, Arbroath is still showing only 40.1% of all trains stopping there as on-time.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/assets/download_ct/performance-display-p1617-11.pdf

 

[Quakkerillo]

If you look at the individual station punctuality, there are still some which have shown no improvement. For example, Arbroath is still showing only 40.1% of all trains stopping there as on-time.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/assets/download_ct/performance-display-p1617-11.pdf

[my screw-up, deleted]

 

[takno]

I've looked very carefully and I can't see anything from Neil Bibby in today's media.

Do you have a bit of a crush or something? You could set up a google alert for his name to make your research a little quicker.

 

[47271]

Do you have a bit of a crush or something? You could set up a google alert for his name to make your research a little quicker.

He he, made me laugh at the end of a long day, thank you.

 

[JohnR]

40.1% of all trains scheduled to terminate there arriving within 59 seconds of scheduled arrival time, after having stopped at every station on the way. And as it says, there's only 1 daily train scheduled to do this, which is the 16.11 Glasgow Queen Street to Arbroath (18.12).

No, as per the figures on the ScotRail website, only 10.8% of terminating trains are on time. The 40.1% figure they provide is of all trains that call there. So thats based on the 65 trains that call there every day.

Both those figures are amongst the worst in Scotland.

 

[Clansman]

New hourly rail service ahead of schedule

http://www.arbroathherald.co.uk/news/business/new-hourly-rail-service-ahead-of-schedule-1-4368540

The Scottish Government is looking to introduce a planned new hourly rail service covering Arbroath, Carnoustie and Monifieth in May of next year.

The service, which will run between Arbroath and Glasgow, was due to commence in December 2018 but, following an approach by local MSP Graeme Dey, the roll out will be seven months ahead of schedule.

The Angus South parliamentarian raised the possibility of securing additional train stops for Monifieth, in advance of December 2018, with Transport Minister Humza Yousaf.

Now the Government has tasked Transport Scotland and Scotrail with bringing forward plans to enhance services for the entire south Angus coastal strip. It will be later this year before that move can be confirmed but Graeme Dey has warmly welcomed the prospect of securing these enhancements earlier than anticipated.

He told the Gazette: “I’m delighted by the response from the Minister. Because the network is presently working at capacity and there’s no spare rolling stock, getting additional trains for Monifieth right away was always a long shot.

“The fact the south Angus rail corridor is now the subject of priority roll out, within the major nationwide enhancement programme planned next year, is very welcome indeed.

“My main priority was to secure further trains stopping in Monifieth where recent improvements in access to rail has drawn a very positive response from townsfolk.

“Now it looks as if not just Monifieth but Arbroath and Carnoustie could see a full hourly service introduced in May of next year - seven months earlier than anticipated – which is great news for these communities.”

The Arbroath to Glasgow service will also call at Broughty Ferry and Invergowrie. It will be complimented by an express Aberdeen-Glasgow service.

Good news for the Angus Rail corridor. It's been great to see Monifeith and Broughty Ferry being used as a result of previous service increases, hopefully now they will be used even more. Wonder if more can be done to entice passengers to use Barry Links, Balmossie and Golf Street more? Although the latter may be a bit hard due to the station's close proximity to Carnoustie station.

 

[me123]

Excellent news. Gives a regular 2tph Glasgow to Perth (presumably with extras to Inverness), and serves the commuter stations to the East of Dundee that were abandoned for so long. A much needed improvement.