Questions in the Scottish Parliament on Scotrail and Rail Electrification

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to ScotRail failing to meet its customer satisfaction targets for the second year running. (S5O-03615)

It is disappointing that ScotRail failed to attain the overall satisfaction key performance indicator, but it is worth noting that the ScotRail franchise is one of the few franchises in the United Kingdom to have specific key performance indicators linked to the national rail passenger survey.

Transport Scotland holds ScotRail to account through the contractual requirements that are specified in the franchise agreement, as evidenced by the remedial plan notice that was issued on 8 February. The commitments that are contained in the overall satisfaction remedial plan are specifically aimed at addressing the areas that passengers have identified and at driving up satisfaction levels.

The cabinet secretary fails to understand the facts. The Abellio franchise is a catalogue of failure—delays, cancellations, overcrowded trains and skip-stopping. Since Abellio took over the franchise, there have been 75,000 train cancellations—an average of 47 a day. The figure is 60 per cent higher than it was when Abellio took over. What will it take for the cabinet secretary to take away the contract from failing Abellio?

Presiding Officer—[Interruption.]

I would like to hear the answer. The issue is being debated this afternoon.

We will use the contract to ensure that we apply the necessary penalties and make the necessary changes to the existing franchise.

The Labour Party calls for the public ownership of our railways, and tonight every single Labour member will have the opportunity to vote for exactly that by voting for the Scottish Government’s amendment. However, I suspect that they will vote with the Conservative Party to ensure that the Parliament and the Government do not have the power to run a public railway service in Scotland. As we know, Labour members say one thing outside the chamber, but they never deliver on what they have said when they come to Parliament. At 5 o’clock tonight, we will know where they stand. Will they stand up for their principles, or will they run to vote with the Conservative Party in order to keep the existing rail infrastructure?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will give an indicative timescale for the electrification of the Kilmarnock to Glasgow rail line. (S5O-03616)

As we committed to in the programme for government, we will publish, in spring 2020, an action plan for decarbonising Scotland’s railways by 2035. The primary focus will be the continuation of a rolling programme of efficient electrification, the procurement of battery trains and the development of hydrogen fuel cell propulsion trains. Further detail on how that might affect specific routes will be set out in the action plan.

In the immediate term, we are working closely with our industry partners to identify opportunities for increasing capacity on the Glasgow to Kilmarnock route to ensure that passenger demand is met.

The Scottish National Party’s investment in the half-hourly service, which was made some years ago, provided a huge boost to my constituents, but journey times on the line are on a par with those during the steam age, due to a single-track section. Does the cabinet secretary accept that journey times need to improve and that the line needs to be brought into the 21st century in order to meet the needs of a modern travelling public?

The member raises an important point. I recognise his concerns, which he has raised directly with me previously.

There has been significant growth in demand on the Kilmarnock route, in particular, and performance on the route has consistently been above the 92.5 per cent overall public performance measure. In addition, by the end of this year, all the trains that are used on the route will have completed their upgrade work to provide modern train facilities such as new seating and flooring, power sockets and wi-fi, which passengers would expect in modern rolling stock. Over and above that, we are also considering developing further support to improve the rolling stock upgrade programme, which also supports important jobs in the member’s constituency, at Brodie Engineering and at Wabtec Rail Scotland in Kilmarnock. I assure the member that the Kilmarnock route is one of those that we are looking at to see how they could be fitted into the further improvement programme as we move into control period 6.